Why Gardening is Good for the Soul

Gardening can be a truly rewarding experience beyond that of the obvious. If you release the idea of “perfection”, which is Pointless anyway (tip # 2 in The 385 Guide to a Happy Life), you, too, will come to understand how gardening is good for the soul.

Contrary to popular belief with regard to Urban Landscapes, I’ve been surrounded by plants my entire life.  Granted, by virtue, Caribbean cultures harbor a tenderness toward flora & fauna.

I can easily recall visiting a multitude of family members and not once were plants not present.  Growing up, my New York family favored ferns, pothos, and herbs.  A few African Violets could be found and a couple of skilled members may have had an orchid or two.  Although, come to think of it, those may have been fake!

Greenery was abundant, including on the fire escapes.  I was embarrassingly grown before I realized the fire escape was meant to be completely utilitarian.  Oh well! 

Thankfully, we were denied the need to escape an actual fire and likely against city code, we used it as a patio; potted plants everywhere. 

Our spring visits to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and Prospect Park (Central Park’s little sister), were anticipated like a second Christmas. 

Strolling through either of them made you easily forget the bustling metropolis mere feet away.  Both parks were also mysteriously quiet, as if the cosmos halted the city’s cacophony at their perimeter.

In a complete about-face, I’d visit my grandparents in Puerto Rico every summer.  After a long, gray winter in New York, stepping off the plane in Puerto Rico was akin to Dorothy stepping out of her transplanted home in Oz…

AN EXPLOSION OF COLOR

The hues seem to reverberate with passion of their own accord:  Reds, Oranges, Blues, Greens and Lavender colors.  Yellows as bright as the sun, pinks and indigo that could make you cry; Could there really be a hundred different shades of brown?

Lush green mountains cresting miles away in one direction, a sea in another direction bearing such a beautiful shade of aquamarine, you’d swear mermaids were real and you just saw one.

My grandmother, Mama Ina (Een-ah), planted flowers in the front lawn with no rhyme or reason, Fabulously Flawed as she was. 

She used to say…

“On their own, flowers don’t grow in perfect little rows, so why would I possibly plant them that way.”

I can remember her cradling a handful of seeds in her palm before scattering them in the air, letting them fall where they may.  After watering them she’d say, “We’ll just let Mother Nature take care of the rest!” 

MOTHER NATURE ALWAYS DID

I couldn’t possibly name all the flowers she nurtured in her garden, but I vividly remember the gladiola because they were her favorite and because they were difficult to forget; such proud, tall creatures, taller than I at 5 years old.

I remember walking among them, the blooms bursting all about.  I felt as if I’d entered an enchanted forest, that at any moment I’d sprout translucent wings and reveal my true fairy form. I’d spend hours waiting for that transformation to occur, willing it on.

It never happened, however, one truly magical thing did…

I'd fallen into the habit of laying down among the gladiola, looking up at them from below. They looked like trees from that perspective. Oftentimes, while waiting for my fairy wings to sprout, I'd fall asleep. Share on X

Once, having awoken from such a sprite-ly slumber, I found myself covered in ladybugs!  Not bearing an affliction of coccinellidaephobia, I was amazed. 

I thought myself the luckiest girl in the world!

MAGICAL MOMENTS DO HAPPEN

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I tried not to disturb them, watching them crawl this way and that.  It was delightful.  Sadly, as impatient as any child could be, I shifted too much for their liking and the insect Lilliputians flew off in search of another perch.

I tried the rest of that summer to duplicate that moment, all attempts having failed; except for the time a giant butterfly the size of my hand stopped by for a visit, but that’s a story for another day.

Truth be told, I have a symbiotic relationship with Nature.  Gardening  taught me the essence of nurturing before my children were mere thoughts in in my head. Gardening nourished me with the marrow of patience, and connects me to the planet, as well as to the memory of my grandmother, which in turn connects me to God. 

