Show me a beautiful garden and I’ll show you a contented soul. I believe those words. If more people turned off their cell phones and took up gardening, the world would be a happier place. It certainly would be more beautiful.
A garden, whether it fills acres of rolling land or is contained in a simple window box can bring joy into a person’s life.
I always feel a connection to nature whenever I dig in the rich warm earth— the birds stay at the feeders longer and sing more brightly, the butterflies come to visit, and my cats pick a favorite spot in the sun and lazily watch me from half-closed eyes. Gardens are outdoor rooms that soothe our spirits while adding colorful life to our homes and communities.
My friend Marlane and I squeal like five-year-olds when our peonies bloom in the spring, and we’ve been known to hit the local nursery a record-breaking three times in a six hour time span. My friend Deb loves her container gardens so much that she hauls them inside when a bad storm is predicted. Late at night, I often sit on the back porch steps in my nightgown and gaze at my sleeping garden. With the stars overhead and the night air laced with the fragrance of my flowers, I think about how wonderful life is.
If you’ve never had a garden, you have no idea what you’re missing. Now, I know that gardening isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve been toying with the idea, start small, have fun, get dirty, and watch the magic unfold. Before too long you’ll have something beautiful and as uniquely yours as anything can be.
I try to buy local, but when I can’t, or for those times when I want something rare, I visit these sites and burn up my credit card!
http://www.peonies.net
http://www.bettergardentools.com
http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com
http://www.gardenartisans.us
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com