As Henry Ford said, âAnyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.â Spending time with nature is a very effective way to continue to learn. Gardening teaches us so much. No matter our age, the extent to which we interact with nature or the time involved, we can all stay young by spending time outdoors.
Life lessons are available each and every day right outside our door. Some lessons we may have learned years ago, some may be harder to adopt. Consider investing in you, by spending time in nature, learning something and staying young.
1. Failure is inevitable and often leads to success. Donât take a plantâs death too personally. Unless you simply didnât water it, the fact that the plant died, probably isnât your fault. Even the best gardeners have had hundreds of plants die. Itâs ok. You are absolved of all guilt. Move on.
2. Optimism is needed. After rain comes sunshine. Heat, hail, wind, insects, and diseases can all negatively affect plants. With time and assistance, these can all be overcome.
3. Donât be afraid to rely on others. Flowers and small plants are often equated to babies. They rely on us to provide them with water and nutrients. Without an attentive gardener, annual flowers would often not survive. We too, at times, need to rely on help from others.
4. Gardening is therapeutic. Time spent in oneâs own thoughts can be tremendously beneficial. Flowers are great listeners too!
5. Balance in life and in the garden is important. Too much of a good thing can be harmful. Environmental conditions for plants need to be balanced. Just like too much sugar is not good for us, too much water or sunlight for plants can be harmful.
6. Comparing can be harmful. Stop comparing your garden (or your house, car etc) to others. Work to the best of your ability, be diligent, sit back and enjoy.
7. Donât give up. Think you have a black thumb? Donât sell yourself short. Try again.
8. The right environment is critical. Even the hardiest of hosta wonât do well in full sun. Plant it in shade and it will flourish. We all deserve to be planted in the best environment.
9. Growth takes time. Time is valuable and finite. Growth of a plant can be encouraged with nutrients but not truly rushed. Wait and watch for growth and you will be rewarded over time.
10. You reap what you sow. The ultimate life lesson from a garden. Plant sunflower seeds and you will get gorgeous yellow flowers for weeks. Smile at someone and they will smile back.
Many thanks to you, the reader, of the Gardenerâs Forum column. Your loyalty and positive feedback is always appreciated. This column will be going on a hiatus for the winter and will be being again next spring. Previous columns are available through the newspapers website.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and look forward to celebrating spring and gardening in the New Year.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
