Pages

Tuesday 22 September 2009

The Garden Lifeline

I'm sorry but I have no pictures with this post .. ironically I download a lot a day or two ago while finally working in the garden two days ago. They will be coming.

I just felt the urge to post about that tremendous loss of connection you feel when you haven't been able to connect with your garden .. whether it is due to illness, or other circumstances in your life that have stepped in between you and your garden.
I know we all have periods that we need a break from the hard work .. that is a must to keep us going basically .. we need that top up on rest and clearing our heads to know exactly what plan we are working with .. that phrase of being too close to see the big picture ?

Ironically, being ill and loosing that tie with what I consider my life line to a major part of what makes me "ME"
We have a short garden season but it is INTENSE .. at times almost frantic because we know it is a limited period that can take a toll .. so not only being unwell, but feeling a bit frantic about your "baby" ... the green of your life waiting for you .. needing you (if not only in your mind ? : )


So what am I talking about really ? ... when I was able to get in my garden that rush of feeling connected again is almost indescribable .. even not being quiet up to par physically, I truly and literally "dug in" and felt such a sense of relaxation and clarity of my mind because all of my thinking stepped down from overdrive, to a singleness of what to do to help my garden .. no other stressful thoughts bothered, annoyed or worried me (other than dragging the hose around .. but that is a given ? : )

This post is just a confirmation of what I already know, in fact most of us know .. right ?
But I needed a big bang reminder, that the garden truly is my best therapy ..
Blogging is an option .. it is like icing on the cake .. but the foundation to it all ?
is actually to get in, what ever garden you have, from "estate like proportions" to balcony size .. that "feeling" is the same to us as gardeners .. it touches us to our core as people .. it truly is a type of "life line" connection we share : )

13 comments:

tina said...

The way my body feels right now after digging a new 400+ square foot gardening, I am thinking blogging is about the closest I will get to gardening for days-urgh. But oh does it feel good to dig in the soil and see all that life. Feel better soon.

Barry said...

Joy:
I have been lucky this year - no sickness (knock wood!) to keep me away from the gardeb on at least a bi-daily basis, even if only long enough to stroll through.
I am happy to hear that you are on the mend and are able to spend even the briefest moments (true quality moments for gardeners) in the garden.
Hectic and frantic - two perfect descriptions, especially for gardeners like ourselves who have very short growing seasons.... so much to do, so much to buy, so many to plant,ahhh, so little time~

our friend Ben said...

So true, Joy! There's nothing like gardening to help us all connect to the rest of the world, to see nature's beauty, and perhaps most important of all, to realize that it really isn't all about us! And it's all the more precious after you've had a hiatus. I'm glad you were able to get back out there before frost!

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Gardening is truly cathartic. Glad you are back!

F Cameron said...

Glad to hear you are well enough to go into your garden. I agree with you on the connection.

Take care,
Cameron

PS Swine flu is hitting our area hard. One son has it, but he is working in the ER right now for his pharmacy rotation. The archaeologist son just took off this morning for a dig in Massachusetts and I hope he stays well.

Jennifer AKA keewee said...

I couldn't have said it better. The connection with mother earth is very strong indeed.
I become almost depressed during the winter months, and yearn for the day I can get out and get my fingers in the dirt.

Barbee' said...

Beautifully said. Amen.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Tina girl .. Thank you !
You are a garden warrior ! : ) .. we tend to take on way too much some times and pay the price. But you are so right about how good it feels . I hope to get a few more sessions in before the snow dumps happen ? :-)

Hello there puppy ! Yes ! even a garden stroll some how tops us up a bit ? a total YES !! to all of our crazy Canuck garden adventures : ) .. time is whizzing by us and so much to do yet .. ahhh!

Hello there 'ben" a definite YES to that heart felt connection .. really it is soul felt isn't it ?
The best therapy possible for us and the earth : )

Hello there Janet girl and thank you .. I am going to squeeze in as much as I can, when I can ! : )

Cameron .. I hope your son feels better soon ! Working hard and being sick is a horrible thing to go through .. hope the other lad doesn't spread the "luv" ? with the virus riding on his coat tails ? LOL .. it just happens doesn't it ?

Keewee thank you ! .. yes .. winter .. I mind the dark mornings terribly .. along with that LONG wait to get out again with all the new and exciting plans I have in my mind's eye .. we never stop thinking about it do we ? LOL

Hey Barbee girl .. thank you ! : )

Kathleen said...

You are so right Joy ~ getting out in the garden is very therapeutic even if all you do is sit in it. I'm glad you were able to be there today and feel that connection. I know about short and intense too. Some years are worse than others for that. We had such a wet cool summer I was hoping for a long nice fall ~ with our frost warning tonight, it doesn't look good for that (since it's earlier than normal). Take care and my passion vine is doing NOTHING. Let's not talk about it. :-(

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

I don't feel like its Fall yet. Summer is never going to end and I am tired of the heat.
I would love to work in the garden but when I get home from work I am to tired to do anything else.)-: Besides the fact its been over 100 for days on end. Maybe tomorrow will be better? Doubtful but I can keep my hopes up right?

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Kathleen girl .. I promise not to bring up the Maypop any more .. I had just hoped you saw some growth .. for all the growth mine accomplished, I wouldn't be surprised if it failed with winter here .. so who knows really why they do what they do ?
I also thought with the cool wet summer we should have wonderful leaf colour this Fall .. we haven't had a frost yet in Kingston but Teza did about 4 hours south of us .. so we may be ins tore next ! Yikes ;-)

Cindee .. you sound so tired and fed up with those awful hot temps you have had to suffer through with this summer .. I hope for your sake it will drop dramatically SOON and you get the break you so need .. a little happy garden therapy would be a good thing ? for you ? : )

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Hi Joy,
I am behind in my blog reading. I am about to go to bed, so will only have time to comment here. I hope you are feeling much better by now. I have been feeling quite sorry for myself not being able to go out into the garden much. My knee and ankle are taking awhile to heal after tripping on Heidi's leash outside a couple weeks ago. (I'm thinking you already knew that, but in case you forgot who had that problem, I repeated it.) I'm on my feet most of the day at work, and walk a lot, so when I get home, I keep my knee and ankle up and iced as much as I can.

I've picked a few things, but some are waiting to be harvested. I've had some tomatoes get overripe and rot. The grape tomatoes are a mess, and some are cracked. I was told by a track coach today, that 20 years ago, I would have healed much faster. All I know, is that when I'm able to dig again, it will be such a wonderful thing!

I'm sorry for using so many words! Again, I hope you have recovered. Sue

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Sue girl , my goodness no ! I didn't know about what happened with the leash incident .. that must have hurt badly .. and now being on your feet and putting stress on it all the time .. it will take so much longer to heal .. I'm so sorry .. it must be so aggravating to deal with.
My problems are chronic .. life long now .. some days are worse than other days .. and I hate having to go see all these specialists .. I just want a quiet winter to concentrate on getting better now .. well as best as I can be ? LOL
It truly does make us feel better when we can get into our gardens and lose track of all the problems .. I know for myself it is one of the best therapies I have .. so winter for us up here in the Great White North .. well it is a test of sanity ? LOL
But we have our blogs and lots of research we can do on plants and our own little garden designs.
Don't worry about what is going on with the last of your garden .. concentrate on relaxing your poor body so it can mend .. that is the best thing you can do for yourself right now Sue !
Take care and RELAX !!!