It rained last night but now the sky is clear and the sun is shinning. The garden beckons me so I took my breakfast at the shaded area under the mango tree. I felt the breeze and breathed in fresh air.
The plots are newly planted. The left is planted with racket while the other has lettuce. Up close on the big pot is a lemon tree with two fruits.
There is a small table for my tray of oatmeal and green tea frap and my husband's coffee. There are always two chairs on the shaded area, convenient for two people to converse; though now I'm alone, a good chance for deep contemplation.
But my train of thought was distracted by two birds hovering over the garden until finally one alighted on the tomato plot and the other on the aratilis tree. I tried to take a shot but I missed them by two seconds.
I am really amazed at the appeal gardens have over people: Whenever I post a picture of our garden or just a plant on Facebook, I get plenty of likes. I think that appreciating a garden, a plant or a flower slow down people in this fast-paced digital world. Maybe they get to realize for a minute that they must also take time "to smell the flowers" as it is often said.
My daughter's sister-in-law who is a nun came by just to see our garden, she got curious after she saw the picture of my granddaughter helping papa transplant beets seedlings. A niece and a nephew who often see my posts on Facebook also want to visit. My friends in America want to have a BBQ party in our garden when they come for a visit early next year.
Gardening may not sound so much fun unless you are willing to take on the hard work and bear the backaches arising from constant squatting to tend to the plants. Nevertheless, my husband and I are relentless, we enjoy gardening and welcome what it gives back; the fresh air, a lifestyle based on the rhythm of nature; besides, harvesting is heaven.
The appeal of the garden to me is not only for relaxation alone or just admiring the view; the better value I learned is the interaction with nature. You have to get your hands dirty, touch the earth to really get the feel of it. This exercise makes me stay grounded, so to speak and keeps me "down to earth", literally and figuratively speaking.
Somebody said that when people are in their golden years, they like to do and see familiar things especially those from childhood; a recall of the good old days. Maybe that's why I planted a sour sap tree in our garden.
As a child, I used to climb our sour sap tree in our family home where my papa planted fruit trees in the backyard and ornamentals on the front lawn. I used to pick the ripe fruits and ate them up on the tree. It was so much fun, it was my secret to-go place to be alone. I don't recall what were my thoughts then but I felt good after I had my fill of the sweet and juicy, (sometimes crunchy if they're not so ripe) fruits.
I wish that I could leave this legacy to my grandchildren, that of loving the earth and appreciating what it can give back just like my papa did; he didn't even say a word but in his gardening he was able to envived in me this way of life. I also hope that one day my grandchildren can climb this sour sap tree that I planted.
From further reading, I learned that one of the greatest and cheapest past time is gardening. It is said that it enhances mental-health leading to a better perspective in almost everything and will possibly lead to a longer life. Didn't I mentioned earlier that a lady in Singapore who was in depression found solace in gardening after she learned that she can grow plants?
Try any form of gardening if you're not at it yet. I promise it will give back full reward.
No comments:
Post a Comment