A Garden’s Gifts
October 15, 2009 by Hedonista · Leave a Comment
Autumn is definitely upon us, which means big, transitional life changes for gardens everywhere in the Pacific Northwest.
Make no mistake; gardens are truly gifts – ones that keep on giving, no matter what the season. There’s a Chinese proverb that goes like this:
“If you want to be happy for a short time, get drunk;
happy for a long time, fall in love;
happy forever, take up gardening.”
Italian prune plums sweeten and bask in the sunset of late summer.
Although all are hedonistic endeavors (and arguably all fleeting over time) the pure pleasure of the cultivation, propagation, maintenance, growth and consumption – whether through visual aesthetics, harvest, or dietary consumption – unarguably leads to joy and hedonistic satisfaction for as long as one chooses to maintain such a gift. The benefits of gardening are numerous and include regular exercise, a good dietary intake of organic fruits and vegetables, and the overall improvement of mental health through the reduction of stress. Gardeners tend to lead a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle. They are connected to nature and its cyclic rhythm.
Space availability is no excuse; even a modest container can hold a calming water paradise.
Gardens add scents, sights and sounds. Plant edibles and they nourish the body and please the palate; plant flowers and they nourish the spirit, please the eye, and often tease the nose. Plant hedges and shrubs and they add privacy. Plant trees and they add both structure and shade. Add a water feature and feel the surrounding climate cool just a scoche in the in summer’s heat. If that water feature involves moving water, the sound of it will calm the mind and soothe the soul. Combined, these things create an ecosystem for birds, mammals, and beneficial insects, such as bees and ladybugs.
In short, a garden is good for you, your neighbors (both human and non-human), and the planet.
Stay tuned as we here at Heed the Hedonist write about gardens and their gifts whenever the Muse takes us there.
