Slow gardening
Slow Gardening - what does it mean to you? A friend’s email last week titled ‘slow gardening’ acted as a timely reminder of what gardening should be about. The words brought a knowingness that gardening was about relaxation and life enhancement and that it shouldn’t be a stress related activity.
Gardening had always been my ‘time out’ from the children but now I questioned my most recent approaches. That very day I had been outside as a task master with my mental ‘to do’ list, “first pruning, then seeding paddock, then finishing rock wall”. The garden had effectively been divided into chores. I had focused only on what needed to be achieved or completed.
There is much research showing the great therapeutic value of gardening. The combination of feeling the soil in your fingers, watching a plant grow, breathing in fresh air, physical exercise and being outside acts as an antidepressant and mood enhancer. However if we become overly task driven these benefits will be lost.
I am now focusing on keeping the garden my sanctuary, not another workplace. Once my ‘task master’ starts up and heaviness creeps in then it is time to leave it. I shall go and make a cup of tea or merely sit back, lighten up and enjoy.
Take ‘slow’ gardening a step further and consider investing in low maintenance plants such as natives, many herbs, bulbs and flowering annuals. These plants are resilient, often drought tolerant and will still bring rewards when neglected. They don’t require much effort to maintain allowing more time to just ‘be’ in your garden. Some of my favorites include lavender, rosemary, sage, achilleas, calendulas, marigolds and the native shrubs; banksias, grevilleas and callistemon.
This month I have planted out asparagus and garlic; they act as my patience lessons. Garlic takes about 7 months and asparagus 2 years until harvesting. Watching them grow reminds me that rushing and gardening really don’t go together.
My day is brightened by the cosmos, marigolds, calendulas and pineapple sage flowers that are bringing colour to a garden that on the whole has the decay of autumn. Most of them have self sown over summer and will continue to do so. Calendulas and marigolds are easy self sowers if left to go to seed.
In a fast world of instant results make gardening the different way of living or time out. Let being out in the garden bring you a sense of peace, solitude and patience.
Until next time
Rachel
Sustainable living eco mum
