Reading through February's copy of Garden Magazine (from the RHS) I came across an inspirational article by garden writer and designer Mary Keen. She was looking at what her garden really means to her, and observing that often gardening - the weeding, planning and planting and the constant striving for the garden we long for, takes over from the real enjoyment a garden.
Mary says that her garden changes the way she feels, makes her happier, calmer and more able to deal with life's stresses. It's easy to let your garden become one of those stresses - the weeds not weeded, the planting times missed, the neglected pots reproaching you as you pass. But working in the garden, growing things and creating some order has an amazingly calming and levelling effect, and the sense of achievement is fantastic.
Let's strive to be more like Mary and see our gardens not as a huge pile of chores that need doing, and instead appreciate it for what it is, and enjoy pottering. Gardening is not competitive and shouldn't be obsessive, although it is always absorbing. The idea of a garden is much the same as the idea of your house - it's a space in which you can enjoy being and live your life. The garden just happens to be outdoors, is slightly more weather affected, and is shared with a range of living vegetation. Hopefully the perfect space in which to meditate, relax or just drink tea!
As Mary Keen says:
"A garden, like a poem, clears a private space in your head where you can retreat. It isn't about complicated techniques or aspiring to what you see in magazines. It doesn't have to be perfect - and if horticulture gets in the way of a more important experience, then forget it."
I like Mary!
Check out Mary's monthly gardening column.
Telegraph - Mary Keen
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