Sometimes we get so caught up we forget the whole point...a garden is a celebration of the wonders and complexity of nature. After the effort of planting a garden, weeding and watering, etc., we sometimes forget to take the next step and simply enjoy our gardens and landscapes. Whether we have done the work ourselves, or hired professionals to do the work, it seems our lives get so complicated that the joy of sitting and breathing in the garden is often too far down our “to-do” list.

I have an opportunity to teach art and other subjects to college students and adults in the community, and one of my assignments frequently is to have the students go outside, stand for 10 minutes and observe. No talking. No cell phones (sometimes the toughest part for the college students). The only activities allowed are breathing, looking, seeing, observing. Back inside the classroom, they’ll either sketch or paint their observations or write an essay on them.

Although for the first three or four minutes the effort seems almost Herculean—they can’t believe how long 10 minutes lasts if they are simply standing there observing!—at the end of the assignment, the universal reaction is how refreshing and relaxing it is. Students tell me that is gives them a new tool for dealing with stress and anxiousness. They learn that it’s a free, can-do-anytime-anywhere process for reconnecting or getting grounded again with the beauty around us.

So, my gentle suggestion to each of us is to grab a little window of time and enjoy our garden spaces. After all, that’s what all our spring hustle and bustle in the garden has been about.

--Jane