Time to grow

A well-loved garden brings you riches both inside and out.

Some of us garden so that our yards will be filled with lush grass and vibrant colors. Others try to produce giant red tomatoes and fresh, healthy food for our families. Then there are those who garden to fill our lives with peace and quiet. Regardless of the outcome, this activity provides a glorious way to enjoy life and make the world a better place. Here's just a taste of some of the great things gardening can do for you.

Stimulate the Mind

Most people think of gardening as a physical activity, centered around digging holes and watering plants. But there's a more subtle side that often has a bigger impact on the ultimate success of a garden than the many hours of labor spent outside. Understanding the environment you live in and the growth requirements of the plants you wish to use is essential information every gardener should have. Spending time researching these facts can eventually save a lot of money and sweat. It will also provide your mind with the stimulus it needs to operate effectively.

Gardening can be a great door for discovering the wonders of the natural world. Simply following a plant's cycle-from germination to setting seed-can uncover some of the most fantastic biological secrets. Letting your curiosity lead you down a garden path can reveal the amazing partnership between insects, plants, and the soil in which they grow. Take a moment to appreciate the shape of an iris. In doing so, gardening can become more than a physical endeavor.

Reduce Stress

A well-designed garden should be a refuge from the things that drive you crazy-not a source of more insanity. Think about the yard tasks you love to perform; then create a garden that affords ample opportunities for you to do them. If mowing the lawn is the bane of your weekend, reduce the size of your lawn so a couple of minutes with a push mower is all it takes to keep it cut. Or plant a slower-growing kind of grass, and fertilize it less frequently. If even the smallest lawn drives you over the edge, plant a ground cover such as mondo grass or vinca, which will look great and require pruning only once a year.

Gardens offer great stress relief by letting you focus on small tasks, allowing larger concerns to fade away. Time can take on an entirely different meaning while dividing and replanting bulbs. The speed of life slows to match the pace of the botanical world, and what seemed like pressing concerns outside the garden quickly reprioritize.

Creating Community

One great way to get to know your neighbors is to spend a few hours out in the front yard. Inevitably, folks will stop to chat about successes and challenges. It may be the start of something beautiful.

Another way gardening brings people together is through the community garden movement. If you lack space in your own yard or simply want to enjoy the company of others while working with plants, find a community garden in your neighborhood-or start one yourself.

Slow Down To Reflect

As with life, gardening is best when viewed as a journey, not a destination. If you can learn to enjoy each step of the process, your garden will become a source of peace, and beauty will naturally follow.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jun 2003
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved