My wife will be quick to tell you that I can be a total pain in a horse’s rear-end when it comes to shopping. Like the great wife she is, she shops for me. Instead of just saying “thank you for thinking of me,” I have to ask the age old question men usually ask women after a shopping trip, “How much did it cost?”
You have to understand that when it comes to shopping for clothes, I am as tight as bark on an old hickory tree. If it costs over $19.99, it is not a bargain. My price point holds for pants, shirts and even shoes. So, as you have already figured out, I am not easy to buy for.
Recently I discovered a line of clothing sold under the brand name “Life Is Good.” I can’t explain it, but I will break my $19.99 rule for these T-shirts. I guess I am a sucker for their simple message, one we often lose sight of. I like to wear the one with a tree, or a boy playing fetch with his dog.
Life is also good for gardeners. Why? Because what other hobby can be enjoyed by young or old, rich or poor, or any ethnic group! No matter whether you have a container on the patio or a garden full of plants, we all derive pleasure from the basic sense of nurturing a living plant.
A while back I had the perfect day. I snuck away from work a little early, before the wife and kids came home from school. It was a rare moment of peace and quiet. I had the backyard to myself with our four-legged fur child, Clancy. I decided to tackle the side garden, as it had been neglected since spring. Armed with clippers and a shovel I set out to remove overgrown plants and weeds. It was such a good feeling to do a thorough cleaning.
Hours passed. Yet it seemed like I had only begun minutes earlier. I scanned my accomplishments and relished seeing the five large sacks of debris yanked and tugged from the overgrown mess, leaving in its wake a more tamed and manicured garden. I can now find my way to the compost bins without stepping on flopped over plants and weeds.
I thought, “How could time have passed so quickly?” As fellow gardeners, you know the answer. While weeding and cleaning, your mind flits from thought to thought, solving all of the world’s problems, whiling away the hours in the garden. I know I dream of what could be with an unlimited budget and time in the garden. We all know that there is never enough of either of those resources.
Besides designing the garden, I think this quiet time allows us to reflect and think through many of life’s other challenges, such as world events, forgotten friends and relationships. Where else can we get this solitude? I think being in the garden fosters self-reflection.
A co-worker years ago gave me a wall hanging for my cube. It says “Gardening — cheaper than a shrink!” I know I find this to be true, as I can work out so many issues while pulling a weed, deadheading a daylily or reaping the joy of the tomato harvest.
So, I challenge you to take this time, if you already do not, and let your mind wonder to the possibilities while in the garden. I guarantee if you do you will agree with me that life is good in the garden, indeed.