What You Can Learn By Spending More Time In The Garden

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The number of things you can learn by spending time in the garden is incredible. And we don’t just mean planting spring bulbs.

Being in the garden is a unique and pleasant experience. It’s something that can change your perspective and give you time to think.

So, why am I so interested in spending more time outdoors?

Food You Grow Is Better Than Food From The Supermarket

We like to believe that the modern world is full of wonders. But when you start growing your own food, you realize something: that’s not always the case.

Supermarket food has a tendency to be insipid and bland. It never quite lives up to what you imagine.

The same is not true, though, when you grow your own. You get the full flavor of the plant and the soil, combined with rarer cultivars that aren’t grown in massive greenhouses in Holland and Spain.

The Importance Of Small Creatures

You also get a sense of the importance and value of small creatures. Yes, they might look like they’re just buzzing around or crawling through the soil, but they are critical for the health of the land. Without them, there’s no hope.

Even the tiniest creatures in your garden can play a role. Many insects prey on other insects, keeping pests away while also providing food for birds and larger mammals. When you spend more time outside, you see just what an incredible web everything is.

The Power Of Seasons

You also notice the power of the reasons when you spend more time outside in the garden. You notice just how much things shift throughout the year as the angle of the sun in the sky changes.

In the winter, hardly anything happens. But as soon as spring arrives, gardens come back to life. Insects return, and the birds become more active. You notice things changing quickly as the days get longer, and before you know it, you’re into the full bloom of summer. 

The Fact You Can’t Control Everything

When you spend more time outside and in garden sheds, you also notice you can’t control everything. Life has a habit of doing what it wants to do, no matter how much you try to tend to it.

Because you can’t control everything, it teaches you a sense of humility. You learn to let go of perfectionism and just allow the garden to take on a mystery and charm of its own.

Being Mindful Is Natural

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Perhaps even more importantly, you learn that being mindful is natural when you’re outside. Gardening immerses you in the present moment, allowing you to meditate and lose yourself. You’re not trying to achieve anything, just working with the tools you have within the limits nature sets.

The Power Of Simplicity

Finally (and related to this last point), you learn the power of simplicity. Gardening helps you get back to basics, which is extremely important in today’s mixed-up world where things can seem much more complicated. Early on, you notice that your actions matter and can make a real difference.

K Elizabeth xoxox

*Collaborative Post