Why Do You Garden?
There probably is no easy answer to that question. The reasons are as plentiful as the gardeners. For some, economics drive them to plant row after row of vegetables which will be frozen, canned or stored for winter consumption. For other people, it is the unconscious need to nurture something, anything. Then there are those that use their gardens as a stress reliever. There is no better way to work out frustrations than to attack a patch of weeds. Gardening is great exercise. Who needs a gym when you can workout by tending your gardens? There is no doubt that gardens add value to your home. A well landscaped property can add as much as thirty percent to the value of your home. Perhaps resale value motivates you to garden, but I doubt that is your primary incentive. I have often wondered if gardening is a way to recapture our childhoods. One can spend the day in the fresh air and sunshine, sometimes the rain, have dirty fingernails, faces and knees. One can get covered in grass stains, and nobody cares. It’s expected we’ll get dirty, just as when we were children and free to spend our summers playing outside.
In my case, it is all of the above reasons to some degree, but most of all, gardening is my addiction. I cannot get enough of it. I work in the landscaping industry all day, then come home and play in my own garden. At home I can be creative and, impractical. At home, I am able to grow the flowers and herbs that I like. If I choose, I can add quirky accents to the gardens such as old doors, iron pulleys, bits of salvaged architecture, twig arches or gates. In my own gardens I can be whimsical or formal and never once have to concern myself with practicalities unless I choose to. At home is where I get to push the gardening envelope as far as possible. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. How very fortunate I am to have discovered what I love to do, and had the opportunity to make a career, and a hobby out of it.
Whatever your reasons are for gardening, just enjoy the hobby, and, enjoy being a child again!
In my case, it is all of the above reasons to some degree, but most of all, gardening is my addiction. I cannot get enough of it. I work in the landscaping industry all day, then come home and play in my own garden. At home I can be creative and, impractical. At home, I am able to grow the flowers and herbs that I like. If I choose, I can add quirky accents to the gardens such as old doors, iron pulleys, bits of salvaged architecture, twig arches or gates. In my own gardens I can be whimsical or formal and never once have to concern myself with practicalities unless I choose to. At home is where I get to push the gardening envelope as far as possible. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. How very fortunate I am to have discovered what I love to do, and had the opportunity to make a career, and a hobby out of it.
Whatever your reasons are for gardening, just enjoy the hobby, and, enjoy being a child again!
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