Older gardens have a marvelous sense of stability and a unique character. They're restful to wander around in or sit inside. Not that they're static, no garden ever stays exactly the same. But they have a depth of spirit, you might say, a quality that's almost indescribable. 

 

The gardeners and the gardens seem to have reached a balance that means, usually, less work. The more plants there are to fill the space, the fewer the weeds and, often, the less water it needs. The plants that do well have been allowed to spread, the ones that didn't work out are gone. The shrubs and trees are full grown. Stability amid change, that's what a mature garden says.

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​

Nurturing stability

 

A stable piece of land has a good plant cover, often three or four layers from ground covers to tall perennials or shrubs.  No bare soil, no expanses of mulch, means less maintenance. This ideal may take a few years and many plants to achieve, but it's a worthwhile goal.

​

​

Nurturing meaning

 

Meaning is always personal, something to give to an object in the outer world, a way of melding inner and outer reality. You can always add something with meaning to a garden, a statue, a rose planted to honor a friend, a special rock from your favorite place. 

​

The more meaning infused into your garden, the more the garden as a whole with feel uniquely yours, and the more energy you'll have for working with it.  In a way, gardens are like sandboxes for grownups. We play around, change the furniture or the decorations and when we get bored we find something else to do. 

 

 

Nurturing possibilities

​

Brainstorming is a good winter activity, or even something to occupy yourself in the midsummer heat when you're not going to actually change anything. Seed catalogs arrive, you. have time to look at gardening sites online or the beautiful books of photos that tempt us into bookstores.

​

And brainstorming is, by definition, separate from decision-making. Ideas, lots of ideas, are the purpose here. Write them down, collect photos, let your imagination roam.  Practicality comes later.

Older gardens have a marvelous sense of stability and a unique character. They're restful to wander around in or sit inside. Not that they're static, no garden ever stays exactly the same. But they have a depth of spirit, you might say, a quality that's almost indescribable. 

 

The gardeners and the gardens seem to have reached a balance that means, usually, less work. The more plants there are to fill the space, the fewer the weeds and, often, the less water it needs. The plants that do well have been allowed to spread, the ones that didn't work out are gone. The shrubs and trees are full grown. Stability amid change, that's what a mature garden says.

​

​

Nurturing stability

 

A stable piece of land has a good plant cover, often three or four layers from ground covers to tall perennials or shrubs.  No bare soil, no expanses of mulch, means less maintenance. This ideal may take a few years and many plants to achieve, but it's a worthwhile goal.

​

​

Nurturing meaning

 

Meaning is always personal, something to give to an object in the outer world, a way of melding inner and outer reality. You can always add something with meaning to a garden, a statue, a rose planted to honor a friend, a special rock from your favorite place. 

​

The more meaning infused into your garden, the more the garden as a whole with feel uniquely yours, and the more energy you'll have for working with it.  In a way, gardens are like sandboxes for grownups. We play around, change the furniture or the decorations and when we get bored we find something else to do. 

 

 

Nurturing possibilities

​

Brainstorming is a good winter activity, or even something to occupy yourself in the midsummer heat when you're not going to actually change anything. Seed catalogs arrive, you. have time to look at gardening sites online or the beautiful books of photos that tempt us into bookstores.

​

And brainstorming is, by definition, separate from decision-making. Ideas, lots of ideas, are the purpose here. Write them down, collect photos, let your imagination roam.  Practicality comes later.

Gardening with Skill and Delight

Planting Joy

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    Keep your gardening fun!
    • Sep 15, 2021
    • 1 min

    Keep your gardening fun!

    Yes, I know, there's work, there's digging, there are things you don't really want to do. But what's the main difference between playing...
    Being a lazy gardener - step one
    • Sep 13, 2021
    • 1 min

    Being a lazy gardener - step one

    Gardening seems to be a constant series of actions, but being smart is more important than being energetic. Mental skills are more...
    • May 12, 2021
    • 1 min

    Best slug & snail control

    I've been using several products containing iron phosphate over the past five years and I'm sold on this chemical. Not harmful to any...
    An affordable greenhouse
    • Mar 31, 2021
    • 1 min

    An affordable greenhouse

    An excellent shelter for the price, around $100, a Quictent 56"x56"x77". I've been using it since January and I'm very happy with it....
    My favorite gardening tool
    • Mar 31, 2021
    • 1 min

    My favorite gardening tool

    It's a serrated kitchen knife, costs just a couple dollars from the thrift store. And I have six or seven of them, stashed in various...
    Changing yourself, changing your garden
    • Mar 31, 2021
    • 1 min

    Changing yourself, changing your garden

    It's April and all the gardening I've loaded onto myself is ridiculous. Home vegetable garden and yard, the Appletree Garden and another...
    • Mar 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    "Why we procrastinate on tiny tasks"

    Here's a BBC article especially relevant for gardeners. Why? Because there are so many tiny tasks and because the tendency (at least...
    Overwhelmed, again
    • Mar 15, 2021
    • 1 min

    Overwhelmed, again

    It's March and I can see the end of the line for setting up the garden, mid May usually. And setting that next to my thoughts of what I...
    Cultivate some local experts
    • Mar 3, 2021
    • 1 min

    Cultivate some local experts

    What's better than the internet? People whose brains you can pick for local information. Might be a neighbor, or one of the Master...
    Groundcover partners
    • Feb 23, 2021
    • 1 min

    Groundcover partners

    The perfect groundcover can be an elusive ideal. To do its job of defending the garden from weeds it needs to be both dense and thick,...
    Garden beds grow, too
    • Feb 12, 2021
    • 1 min

    Garden beds grow, too

    Most people accept the extra work needed to get a daylily or an azalea off to a good start, the extra watering, extra fertilizer, extra...
    The lost art of "puttering"
    • Jan 23, 2021
    • 1 min

    The lost art of "puttering"

    Useful as it is to know what you "should" do, sometimes it's better to let go of the mental list you're carrying around. "Puttering," by...
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    An essential gardening tool - your body

    Take time to care for it! Muscles, especially, need extra attention to keep working properly. Tense muscles are more prone to injury...
    Relaxing without guilt
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    Relaxing without guilt

    Spending time just wandering around your garden is one of the most important things you can do for the plants and for yourself. For one...
    Quotes
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    Quotes

    There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments. — Janet Kilburn Phillips A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade...
    An easy design technique
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    An easy design technique

    Contrast increases interest and combining different textures does just that. Choose three out of this list: fine or ferny big and bold...
    Getting yourself out the door
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    Getting yourself out the door

    Gardens are run on enthusiasm, not guilt or self-discipline. Sure, the "I should" messages can force us to do the chores occasionally but...
    Strategies for getting stuff done
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    Strategies for getting stuff done

    Gardening has an insane number of ten minute tasks, or five, or even one. The sheer number, however, can be overwhelming. The key,...
    Watering well
    • Jan 16, 2021
    • 1 min

    Watering well

    Everyone wants to save water, except possibly those who live at the edge of a bog. Here are a few tips: Drench the soil completely...
    Avoiding pest problems
    • Jan 8, 2021
    • 1 min

    Avoiding pest problems

    Start with healthy plants, give them enough water and fertilizer to get them growing well, and the result is a pest-free plant, usually. ...
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