Monday, February 1, 2010

Can There Be Life Without Gardening? GBMD-February 2010

Have you visited Carolyn Gail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago?
Garden Blogger's Muse Day is her brainchild. And what a wonderful one it is, at that! You may elect to participate on the first day of each month. If not, head over to see who is... and go visiting those bloggers that are participating. :-) (Click on the logo below)


In this moment of time when we're looking towards Spring... I've taken (a couple or three hours) to look back at photos from last Summer and Fall... a reflection upon just why it is Essential to my well-being to be outdoors gardening.

Welcome to a little tour of my yard. Enjoy the poetical reflection as well.


Gardening Is Life



There's an easy eagerness
In many things I do.
Whether it's photography
or writing notes for you.



I cannot quite imagine
My life without a garden...
Rising blossoms electrify
my senses without pardon.



The colors and the textures
of the foliage and the flower,
Cause me to lose track of time
as I 'while away' the hour.



(notice an unfinished project below)


While away... did I say that?
Does that describe my weeding?
Does that describe my mulching
Does that describe the feeding?


I quite admire the varience
of the flora and the fauna.
To achieve the goals I've made for Spring
I'll work til dark from dawn. Ahhhh.




One last thing is certain -
while in my gardening stance -
I'm grateful for the beauty
around me that I glance.



May I never take for granted
the feelings that we share
While in our gardens, labor
and most delicately care.




Best Wishes for You as you approach your most active gardening season,
And may we all experience the joy and satisfaction that comes with working outdoors and helping to make the world around us more beautiful and enjoyable... not only for ourselves but for our guests.

19 comments:

troutbirder said...

I couldn't have said it nearly as well. What a lovely place! :)

Sweet Home and Garden Carolina said...

Lovely verse to go with your splendid garden, Shady. Thank you so much for your outstanding muse on this first of February. I, too, cannot imagine what life would be like without a garden.

Rosemary said...

Hi Shady , How nice to look back at the garden from last year and look forward to the garden and its many surprises this year. Love the hyacinths on the window sill. Bulbs at this time of the year help everyone get thru the last of the winter.

Rose said...

Lovely, Shady! Your sentiments express so perfectly what all of us feel. There are days now when I feel at loose ends...looking through gardening books and watching the indoor bulbs' progress help, but it's not quite the same.

Gail said...

Wonderful! I can totally relate, but this line describes me~I'll work til dark from dawn~~Happy Muse Day my friend~excellent photos, I can almost smell the phlox! gail

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Ooh, a pickup bed full of compost--oh yeah! I wish I had a pickup! And, you know, I think many non-gardeners life life perfectly fine without gardening, because you know, their life is golf or macrame, or... (We know they're wrong, but let's not tell them our secret! LOL)

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Wonderful post Shady, your poem is lovely and your picture selection meshes with it perfectly. :)

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Even if there could be life, it isn't one I'd want to lead. Thanks for sharing summer photos, it's getting hard to remember what outdoor color looked like.

joey said...

Great post, dear Shady. Thanks to your tender care, I had forgotten how lovely your garden is. Happy February and Muse Day :)

Shady Gardener said...

Thanks troutbirder. And now we're getting snow outdoors again today. I don't know that it'll amount to much, but this post seems to have put me somewhat in the mood for Spring! ;-)

Hi Carolyn Gail, Thanks for noticing my post today. We had to leave home early this morning prior to my being able to let you know.

Rosemary, It's been such a "long" Winter, that making this post just warmed my yearning heart.

Rose, I know exactly how you feel! Loose ends is what I've been feeling, too. This post was such a wonderful exercise in filling that heartfelt yearning to be outdoors... :-) I'd actually forgotten how lovely it is out there! ha?

Hi Gail, I think I can tell you're beginning to rally after your surgery. Yea! Thank you for your visit today. :-)

Hi Monica, Believe it or not I love to do many forms of artwork as well! ha. But I understand what you're saying... however, let me make my point just a little more clearly: Even if I Didn't garden, I'd benefit by being able to view the loveliness, the restfulness, and/or beauty as I went about my day. Imagine the appearance of our world without the beautiful variety of plant material we now can enjoy!

Thank you Rebecca. :-)

MMD, When I finished this post (and one I created for Thursday), I just headed upstairs with a wonderful feeling of peace. :-)

Hi Joey - you sweet girl! :-) Thank you, and Happy February to you, too!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

What a lovely garden tour! And your verse was very impressive. I'm jealous of all your trees, Shady. We have a hard time growing trees out here.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I enjoyed your nice sunny pictures of your garden. I think I saw areas I hadn't seen before. Your poem described gardening perfectly :)

hydroponics said...

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Shirley said...

Hi there Shady, I too can smell that phlox! Thanks for the tour… I really did enjoy it especially as snow has returned here once more too. Lovely sentiment and thoughts too. Wishing you a good week :-D

Shady Gardener said...

Kate, What type of trees grow where you are? I'd guess very hardy ones... The name of your city denotes loveliness, though. Must be your garden! :-)

Hi Catherine, there are still little nooks and crannies I've not posted... I'll have to do better. However, there are so many areas that need "improvement!" ;-)
Thanks for your sweet comments.

Hi Shirl! Thanks for your visit. We'd only received a "dusting" of snow by this morning. Just enough to make it freshly white. :-)

Kathleen said...

I love your post S.G. I can't imagine not gardening either. It has to always be in our lives, doesn't it? Even if it changes form (say from big yard to small patio, etc.) Your yard has lots of beauty to admire ~ you can tell it's well tended and loved.

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Kathleen, We have a mutual admiration society! ;-) Thanks for your visit today.

Jan said...

This is LOVELY! So creative, so true! You've spoken for all of us gardeners with this one;-) Gets me excited to realize the time WILL come to be out digging, planting and watching it all 'happen' in the garden!! Meanwhile, it snowed a bunch last night (school was cancelled today) and the day after tomorrow we're expecting quite a big storm...but, spring will come;-)

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Jan... Spring WILL come! ;-) We're getting snow again today, too. No blizard though, thank heavens.