Cultivating joy

One of my favorite things about a new season is sprucing up the flower beds and gardens. All the colors of the blooms and the bright greens of the new growth are rejuvenating.

There is something healing and therapeutic about digging in the dirt, and the care it takes to plant and tend to a garden. It’s amazing when you think about it. The dirt, some sunshine and a little moisture supply everything a plant needs to grow and thrive. It is actually very simple to garden but, like anything else, it just takes a little effort (inertia) to get the process started.

If you are a vegetable gardener, there is also the reward of the produce to look forward to. Growing our own food is infinitely rewarding. Just the knowledge that the fruits and veggies are free of chemicals and have gone directly from your hands to the dinner table brings satisfaction.

Last year I put in six flowering trees and a perennial garden. It’ll still take a few years for it to mature and fill in but the anticipation of seeing it each spring is so worth the effort.

Gardening takes great patience. The weeds can get overwhelming. Bugs like aphids, beetles and mites can invade and threaten. Weather can be a challenge, sometimes bringing extended periods of drought or the surprise frosty mornings in late spring and early fall. And, of course, there are the deer and bunnies who enjoy dining on those fresh greens and buds. Sometimes I feel like all I’m really doing is making a nicely curated salad for them to nibble on!

Still, the beauty and end result is worth it. A well-tended garden brings joy both to the gardener and the passing admirer.

There is magic in that dirt.