Your life is in your hands.
Source: Regina Findlay, used with permission
“Your mind is the garden,
your thoughts are the seeds.
The harvest can either be
flowers or weeds.”
–William Wordsworth
As mentioned in my previous post, Mother Nature is one powerful healer. She’s also an exceptional teacher. And when it comes to teaching us lessons from the land, the garden becomes another of her classrooms. Whether gardening is a lifelong passion or a hobby you picked up to stay sane during COVID, it presents us with many opportunities to not only learn about horticulture, but our own lives.
In the above William Wordsworth quote, he suggests that the simplified process of gardening mirrors human life and the psyche. Depending on what we “plant” in our lives, we either bloom or wilt. Let’s dig further into this sage passage to explore five similarities between the steps of gardening and life.
1. Visualizing. Before breaking ground in your garden, it’s important to have a vision for it. Tossing out a handful of random seeds and crossing your fingers won’t result in those juicy carrots you dreamed about. Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step to making your vision a fruitful reality.
In life, this translates to considering what you want to create, how you want to live, and what you want to achieve during your time on Earth. Because your mind-garden is a blank canvas, the possibilities are endless!
2. Preparing. Regardless of what you choose to plant, poor soil isn’t conducive to growth. This is why gardeners take the time and energy to improve the condition of the soil before planting. After adding some compost and essential nutrients to the garden, crops have a higher chance of surviving and producing.
Creating the right foundation is vital to achieving your goals and dreams. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make your personal bedrock more fertile. Getting an education, engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, paying off loans, and organizing your workspace are a few ideas that help to enrich your life’s terrain.
3. Sowing. You don’t have to be an avid horticulturalist to understand the symbolic meaning of “You reap what you sow.” When a gardener wants tomatoes, they plant tomato seeds. When they want peppers, they plant pepper seeds. It’s a very clear, deliberate act that yields an expected (and delicious) outcome.
Each of us has the power to choose which “life seeds” to plant. For example, if you sow seeds of unhealthiness and hostility, it’s likely you’ll experience these in return. Contrarily, if you plant seeds of kindness and understanding, your life will blossom with positivity and love. Additionally, the “seeds” you plant represent all the things you want to do in your lifetime—your goals—such as buying a home, running a successful business, or obtaining a higher degree of education.
4. Tending. A gardener’s truly arduous work begins after the seeds are in the ground and sprouts begin poking through the soil. Because a garden requires a lot of care and attention, it is a constant task. Regular (and often daily) watering, weeding, fertilizing, and pruning are required for a healthy and prolific garden.
To ensure your dreams take root, it’s imperative to be devoted, aware, and present. Make sure to nurture the things that leave you feeling uplifted and fulfilled. If your metaphorical garden is unkempt, full of mental weeds, and bears little fruit, it’s probably time for some maintenance and pivoting. Negative relationships, excess baggage, and self-limiting beliefs, for example, should be pruned, as they’re no longer useful or beneficial. By shedding these toxins, you’re also inspiring new growth in other areas of your life.
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5. Harvesting. Ah, yes … the most anticipated and joyful task of gardeners. After countless hours and energy spent, the crops have grown abundantly and are finally ready to be harvested. If, on the other hand, production was less than bountiful, it’s up to the gardener to analyze what happened and to adjust for future planting.
Just like gardening, we live the life we cultivate. Approaching your dreams and goals proactively is key here. If you want to reap the harvest of having a big family, traveling to exotic places, landing that dream job, or reaching a place of financial stability, it’s critical to have a plan in place and take the necessary steps to reach your goal.
When we become intentional with our life plans and more mindful of our everyday interactions with the world, our gardens will undoubtedly flourish.
Class dismissed.
FAQs
Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step to making your vision a fruitful reality. In life, this translates to considering what you want to create, how you want to live, and what you want to achieve during your time on Earth.
What lessons does gardening teach? ›
But there are a few life lessons you can learn from gardening too. You can learn to appreciate small beginnings, pay attention to your location or surroundings, and that you reap what you sow. You can't always control what you get out of life. You can, however, control what you plant.
