Squash Blossom by ILoveButter
Today’s post is by guest Eileen O’Shea, author of Threshold Place. While we think we are caring for our gardens, perhaps gardening is just as much about finding happiness.
In 1975 I suddenly inherited a vegetable garden. My sister Rose had started the garden. I’d watched her read library books about growing vegetables, sift the backyard soil through a sieve till it was smooth and fine, and plant neatly labeled rows of seeds in a small backyard plot. Little did I know that I, the bemused spectator, would soon adopt the garden as my own.
Rose Goes Traveling
Shortly after all the seeds were planted friends invited Rose to travel with them in Europe. She wanted to go but was reluctant to leave the garden she’d so carefully nurtured. She had even created little cheesecloth shades to protect her tiny lettuce plants from the ferocious mid-day sun.
Would I take on the care and feeding of her precious seedlings? I agreed, making sure she knew that I had no gardening experience. The closest I’d come was the care and feeding of a flourishing spider plant in my living room. I knew I was up to the challenge. If I’d learned what it took to help my “spider” thrive, I assumed I could do the same with the vegetable garden.
Six Paths to Finding Happiness – Rose’s Garden
To my surprise, I became passionate about that garden and fully invested in the well being of the vegetables. Here is what I learned from tending it:
1. BE IN THE MOMENT: I’m drawn to large and dramatic gestures and to dreaming of the future. My tendency is to live in my imagination to the detriment of the present moment. The slow process of watering, weeding and shading became its own reward. In the garden I stopped thinking about outcomes and stayed in the moment, caring for the garden.
2. HAVE FAITH in YOUR OWN ABILITY TO LEARN and GROW: When I agreed to care for the garden, I knew nothing about growing vegetables. I told myself that, if others had learned to be successful gardeners, I could, too. I borrowed books from the library and talked with experienced gardeners in my neighborhood. Soon my knowledge and competence began to grow, along with the garden.
3. PERSEVERANCE: When slugs arrived I was briefly tempted to give up. I felt momentarily overwhelmed by the presence of these annoying, slimy invaders but I also felt strongly that I didn’t want to use pesticides. Once again, the library was my salvation. I learned about attracting the slugs with small containers of beer. Many of them crawled in and drowned – population control the natural way!
4. TRUST a PROCESS LARGER THAN YOURSELF: When the outcome was uncertain and invisible, I reminded myself that planting, growing and harvesting are as old as humankind. I had a small part to play – watering, shading, weeding – but beyond that, nature knew what to do.
5. REACH OUT FOR NEW EXPERIENCES: I often say “conduct the experiment”, meaning “why not try something new when the opportunity comes along?”. I’ve found that the best way to know about something that seems interesting, but is new, is to try it. I didn’t expect to grow vegetables, yet I gained a whole lot from saying yes to my sister’s request for help.
6. YOU CAN’T ALWAYS PREDICT WHAT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY: I have often found that it is the small, everyday details of daily life and not the grand moments from my imagination that provide the greatest happiness.
Meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn (1) calls this “the bloom of the present moment”. If we stay open to what we’re feeling and experiencing right now and let go of worrying and planning for the future, the now holds many treasures. And now is all we have. I’m glad I got to experience the “now” in Rose’s garden.
Eileen O’Shea loves living in New York City and staying connected with the natural world. She is the author and editor of Threshold Place a blog about finding happiness despite adversity.
Does your garden help to bring you happiness? Does gardening help you to stay in the “now”?
(1) Jon Kabat-Zinn – “Wherever You Go There You Are – Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life”, 1994. Find books by Jon Kabat-Zin at Amazon.com.
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Lovely! Gardening definitely helps me stay in the moment, focused on the tasks at hand … but also enjoying the wonders around me (I often pause to wildlife-watch).
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by rshreeves, Alison Kerr and Kelly Senser, Kelly Senser. Kelly Senser said: Lovely! Thanks, Alison. RT @alisonkerr New Article – 6 Paths to Finding Happiness in a Garden | Loving Natures Garden http://bit.ly/abHitA [...]
Such a wonderful post!! It resonates with me on so many levels.
” HAVE FAITH in YOUR OWN ABILITY TO LEARN and GROW” what I love about this is the ability to learn – if we don’t know how do to something, if we think we’re not talented enough to do something such as garden we can learn. Far, far too often there is the tenancy to believe that ‘because I can’t (yet) and because I don’t know how – it won’t ever come to fruition. Yet we do have that ability to learn & the ability to grow while we learn and practice what we’ve learned.
Your 6 Paths to Happiness in a Garden is truly wonderful.
AIleen´s last blog ..Snakes Shed Their Skin and So Do We…Breathe Through Life’s Changes
Oh Eileen, I can so relate to the lessons of gardening. My garden is my favorite meditation space and there is always a bit of wisdom being delivered amidst the watering and hoeing. I’m so glad you inherited Rose’s garden and experienced this for yourself! Thank you for this beautiful post.
Jean Sarauer´s last blog ..My Virgin Guest Post
Wow, lovely post. What heartfelt advice for life and garden. Rose was lucky to have you to care for her precious garden, Eileen. I must say, Alison, this is a terrific post that will have wide appeal with garden enthusiasts and life enthusiasts alike.
Katie´s last blog ..A Slacker’s Guide to Getting Things Done
I’m in agreement with you all. Eileen shared a wonderful message with us today.
A wonderful post by Eileen. I agree that tending a garden helps reinforce the power of NOW. Whatever will come, will come, but it is today that matters. The joy of caring for things that need you TODAY & reward you with their strength & beauty in return, puts a pause on the planning, scheming or worrying about TOMORROW.
Kathy Vilim´s last blog ..Before Summer Takes the Wildflowers Away
Hi Eileen
your first point is great (others too) but I connect well to the first beecause of the idea to stay in the moment – really like the idea
Eileen,
What a zen post! I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. Great and timely advice.
I have spent some time in my small garden and it was a wonderful rewarding experience. I intend to do more once the maintenance work on the fences is done. It is truly the small things that matter the most in our lives, especially the ones that we lose ourselves into.
Thanks so much.
Manal´s last blog ..Start Today: 7 Simple Tips to Organize Your Space
I love my garden, and while I’m a novice gardener I sometimes think that’s partly why I find it so wonderful – I don’t quite understand why certain things grow when they do, or they way the do, so I’m always amazed!
Claire – Gratitude Connection´s last blog ..Today I’m grateful for…
i definitely live in the moment in my garden. I am at my most peaceful in the garden. My plants are my “babies” that i nurture from seed through to flowering or fruiting. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to start and end the day in the garden… i loved your article thank you x
I so love this! What a wonderful story, Eileen. I’ll just bet that you were reading Organic Gardening by Rodale Press back when it was only a 9×5 pamphlet or so! Yes? My mom subscribed back in the early-mid 70s, and I remember it clearly.
I smiled as I read about the slugs and was all excited to see what the solution was–yup, beer! LOL! I love what you say about trying something new.
I’ve been gardening all my life–or most of it with some exceptions like when in college and stuff like that–and it’s such a joy so I totally know what you mean. I can get lost out there.
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