Like many people I got into gardening through lock down and it’s a habit which I have continued since. As a health and wellbeing practitioner, I always encouraged gardening as an activity which can contribute to wellbeing, and it’s great to see the opportunities for staff and students growing here at Swansea.
Experiencing and interacting with the outdoors has long been linked to health benefits and the relationship between physical activity and health has extensively been researched. However, my first-hand experiences with gardening provide unexpected lessons and insights which I’ll share with you through this blog.
Lesson 1. Grounding
Paying attention on purpose and noticing what’s happening while it’s happening could be called mindfulness. Many people think that this can only be done while sitting quietly and may be put off by that idea, but the truth is mindfulness is a flexible tool, a conscious awareness which you can bring to any everyday activity, including gardening. Gardening brings me fully aware of what’s happening here and now, helping me to gain new perspectives, whilst bringing a sense of satisfaction, peace, and comfort. If you’ve not taken to Mindfulness, how about getting your hands in the soil, planting a few seeds, pulling out some weeds, or gently deadheading to stimulate and facilitate new growth.
Lesson 2. Caring and nurturing
Feeding and watering, protecting the sunflowers from slugs, repotting to a pot size just a little bit bigger, - it’s a slow and patient process requiring attention and ongoing maintenance. Neglect can lead to damage or loss. An insightful and preventative approach is better. If you keep on top of things they don’t dry out or become unmanageable - like other things in life.
And sometimes when you’re busy or paying less attention, an invasive plant creeps up, shading or sheltering other plants, dominating, or stifling the growth of others. If you can notice early enough, have awareness, you can intervene, . other times nature takes things into it’s own hands: re-establishing balance.
Lesson 3. Mistake making
You will grow and learn from mistakes and disappointment- like when I scorched my shade loving plants. Doesn’t everyone love the sun? Or when I disturbed roots repotting a Bougainvillea at the wrong time, and all the bright purple flowers fell off. Sadly yesterday, when I woke to check on my sunflowers, I found they have become a slugs’ breakfast. Fortunately, I had backups remembering the tears in my children’s eyes last year. I was prepared this time.
Lesson 4. Create
Following on from a recent wellbeing and writing workshop run by the Staff health and wellbeing group and the lovely Claire E. Potter, I started to document and pay more attention to my sensory experiences. I found it interesting and indulgent articulating my secret thoughts in text on a page. Here is a snippet. It’s a Betty Erickson technique you may recognise; note what you see, hear, feel without judgement.
I see the beautiful Holly Hock standing proud and bright, wide exotic hibiscus flowers drawing attention away from it’s rusty leaves. The human like tentacles of the climbing sweet peas reaching for support,; up, out, across, gripping on to anything to help it to climb. Sometimes wrapping and restricting other buds from opening. The dark red blood on the back of my hand, torn by the thorns of my wedding roses.
I hear those busy bees, gathering on the lupin for the garden party now, moving majestically, dancing from spear to spear, the birds chirping, singing my favourite sounds, following me around. We are friends now, forgiven for those early morning wake ups. Pigeons cooing on the roof, where did you come from, where do you go? Where do you come from cotton eyed joe?
I feel the sun in my face, the damp dewy grass underfoot and the blades poking through amidst the clover, daisies, and dandelions- don’t touch the dandelions as they will make you pee…said my Mam when I was young. The cold and now warm breeze blowing, the sweet soft scent of the season, and cool hosepipe water, now hot from the tap amidst the heated bricks.
Lesson 5: Growth and joy
The delight and satisfaction of growing. Watching the seed sprout “It worked!!” Seeing it through to a plant. “I will not give up on you!” Watching the family pick and nibble at the ripe tomatoes like sweets in the bowl. The “I did this!” confidence which encourages you to move on to trickier things. To learn more, to experiment with different heights and textures, the grey paint on the fence which makes the bright lipstick coloured fuchsia pop. Matching and mismatching colours and combinations, grasses, weeds, and wildflowers. Who are we to judge what the bees love?
Lesson 6: New connections
A new interest to explore, to read and learn about, places of interest to go and bore the family with, social media pages to follow. A renewed connection to my parents, a child again, eyes wide open, a sponge sucking in their wisdom. A new topic of conversation to chat with elderly neighbours, overcoming isolation, sharing seeds and tips. A helping hand to dig and clear, a new friend to water my hanging baskets when I’m away.
Lesson 7: Shapeshifting
Not all flowers will grow well in your garden. They are like introverts and extroverts, they have preferences, and conditions in which they flourish. Some flowers thrive in the sun and some in the shade. Even sun loving flowers can get too hot and may want some down time in the shade. Likewise, plants can be moved if they are sad, working hard to adapt in their acidic environment. Like my purple allium changing their shape to reach for the light. Impressive at first glance, but the bent stem more prone to damage. More than survive, could they thrive in a different space?
Lesson 8: Support
Through the spring and summer months the garden changes every day, things are growing fast and tall. Sunflowers need supporting, gladioli need staking. It’s interesting to see how flowers can support each other, growing in a cohesive way, like a team with shared goals. My fox glove leaning on its neighbouring camellias at rest, strong scaffold stabilising as it becomes top heavy. Poppies growing up through the hydrangeas, their slim stems supported by the structure of the hardy hydrangeas working together as a team led by the sun.
Lesson 9: Rest and recovery
The clear up after begins, last night’s birdsong and laughter a distant memory. A quiet reflective space, now as the ground rests and recovers from the half year party, the end of term.
As the evenings grow darker amid the shiny green holly, and the colours fade, dormant, thoughtful, melancholy. People locked down, sitting, in, watching screens, social interaction limited to putting out the bin.
Mess and damage from the wind, “protect plants from frost, and bring the succulents in.” The care must continue despite the season. You can always find a reason.
And in the sleet and the rain, when I don’t want to go out there, I push myself too, even at rest, gardens need your love too.
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