A couple of years ago I invited a colleague of mine over, a woman who is a professional gardener, to answer a few questions and give me a fresh perspective on the grounds around our house…
The advice she gave me wasn’t what I had expected at all, didn’t just pertain to gardening, and has forever changed how I look at my yard and my house. I am hoping it will help you, too.
In those days, I had a large herb and perennial garden in a far-flung corner of our yard. It was fun to hike out there at times to visit–it did feel like another world–but it often was neglected and was off on its own for many days or weeks at a time.
“Why do you have this all the way down here?” she asked me.
I am sure I had a puzzled look on my face, and I probably muttered an answer that made really good sense to me at the time… something like it had sun, & didn’t that big flat piece of land need something??, and shouldn’t your garden be visible from the street so it makes the house look good??
“But it isn’t where you are all the time. You really should have your garden where you will walk past it each day and enjoy it as it grows and changes.”
Well, duh, right? HELLO. How did I miss such an important point of having a garden??? I had made it about being big, impressive, complicated…I had made it about everything but my enjoyment.
SO, THIS IS YOUR ASSIGNMENT FOR THE MONTH!! (even if you don’t have a garden…)
Now that summer is almost here, carve out a little space of your own where you can enjoy an outdoor view, a cool breeze, a potted plant…and put it where it is right there in front of you all the time so you actually USE IT. A nice place to sit right outside your front door (even if you don’t have time to sit there at the moment) can make you smile as you leave your house to go to work in the morning.
And it will be there to welcome you home at the end of the day. 🙂
I feel very blessed since I now have two places–one right outside my front door, and one outside my kitchen door–that beckon to me to come outside and sit awhile, each with their own little garden that I enjoy whether I am sitting there or simply walking to my car on my way to an appointment. The small beds are easy to tend to, and I have other things that delight me in the spaces too–like a bird feeder that attracts all kinds of feathered friends, or twinkle lights and candles that I can light in the evening. Heaven.
Just about very day I enjoy these little spaces. Every day they make me smile–and that is what I want for you, too.
