Just like people, gardens come in many shapes, sizes and forms.
Garden styles and trends come in waves and vary as you make your way across the country.
Some love the orderliness of a formal English garden, others prefer the free flowing feel of a coastal garden. And others feel the only true garden worth growing is a Victory garden, filled with vegetables and herbs designed to feed the family.
No matter your preferred garden style of one truth remains constant. Gardens have the ability to feed much more than just our bodies.
Yes, it’s absolutely true that gardens have the ability to feed our families, and frequently our neighbors too however, garden also have the ability to feed our souls.
Gardens and gardening of any size, shape or style can feed your body and soul. To improve your mood and well being without a huge commitment of time, or space.
While you may crave a garden with vast sweeping views, several vistas and areas dedicated to cottage, dessert and woodland plantings, a large expansive area is not needed to enjoy the benefits of gardening to your body and soul.
For years I have been planting and maintaining my own garden as well as those for clients in various areas of the East Coast as well as more tropical climates on Florida’s west coast. And while I have learned so much about various plant species and their growing needs, I believe I have learned more about myself and the owners of the gardens than anything during the process of creating and caring for the gardens.
So how do you grow a garden that feeds both your body and soul?
First and foremost I believe you need to begin with accepting that just like their human caretakers, gardens are a work in progress. While we give ourselves grace to occasionally try and fail in our lives. We must also give ourselves the grace to try and fail in our gardens as well.
The boxwood you love at the local garden store may or may not like the “perfect” spot next to your walkway where you have chosen to planted it.
The Red Maple seedling from your neighbors garden may thrive in your back courtyard or it may catch a disease, drop all it’s leaves and dry up before it’s first show in the Fall.
And you know what? It’s all ok. You tried. You gave it your best effort.
The good news… You will learn from all these lessons in the garden. You will do try to do better next time. You may succeed, you might not. But I can tell you is, that it is ALL worth it.
Every disappointment will be followed by the win of a beautiful bud opening on a summer’s morning. Every hot humid day of weeding will be followed by a chilled glass of rose (or your favorite chilled beverage) on the patio enjoying the view.
To get you started, or keep you going, I am sharing my favorite top
5 Tips For A Garden That Feeds Your Body AND Soul
- Evaluate where you are starting from – write down the basics, what plants, light, moisture, etc.. your space has
- Consider where you want to go – what does your dream garden look and feel like
- Determine your level of participation – will you or someone else handle the work and care needed
- Create a roadmap – based on the answers to the above, begin to create a plan to go from where you are to where you want to be
- Get going! – even with all the above your garden will change and evolve over the days, weeks and years to come. The most important step is to simple start. Get going and get growing!
Let me know by leaving a comment below what is the biggest lesson you have learned in the garden either about a plant or yourself.
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special thank you to Hortulus Farm for opening your garden gates
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