Garden Joy: Musings in my Garden

Beautiful, happy sunflowers.

I see the joy in their sunny faces.

They are the guardians of the garden,

standing tall and watching over all their plant friends.

They give support to neighboring beans and squash vines,

allowing them to climb their sturdy stalks.

They give sustenance to the birds

that gladly take up residence nearby.

 Our bird houses have had renters in them every year,

creating a beautiful, symbiotic relationship with the garden.

The birds keep the plants safe from harmful insects

while also nourishing their young—

the next generation of our garden protectors.

They bring joy and life to the garden with their flirting and flitting about,

displaying colorful flashes of plumage and singing their merry songs.

There is a consciousness here in the garden,

far beyond what we are able to comprehend.

The plants know when I am here caring for them

and they welcome me.

I feel the vibration of their energy

through the bottoms of my bare feet.

I give them love and attention and they thrive,

so eager to please me.

They return the love I give them

by providing delicious nourishment to my family.

 I may not have much in the way of worldly value,

but I have this!!

My happy place…my sanctuary.

It soothes my soul and invigorates my spirit.

There is no price tag to put on the joy this brings me.

I am blessed…and rich beyond measure!!

I often think of the words of a song from my childhood:

In my pretty garden the flowers are nodding.

“How do you do?” they say,

“How do you do today?”

In my pretty garden the flowers are nodding.

Maybe it was the innocence of my youth

that made me believe this was true.

But I do still believe…and I always will.

I wrote this a few years ago, spontaneously from my heart as I was working in the garden. I’ve been gardening for over 30 years and I still feel this way whenever I step into this sacred space. I believe we have an obligation to be good stewards of the Earth and I’ve taken this calling seriously, to the best of my ability and with pleasure. Through the darkest times in my life, I sought refuge and relief in my garden; it was my therapy. If only more of us would make connecting with nature a priority, and treat our Mother Earth with the love and respect she deserves. She’s always happy to give back what we give to her. Life is a delicate dance of symbiotic relationships and reciprocity, an exchange of energy. Much can be learned with our observations and interactions with Nature.