This morning I was outside at 8:30 am watering my gardens.
Me. 8:30 am. Gardening.
Who is that person?
For many years my gardens were lucky to even see the hose, more or less benefit from the water inside.
I find myself glardening (like glamour camping, glamping) these days. Nothing wonderfully unique and ornate, mind you — I leave that for my daughter-in-law. She has the best interior decorating gardening thumb around.
Yet I found — find — myself spending a little more time outside these days, arranging pots, picking off dead flowers, transplanting, trimming wild weeds, all of that.
The funny thing is — I’m enjoying it!
It this the retirement thing? The life-is-shorter-before-me-than-behind-me thing? Is it an Old Lady thing to do?
Or am I just not in a hurry anymore, leaving time for all kinds of new things?
I am already putting a lot of extra time into my blog and Art Gallery. And working on my Angel Tears. And trying new summer fresh menus from scratch. I find myself digging this new involvement with the world — as long as it’s at my pace.
Where did this come from?
I have taken a lesson for two from my blogging friend Rita Faes (gwenniesgardenworld.com). Her blog is full of gorgeous flower and plant photographs, ones she captures not only from her garden but places of wonder near and far.
For Rita, it’s not an effort — it’s a pleasure.
And isn’t that what we’re on Earth for? To promote/partake/share pleasure? Along with a bit of black, sandy dirt?
Do you do plants? Indoor or outdoor? Exotic or every day garden variety? Plastic?
Humoring the Goddess 
Having just reached my 70th year, I find pleasure in simple things that in the past would have been chores. Yes, one of these things is gardening. Along with walking the dog, cutting grass, and just going on walks. I look forward to the changes in nature and what nature offers. Eating mullberies off the tree. Watching the birds at the bird feeder, noticing what the local cats are doing. Wondering where they are when I do not see them. I suppose this all sounds a bit mundane, but somehow it brings me joy. Joy watching clouds, blue skies, the distant callof the crows.
I cannot explain it. Perhaps old age. Perhaps a realization that has been in me all along that I am part of it all.
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I am 70 also, and often wonder why I didn’t see the world this way before this. I suppose I’ve ALWAYS seen the world as an amazing, creative place, but those glimpses were between raising kids and working every day of my life from 17 through 66 and cooking and running to soccer and baseball games. We have lived a good life, and enjoyed every minute of it. But at this age it all feels different. When I do think about things like this (I try not to because I get all weepy and melancholy and sentimental) I tend to look at it as I am just getting into the second half of my life — the one that loves to putz. There is plenty of time to play on this side, too!
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I’m so pleased to hear this. Normally it is not exactly a retiring thing but something you start doing when the kids don’t play in the garden any longer. But hey, it is never too late and you can do this on a balcony or even on a windowsill. And they say it is better than going to the gym for your condition. Your dahlia’s look fabulous. You’ll see you’ll get birds in the garden and butterflies, bee’s and all sorts. Enjoy !!!!If you have place for a bird feeder and maybe a butterfly feeder and a bowl of water…..you’ll get lots of visitors.
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You are wonderful. I have houseplants and annuals on my front deck, along with a bird feeder, and the same arrangement on the back deck too. Some unique overgrown fields in the distance and memorial stashes not far from the house — it’s a wonderful world to work and explore.
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We live in a wonderful world and we have to keep it like that for our kids, grandkids and all the generations that come next. And the birds and the bees and all other animals need all the help they can get. And I love to see how they work and eat and act with other animals/insects. So don’t forget to sit down in the garden, relax and enjoy what you see. Have a great day !
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And SPREAD THIS WORD, my friend!!!
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I do more gardening now than I used to and it is a very peaceful activity.
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It is! And for me, it’s not a 9 to 5 must do job. It’s an early-morning-after-coffee, late-evening-after-dinner mint kind of activity. We all need to find peace somewhere, after all.
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I grew into gardening because of my husband, who has always puttered around outside just because it’s a Zen thing for him to do. I discovered it’s a connection to the natural world that I was missing and, yeah, I liked it! There is a lot of satisfaction in shepherding other living things into co-existence in our own backyard. And I feel like we’re doing something great for the environment by using native plants that encourage bee and bird life. Old lady stuff? Nope. Steward of the land stuff? There you go.
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I so love your response. Steward of the land. It’s romantic, specific, and honest. I may not be a Master Gardener (although I wish I were!), I do enjoy taking my time and arranging nature a bit more than she gives. Thank you.
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