We can learn some of life's major lessons in our gardens. For example, we learn the inevitability of change as nothing is ever static in nature.
We start out as hopeful new gardeners, convinced that if we work hard enough our gardens will bend to our will and eventually be perfect and remain that way. Gradually though, we come to realize that the real joy of gardening lies not in our achievements but in the process of working toward them.
A Guiding Force... Mother Nature
Mother Nature is our senior partner in the garden. Our goals are over ridden by her's, time and time again. As we garden, she helps us learn about both the cyclical and unpredictable aspects in gardening, and the redemptive power of reinvention.
Our gardens go through different seasons and reincarnations in their life span, just as we do. In fact, what is happening in our lives and our life stage is often reflected in our gardens.
Starting A New
However, our gardens, like our lives, are usually collaborative projects, reflecting contributions of many people across the years. And if we lose a tree and are sad, we can take comfort in the process of reinventing the space in new ways. Gardens provide us with many concrete examples of how change and opportunity are intertwined.