The pious gardener ?
Dear Monty,
New vistas
Sometimes in life it is as though everything is tinged with world weariness.
I have sadness in my heart because people are passing away - people who influenced my beginnings in this valley. Bewilderment hits the relatives of those who fall ill, and I age.
How can any of this weariness be redeemed - become re-connected ?
The garden reawakening after a wet winter is like a mirror reflecting my inmost thoughts. Spring comes with new life.
'He restores my soul '
Soul is a difficult entity to pin down. For me it is the centre of my being, the core of who I am. From that deep place comes a burst of energy - like the sudden gust of wind on this bright afternoon rushing through the trees like waves breaking on the shore.
The new vista of the trees beyond the garden was made possible by the death of a pine. Perhaps this restoration only occurs within me - if you were sitting here you may not experience it.
There is a lot of maturing to do both in my life and in this garden.
I think I may be pious because I stopped using pesticides in the garden several years ago. I have also stopped worrying about weeds. I did so not to feel superior, but because I read how vital plants such as nettles are for the caterpillars of several of our species of butterfly. Since letting nettles and cuckoo flower grow, I have had the pleasure of seeing many of our butterflies such as green veined white, brimstone, peacock, comma and tortoiseshell in my small garden. I have also seen a wider group of birds and amphibians use the garden as a stopover and a feeding station, all this restores my soul.
I wouldn't dictate this way of making a garden to anyone else, as they may not like what they see here.
I still for my sins have patches of bare ground which today I seeded in a scatter gun way with chinese cabbage, cavolo nero, marigolds and rocket.
So far I have been an unsuccessful veg gardener and this may be a futile gesture - but like new vistas there's always the possibility it will work and surprise me !
Cheers Monty,
Paul
New vistas
Sometimes in life it is as though everything is tinged with world weariness.
I have sadness in my heart because people are passing away - people who influenced my beginnings in this valley. Bewilderment hits the relatives of those who fall ill, and I age.
How can any of this weariness be redeemed - become re-connected ?
The garden reawakening after a wet winter is like a mirror reflecting my inmost thoughts. Spring comes with new life.
'He restores my soul '
Soul is a difficult entity to pin down. For me it is the centre of my being, the core of who I am. From that deep place comes a burst of energy - like the sudden gust of wind on this bright afternoon rushing through the trees like waves breaking on the shore.
The new vista of the trees beyond the garden was made possible by the death of a pine. Perhaps this restoration only occurs within me - if you were sitting here you may not experience it.
There is a lot of maturing to do both in my life and in this garden.
I think I may be pious because I stopped using pesticides in the garden several years ago. I have also stopped worrying about weeds. I did so not to feel superior, but because I read how vital plants such as nettles are for the caterpillars of several of our species of butterfly. Since letting nettles and cuckoo flower grow, I have had the pleasure of seeing many of our butterflies such as green veined white, brimstone, peacock, comma and tortoiseshell in my small garden. I have also seen a wider group of birds and amphibians use the garden as a stopover and a feeding station, all this restores my soul.
I wouldn't dictate this way of making a garden to anyone else, as they may not like what they see here.
I still for my sins have patches of bare ground which today I seeded in a scatter gun way with chinese cabbage, cavolo nero, marigolds and rocket.
So far I have been an unsuccessful veg gardener and this may be a futile gesture - but like new vistas there's always the possibility it will work and surprise me !
Cheers Monty,
Paul
Well Paul, I have to say that I sort of hate spring because it makes me so tired, all that competition for life. So I'd say that feeling weary is kind of normal and to be expected.
ReplyDeleteYour soul seems to be doing well, for you give it space and you let it express itself in your garden.
I have never in my life used pesticides. They are entirely abhorrent to me. And - I shouldn't confess it - I often let oddballs thrive, oddballs that want to live against all my garden plans. What the heck?!
I don't feel that making gardens is about control at all, but about letting things happen.
Confession is good for the soul ! Oddballs thrive here too.
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