During a recent interview, I was asked if I had a favorite garden. It was an interesting question but narrowing it down to just one is like trying to name your favorite child. I replied by saying that my favorite garden is always the last one I visited. And frankly, there was some truth to that. I find beauty in every garden I visit and there is always something unique that makes each one a special memory. But the question did get me thinking about what I really do consider some of my favorite things about being in a garden and the passion I have for gardening.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- The smell of healthy soil, along with how it looks and feels
- Compost
- Strolling a garden at sunrise with a cup of coffee
- Strolling a garden at sunset with a glass of wine
- The smell of fresh cut grass, tomato seedlings and the garden after it rains
- The sound that pruners make as they cut
- Hummingbirds and butterflies
- Solitude
- Companionship
- Wonder
- Freshly mulched beds
- Where time stands still
- Where time flies by
- The sound of tree frogs
- The look of sunlight through foliage, especially in the early morning and late in the day
- The juice of a ripe tomato running down my arm
- The look on a child’s face after eating fresh corn from the stalk or sugar snap peas, picked right off the vine
- The scent of fresh herbs on my hands
- Anticipation, serendipity and a new surprise every day
- The lessons of life are found here
- The first sight of daffodils breaking ground in winter
- Dirty clothes, a filthy body, and that “good tired” at the end of the day
- The connection gardeners have with each other and I with the earth
- The resiliency of nature
- The awesomeness of God
…these are a few of my favorite things. I have more, but what about you?
JL
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