There is nothing new under the sun ~ 20 years ago, I took Dr. Andrew Weil’s advice and put myself, and my family, on a restricted ‘news diet’ to lessen the anxiety and tension of whatever was considered ‘bad news’ back then. Listening to what passes for ‘the news’ can easily send one into a downward spiral! How much not so good news can one take before depression sets in? I have found that taking news in small doses once or twice a week is about all I need and all I can stand to hear. And, I’m pretty picky about who I let give me that news ~ the less biased the better.
I’m a critical thinker, and please do me the favor of NOT EDITORIALIZING – ‘just the facts’. I’m old enough to remember when the news came in to our house, for about 30 minutes each weekday evening, and we considered ourselves well informed. I’m convinced that too much of a bad thing is bad … it can really warp your thinking and distort reality. Yes, there are a lot of bad things out there, but you know what, there are a lot of good things too. And, we have weathered a lot of tough times over our history (which goes back a very long time) and we are still here and kicking!
So, how does one navigate these tough times with an upbeat attitude?
There seems to be only one solution; the same one we here at The Growers Exchange have been prescribing for years. Gardening once again comes up as an individual’s best chance for serenity in our angst filled society. Gardens provide sanctuary from the real world; quiet time working the soil and tending plants is a great way to begin and end each day. With practice, one can use gardening time as a form of meditation. But instead of clearing the mind, a gardener focuses on the little world of the garden. Observing all that goes on and deciding what role they play in the garden. The interaction and understanding of all that lives in the garden is more in line with what the human mind was originally made for. By interacting in the garden ecosystem, we are in a way entering that small world, leaving the messy real world behind.
As we know, the only way out of hard times is through hard work. So, how does one justify moments of quiet contemplation when there is plenty of work to do? I doubt too many will sympathize with your need to recharge the old batteries. No, it is best to let the garden do the explaining; leaving the garden with a basket of produce, herbs and flowers proves time spent in the garden is productive. You may never have to explain how your garden has saved thousands of dollars for psychoanalysis! The garden can nourish the body as well as the soul, and free healthy food is always welcome, especially now.
So, don’t sit idle, spring is coming and it is time to start planning. Our 2017 Catalog is at the press as I write, and we’ll be sending it in mid January. If you aren’t signed up, contact us here to receive a FREE CATALOG. In addition, pot up something green to get you through the next few months. So, do not let these hard times wear you down! You know where to go for rejuvenation. And don’t forget to let the garden do it’s part; plant edible plants along with the flowers!
Thank you so very much for taking the time to write this. I have been overwhelmed by the “news” and the perceived state of the world. Since I live in Pennsylvania it’s not my gardening time and I’m feeling lost without my time in the dirt. I just didn’t realize how lost I have been without my outdoor time until I read this. Thank you for the great advice. I’m going to figure out how and when and from who I choose to get my “news”.
Thanks again and have a very Happy New Year!
Ginger
About 20 years ago Idid the same, yet with this past election, I started reading about politics nearly every night. It certainly has depressed me. Thanks for the reminder. I realize night time reading needs to be peaceful. Gardening is new for me and is on my list to do more of. Thanks again.
When fall then winter arrived I greatly missed my back yard sanctuary! Digging in the dirt, tending to my flowers, sitting in my patio swing sipping my morning coffee watching my three dogs play, watching the different birds that spent time in our trees. Tending to our local garden clubs garden was quite uplifting.
Like you I find the news quite depressing and disappointing. I’ve also chosen to be selective about what I watch.
Thank your for you thoughts and advice.
Can I also ask a question? Where on earth do you get unbiased news?
Thanks,
Ginger
Phew, what a year! Your advice is wise. The only thing I might add is to make your yard/garden area a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat. Its easy, costs nothing, and the birds really help in the garden! Then you not only have the glorious interaction with plants, you have the animal world too! In a healthy environment! Pretty soon, they pay you no mind as they go about their daily lives. It is often great comic relief! Laughter really helps!
“Not My Garden Time Yet”…. Sitting here watching the second snowfall of the season, no, it’s not time to be out digging in the dirt just yet. Once the frantic end of year pace has passed, I pull out my lists and catalogs. What did I plant last year, and where, because ofcourse it needs to be rotated. Did we actually like that variety, or do I want a different one? Did we make use of it , was there enough of it or too much?
From there I begin my list, and outline where things will be planted. Maybe I’ll move some things this year. Maybe I won’t order Borage this year (trust me, I won’t order Borage this year. I love it, but…maybe not QUITE that much). Should I order more of this, or trust it will multiply? (Trust me, Borage will multiply). But I wonder why THIS didn’t multiply? Am I going to start seeds inside this year?
What do I want to try new this year? That question initiates something different every year, from composting to rain barrels to raised 4×4 gardening to vertical gardening to wildcrafting.
By the time you get through all of that, the sun will have begun rising earlier and your big boxes boasting “Live Plants” will be arriving. 🙂
I love your article. It is so true. Although we have downsized to a smaller home with a manageable yard, I have created a garden of pots filled with herbs, flowers, and various vegetable experiments, and a ten year old bay leaf tree. I am an Informal Caregiver for my husband who has Multiple Myeloma so we spend a lot of time at home. My garden is my refuge and therapy. And I love using all my herbs in salads and my love of cooking. I have already started planning my spring garden.
Great news and best wishes … sounds like a ‘healing garden’!
I heard, through a friend, that positive words said while gardening can impact your plants. Positive words equal healthy plants. This info is based on some research done (in Japan?) involving snowflakes. There is not much on the news that inspires happy anything.
Yep! With you on that … we love the rhythms of our garden with no agenda, just a ‘job to do’!