The sight of flowers brings me immense joy. I think its the combination of the colors, smell, shape and beauty of collective flowers that makes me forget about the world around me . Instead I feel like creating the same look in my garden. And lo and behold , I am gardening!
When I came to the USA, I was blown away with so many flowers all around me. Everything was so bright and happy! This made me want to have a similar garden! I started reading gardening books from the library and marveled at the various combinations of flowers, trees and shrubs. Soon I was frequenting garden centers to browse through various plants. It started with planting two lily of the nile plants, a purple and a white. Soon I was purchasing new plants to transform my space into a beautiful flower garden !
Here are some of the reasons that gardening has become my obsession.
- Gardening helps me contemplate
- Gardening helps me be creative
- Gardening helps me connect to nature
- Gardening is therapeutic
- Gardening lets me be in control
Gardening helps me contemplate
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines contemplate as to view or consider with attention, to ponder, to meditate. Basically you look at life from above, and try to get the big picture. Is it really necessary to beat myself up for what a stranger commented or if the world around me becomes negative or if I miss my family in India? I pull the weeds, plant new flowers, and I continue to think about different issues in my life. My brain is chaterring and I am exhausted. Slowly, with my hands busy, my brain starts to calm down. I find solutions to my problems, gain a different perspective, start counting my blessings, plan the week ahead, all the while keeping up with the yard work. By the time I am done, life feels manageable, I am settled, satisfied.
Gardening helps me be creative
Gardening is a creative outlet. Just as an artist looks at the blank page and can see possibilities, a gardener looks at her yard and can imagine a whole beautiful world in her head.
Gardening helps me connect to Mother Nature
Plants, insects, birds, worms are all living things that we sometimes forget to acknowledge. The digging of dirt, the sight of honeybee, a whiff of lavender flower enriches my senses.
Gardening is therapeutic
Have you ever sat in the garden and just observed the world around you? I can hear the wind, the chirping of birds and an occasional sighting of rabbit. This removes my focus from the current situation and brings the mind to a neutral rest.
Gardening lets me be in control
Many people spent a lot of time gardening during pandemic. I was one of them. When the world around me was uncertain I was able to control one thing in my life…my garden. I realized that I am free to design my own garden , however flawed the result be.
Conclusion
Satisfaction, happiness, contentment, purpose, beauty are all the benefits of gardening. Gardening is a kind of free therapy that requires a spirit that is willing to experiment with different kinds of plants.
Enjoy the bonus video of my garden !
Lovely pictures and write up.
Thank you !