Most of my time in my garden was centered around how to take care of it: dig it, feed it, plant it, weed it, prune it, and on and on. But along the way I found I needed, and received things from my garden, as well. I still have to labor in those tasks which cultivate the earth and its plantings, that part does not change, but how much and the difference between whether I feel stressed by it or benefited by it is the gist of this post.
Working on the side garden
Allowing The Garden To Do What It Does Best
What does the garden do best?
- It is a place for singing birds, hummingbirds and butterflies. I invite them and make the garden a sanctuary for them.
- It perfumes the air.
- It soothes me.
- My garden feeds me.
- Its herbs benefit me in many ways. Foods taste better, its aromatherapy is calming, and they help other plants to grow well.
- If I need to reconnect, get rid of stress, or get inspiration, a walk around the garden, some time spent sitting in a sunny spot, family time around a firepit, all serve to make my life more in tune with what matters.
Making It Easy On Myself
The Questions I Have To Ask
- Does the work wear me out or invigorate me? One of the reasons I like to garden is the way I feel when I’m out in nature, whether cloudy or sunny -it doesn’t matter. If I load my schedule with ambitious plans, either let things go or do too much, I start to feel stressed. Stressed about the weeds and overgrowth if I let things go, feel overwhelmed and falling short if I try to do too much. Good, healthy gardening is about balance: balance in nature, in expectations, and in effort.
- Do I take my own advice at tackling one small chunk of the landscape at a time? Do I make sure that I enjoy the work I’ve done, sit and quietly enjoy the garden or am I driven to work, work, work? the garden doesn’t ask that of me, and if that is what I’m doing I’m driving myself…. why?!
- Decluttering the yard, implementing lower maintenance plantings and practices, are these part of the landscape plan? There are some landscape styles that are too labor intensive for reasons that are individual. Some of us are too busy with other demands and interests, some of us are aging or have physical impairments that require that we streamline the design to help us gain revitalization from our time outdoors, not exhaustion or debility.
What Designs Are Less Stressful?
- A Serenity or Spa design is less needy of our work and more giving of fragrance, leafy shade, and green space. It might include rejuvenating features like a hot tub or calming water fountains.
- A Wild Garden is a sanctuary for wildlife and maintenance needs are low (although not entirely exempt)
- A mixed garden with plenty of ornamental trees and shrubs.
The right garden ornaments, chosen for durability and design, seating to invite a view of the flowers or respite from the chores, pathways and grassy areas, the sound of water, all these additions can give back in terms of enjoyment, and restorative power.
I like the strong lines of this fountain, for instance. Its stability seems rooted to the ground, its simple geometric lines bring a sense of rest and focus on the playfulness of the water.
Making It Easy On The Environment
When a garden is a healthy place for you and for wildlife, it is easy on the environment. What is the opposite? Lots of impossibly green and closely mown grass. The flowers and vegetables grown with nary a blemish, because of toxic chemicals.
A choice must be made for long term versus short-term goals, and if we gain a long term perspective of what is good for the earth, with organic methods and products, we will also create a better environment for living things including ourselves.
I am not against lawns in useful proportions for specific needs. There is nothing better for playing games or having a picnic. And since I still hang out clothes on a line, I like for the grassy area underneath to be kept trim. But that is not a necessity and lawn should have some clover in it, should not be a reason to dump lots of chemicals into the waterways by way of runoff. We should strike a balance between what we do to the environment for our needs and what it needs to stay healthy and productive.
Such gardens will give back to us, and to future generations.
I like seeing the cycle of creating compost, where giving back kitchen waste into the earth returns new fertility and production. Knowing that grass trimmings and shredded leaves are not filling waste dumps, but renewing the soils from which they came. This process gives me satisfaction as well as its more practical way of dealing with the debris of living.
The Simple Answer
If you would like your garden to take care of you, design it that way.