Insight isn’t attained with the culmination of the perfect flower, it’s in the process of nurturing that flower, regardless of outcome.  Cultivating “a bit of earth” affords me the miracle of life in its simplest form, and guess what…

I DON’T HAVE A GREEN THUMB

True Statement:  I’ve laid waste to more plants than I’d care to admit and I’m sad to say I don’t have the knack Mama had for throwing caution and seed to the wind. 

I suppose Mother Nature has more to teach me.  Perhaps I’m subconsciously forcing the issue; a metaphoric lesson to guide other aspects of my life.  I don’t know. I might have to think this over some day that’s not today.

In the meantime, despite failures of epic proportions, I’ve continued to pursue gardening.  I haven’t tried my hand at vegetables, preferring ferns, vines, flowers and herbs. 

Having recently purchased Shangri-La, I’ve taken on gardening with more gusto.  I’ve ventured out of container gardening as I can now enjoy my plants on a more permanent basis.

So far, The Hubster and I have substituted 4 trees we hated.  We had to replace them anyway because Hurricane Matthew destroyed them. We changed three of them out for palm trees (two Spindle palms and one Christmas Palm).

I named the Spindles Castor and Pollux in honor of my Gemini Twins and I named the Christmas triplets Persephone, Diana & Artemis (yes, I have a thing for mythology).

We planted a glorious red-orange Hibiscus, aptly named Gloria, and the 4th tree was replaced with a beautiful After-Glow  bougainvillea in the same color scheme. 

I squealed when I first spotted the bougainvillea because she was another of Mama’s favorite flowering plants. I could feel my grandmother’s presence all throughout the day. Obviously, I named her Ina.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma gave her a beating.  We had to trim her down extensively, but she’ll be back in bloom before long.

While I have ambitious plans for the backyard, I’ve taken baby steps toward my Forever Projects.  I started an herb garden in a wheel barrel.  It came out fantastic but then grew wildly and totally out of my control! 

I had to cut it down and start all over again, which is fine because the first go around was more of a test. 

I have better ideas in the works…I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

I fell in love with Purple Passion and Persian Shield.  Their deep purple shade moved me. 

They’re currently placed by the entry way, having moved my Mums to the backyard where sunlight is abundant. And, I finally started my Spanish Eyes Lavender “field”.

I’m crossing my fingers on this one because only certain lavender grows well in Florida and as we know, my thumb is more of a pale yellow.  As a matter of fact, if you have any Planting Pointers at all, please send them my way!  #Perpetual Student.

I’ve started the new herb garden with Lemon Balm and plan on adding Lemongrass and Citronella.  Can you spot the connection? 

These plants are all known mosquito repellents.  We don’t have a screen outside and anyone who lives in Florida can tell you this is a huge drawback, the little buggers are evil down here (just kidding entomophiles!). 

Installing a screen at the moment is out of the question.  Instead, I decided to raise an oasis of plants mosquitoes hate.  Hey, it can’t hurt!  Or itch!  That’s the intention anyway.

WE SKIRTED A MAJOR DISASTER WITH HURRICANE IRMA

But my relief was short lived watching helplessly as Hurricane Maria ravaged my beloved island of Puerto Rico. 

I was grateful my deceased grandparents were spared the disaster and worse, what was left in its wake.  .  My biological father still lives there, though, and it’s been devastating.  It’s been over a week and I haven’t been able to get a hold of him, although I did just get word from an aunt that he, his wife and brother-in-law, were seen and are all well. 

Thank God!  I’m sure it’ll be just a matter of time before I hear from him directly.

Lately, I’ve been working a little longer in my garden because it makes me feel closer to Puerto Rico.  I cultivate my bit of earth and pray in her honor, visualizing the island and her people, my people, restored.

As you can see, my sensibilities for cultivating earth are personal and enriching to my soul.

What’s are the reasons you might have for giving it a go?

Gardening can be a truly rewarding experience, beyond that of the obvious…maybe this is the year you’ll try your luck at it without the fear of failure, because at the end of the day, we’re all Fabulously Flawed!

Be Well!

Cynthia
385Life
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