During the next three months, I’ll bookend my days with gardening. My fingers will dig in the dirt a couple of hours before and after I plow through my daily story assignments.
I am obsessed with gardening, almost as much as writing. And as with any obsession, it’s healthy to get to the ROOT of the issue. So, I perused the poets, scoured the literature, and even asked my friends to answer the question: Why do you garden? Here’s what I learned.
WHAT OTHER WRITERS SAY ABOUT GARDENING
“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.” – May Sarton, poet and novelist
“She turned to the sunlight / And shook her yellow head / And whispered to her neighbor: / ‘Winter is dead.’”- from “Daffodowndilly by A.A. Milne, author of the Winnie the Pooh books
“I like gardening — it’s a place where I find myself when I need to lose myself.” – Alice Sebold, writer
“All my hurts my garden spade can heal.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet
“I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars…And the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven.” – Walt Whitman, poet
“The evening was hot; it was the fragrance of the lemon lilies that was cool, like the breath from a mountain well.” – Eudora Welty, author
“The man who worries day and night about dandelions in the lawn will find great relief in loving the dandelions.” – Liberty Hyde Bailey, horticulturist
WHAT MY FRIENDS SAY ABOUT GARDENING
“For me, it’s all about the rebirth of God’s beauty. I can work outside all day in the garden and never get tired. It’s about mental growth. I can relax my mind and just enjoy all the promises of a new day. Bonus is that it brings back fond memories of my mom and her love for nature and the garden.” – Fonda
“Simply one word for me – therapy.” – Mike
“To save the bees! And because I just love the smell of fresh herbs. I’ve never had much luck with flowers, but I’m trying this year.” – Anna
“It reminds me of God’s kindness and greatness. We don’t need flowers, but He provides them for our pleasure. What an awesome God we serve.” – Steve
“I could clear my mind of everything when I had my vegetable garden and fruit trees. Could work for hours. I also enjoyed canning. It was my relaxation after busy schedules.” – Eugenia
“Flowers inspire me to create – like this doily. I love pansies. Their faces are so friendly.” – Rose
“There is just something incredibly peaceful and rewarding about digging in the dirt and producing beautiful things!” – Janelle
“It’s always been my sanctuary. A place where time moves with the rhythm of nature. My medicine place.” – Jay
“I am reminded to slow down and enjoy. It’s not a race to complete a task.” – Kelle
“The color of a flower reminds us to use our spirit of awe and wonder God gives us.” – Tom
“For me, it’s about actually producing my own produce and knowing where and how my veggies are grown. I also enjoy sharing my bounty with my friends and neighbors. Food is love.” – Molly
“To garden is to have faith in an outcome you can only influence and not control. To feel the pull and urgency of each season and to invest the work necessary to realize the glory of nature. Much like pregnancy and childbirth, it is an opportunity for mere mortals to assist God in the making of a miracle. Each plant and blossom all unique and full of potential. In the garden, life proceeds each day as it should with no regard to anyone’s opinion of it. The garden is always authentic.” – Holly
ONE MORE THING
Thank you, writers and friends, for answering the question: Why do you garden? The responses in this blog represent many comments I received. Having read them all, my conclusion is this:
