Gardening…It Can Create Serenity, Relaxation, and a Sense of Accomplishment

Gardening means more to me than just a garden, it’s a form of art. A beautiful garden surrounded by trees, can be the most calming of environs. If you are fortunate enough to know how to build artistic walkways and fountains, your garden can be your very own Zen retreat. There is nothing quite as satisfying as spending un-told hours planning, laying-out, and planting the garden of your dreams. Once you’ve starting planting you know the feeling of creating a lasting and living entity. If you construct a fountain or other type of water feature such as a small pond or fish pool you’ve stepped into a new vista of life.

Design features such as flagstone paths, flowers of vibrant colors or earth tone plants can set a stage of relaxation or bring the energy of hues that only nature can provide. The peacefulness that a garden and its accompanying environment can add to one’s life, as well as a feeling of accomplishment when you have seen the fruits of your labors, is hard to measure. However, I’d venture to say that it was right up there with most of the goals we strive to achieve in or personal and profession lives.

I have often added seating areas such as hammocks, swings, benches, and rocking chairs in and around my gardens so that I can gain that special feeling of being within the confines of nature itself. I would surmise that if folks would spend more time planting, designing or just sitting in their gardens, either by themselves or with family and friends, the energy within all of us would be calmer and more at peace.

Dan Edwards is an avid gardener, writer, and student of life who documents subjects that interest him. His gardening website is: http://www.gardeningassistance.com