What does harvest mean in gardening? ›
Harvesting is the process of collecting plants, animals, or fish (as well as fungi) as food, especially the process of gathering mature crops, and "the harvest" also refers to the collected crops. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulses for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper.
How to harvest from a garden? ›
Some crops, such as lettuce, kale, and peas can be either pinched or gently snapped off with your fingers. Vegetables that don't easily separate from the plant should be cut off. A dedicated pair of scissors is ideal for snipping off some vegetables, such as beans.
How is a garden like life? ›
Gardens help us to understand how to embrace the beauty of each stage of growth and change. Ultimately, life is like a garden because it is constantly changing and evolving, flowing from one season to the next, needing nurturing along the way to flourish and grow.
What are the values of gardening? ›
These values include integrity, ingenuity, and an appreciation for the things in life that we consider beautiful or worth expending our energy, time, and effort on. One of those things that many of us love sharing with our children is our love of gardening!
Why is gardening a life skill? ›
Gardening is a great way to teach kids about the importance of taking care of the environment. Through gardening, kids learn to appreciate the natural world and the creatures that live in it. They also learn how to care for plants and how to create a healthy ecosystem.
What is the spiritual meaning of harvest? ›
You see, the symbolic meaning of harvest in Scripture encompasses two main areas: God's provision for us and God's blessing for others. While we celebrate a harvest season just once a year, we experience the spirit of harvest all the time.
What is the purpose of harvesting? ›
Harvesting is the process where farmers collect ripe fruits or crops from the field. The harvesting is very important to store the crops in a proper manner and to sell in the future. If the proper harvesting is not done then the product will not be able to sell in future.
What are the 4 methods of harvesting? ›
The four steps of harvesting are reaping, threshing, cleaning, and transporting. Utilizing cutting-edge technology to harvest crops is crucial since it decreases grain waste and improves grain quality and quantity.
You will lose time and produce. For example if you have a 4 day plant but don't harvest until day 6 that is halfway through the next growth cycle. Same with "vine plants". If they come in and are supposed to come in every 2 days but you don't harvest until day 3 then you have lost a cycle.
When should you harvest your garden? ›
Almost all vegetables are best when harvested early in the morning. Overnight, vegetables regain moisture that they lost during the day, and starches formed during the day may be converted to sugars during the evening. These traits make morning-harvested produce crisper, juicier, and sweeter.
How often should you harvest your garden? ›
Others, such as many of the root crops, can remain in the garden for several weeks with little effect on their taste. Some vegetables, like summer squash, have to be harvested almost daily. Other plants, such as tomatoes, can be harvested on a weekly basis.
What does gardening say about a person? ›
Curiosity and Expectation
People who plant things expect an outcome, although they don't always know what that will be and sometimes receive something very different than they had in mind! If you garden you find yourself intrigued by some of the challenges, and looking up close at nature piques one's curiosity.
What is the garden metaphor for learning? ›
The gardener and the garden grow together, as do the learner and the elements of curriculum. Neither the plants of the garden, nor forms of knowledge in the curriculum are frozen in this scenario. Each are transitory, ever changing, like life itself.
What is gardening a metaphor for? ›
Gardening: A Metaphor for Creating a Healthy Work Environment.
What does gardening teach a child? ›
While working in the garden, preschoolers develop fine motor control and also work larger muscles: gardening uses practically every muscle in the body. Sensorial lessons are found throughout the garden; preschoolers can practice color recognition, identify fragrances, and learn how fresh food tastes.
What does gardening help with? ›
Why does gardening seem to be so beneficial to health? It combines physical activity with social interaction and exposure to nature and sunlight. Sunlight lowers blood pressure as well as increasing vitamin D levels in the summer,42 and the fruit and vegetables that are produced have a positive impact on the diet.
How does gardening help children learn? ›
Gardening teaches young one's patience, improves focus, and enhances memory, too. Nowadays, children have an ever-shorter attention span mainly because of the immediate gratification that our digital age provides. A great way to teach children patience and also improve their focus is through regular garden care.
Why is gardening educational? ›
A garden offers an ideal area to teach and reinforce ideas and concepts about plant science, biology, chemistry, soil science, and math. Students develop an understanding of the natural world when they are actively engaged in scientific inquiry.
