Gardening Meditation
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What exactly is a Gardening Meditation?
When I sat down to write this blog post I paused and pondered on what a gardening meditation means - I know what it means to me, however that is often a bit off base with what the mainstream thinks. I did what I do when I’m curious and want to dive down rabbit holes - I googled it and then started searching and reading - the basic summary of gardening meditation is combining physical activity associated with gardening with mindful practices. That wasn’t very helpful to me, so I dug deeper (I know a bad gardening pun) - and I came up with a means of fostering a connection with nature and promoting mental well-being. Ok that seemed a bit more descriptive and relatable, however as I read further it got into the weeds a bit (ok another gardening pun - I know!). This form of meditation involves engaging all the senses in the garden while focusing on the present moment which leads to cultivating (their word and bad gardening pun not mine!) a sense of peace and gratitude. The practice can involve the sense of smell - and focus on noticing the scent of flowers, or perhaps touch with the feel of soil beneath your feet, or hearing and the sounds of birdsong, or - the list goes on.
The first stretch of garden/lawn that I weed. (EXIF data iPhone)
I’m sure you’re all curious by now how I perceive and practice gardening meditation - I pull weeds. That’s it! I get out my pail and two different weed diggers (one short handheld one which requires me to kneel down or bend over and the long one that I stand on and lever the weed out by the roots - taking a big divot of grass and soil with it. I think of this one as season long aeration of the grass - Kory doesn’t agree with me so much) and a pair of leather gloves (we have a patch of thistle with very prickly stems and leather is the only glove that protects my hands) and I go to it.
I start at one point in the garden and scan for the offending interlopers - ready to dive in and dig it up by the roots. There is a definite sense of satisfaction as I watch the pail fill. I then begin to wander around the yard (in my mind there is a definite pattern, but I’m sure it looks like I’m just meandering along) and dig up all the weeds I see. With 2 acres - this usually takes a while and I’m sure my neighbours think I’m nuts as they get out their weed sprays and tractors to do the same thing. My method might take longer, but I somehow feel more satisfaction from connecting with the garden this way - plus I don’t use toxic chemicals.
Why do I pull weeds?
I think at its basic level pulling weeds is such a repetitive activity - it becomes this motion where my whole body is involved and my mind as well (I need to be present and vigilant to find all the weeds) - I become almost lulled into a trancelike state. I mean I can end up doing my 10k steps on yard weeding alone (it is a big yard!).
As I pull weeds I let my mind wander and settle on any thoughts that are concerning me or ones that just fill my mind. It’s my time to let my subconscious mind work on sorting things out and it’s amazing how well this works as I keep my hands busy. I’ve planned vacations, complex project plans, sorted out relationship issues, calmed a very frazzled brain - any number of things this way.
I also feel a sense of renewal and beautification from this activity - seeing the weeds disappear and the plants have so much more room to spread out. It’s very satisfying. I have found that my weed pulling activities are also a great way to get to know the garden - to see the changes over time and identify what is being crowded out and needs more space versus what is in need of some TLC.
Wild chives grow in abundance in this garden. (EXIF data f5.6, 1/60s, 120mm, ISO4000).
As this is my first full year with the garden it is fascinating to see all of the surprises that have popped up - things that I didn’t entirely notice last year. I have even started to thin out some plants (see this blog post about how some visiting moose helped me in this endeavour) - although I’m trying to resist this urge and wait until the fall or next year as we’re getting the roof done this summer and I know the plants will get trampled, so they have a better chance of making it in an established spot rather than being uprooted and then trampled.
Gardening Meditation is an old form of meditation.
I have been reading a book Journeys to the Nearby: A Gardener Discovers the Gentle Art of Untravelling by Elspeth Bradbury which was recommended by Freeman Patterson on his newsletter and I’m finding it an enchanting book. The premise is that we don’t need to travel to exotic locations to connect with nature, but rather we can find it in our own yards by slowing down and taking in the seasonal changes in our gardens.
“We’ve always known gardens can be renewing. I wasn’t too surprised to read recently that researchers, as researchers are wont to do, have put a name to the notion. The Attention Restoration Theory proposes that certain places have the power to relieve mental fatigue and reboot our brains.” (Journeys to the Nearby: A Gardener Discovers the Gentle Art of Untravelling - Elspeth Bradbury)
This makes good sense to me as I have long seen how gardens and gardening can soothe and calm a person while the joys of watching things grow connects us with our roots (ok more puns). There is something about getting dirt under my nails and rooting around in the soil that connects me to nature and grounds me. I have spoken about the vegetable garden I started in my parent’s yard that ended up being a 15’ strip across their back yard that was filled with flowers and shrubs as well as Gooseberries and zucchinis and all sorts of other goodies.
I also grew maple trees for a friend’s cottage - there were several large maples in our yard and a neighbour’s yard that rained maple keys onto my gardening patch and started seedlings. I would let them grow for a season or two and then dig them up for him to transplant - we grew a forest this way over the course of 10 years.
Resident garden gnome keeping watch over the variety of plants. (EXIF data iPhone)
When my space has been small or the conditions not favourable for a garden I have resorted to container gardening - I have found zucchini seeds that grow in clusters rather than the usually long vine like plants that I’m used to and I’ve had good luck with tomato plants and less luck with potatoes (I get lots of greenery, but very little grows beneath the earth). All of these gardens have provided me with hours of meditative time - soothing frazzled thoughts and connecting me to the earth.
Taming our current garden.
Chives harvested from the garden. (EXIF data iPhone)
Our current garden is amazing - it is mature and full of a diverse group of trees and shrubs, but it has not been cared for in a number of years. It is a jungle and overgrown masses of branches and tangles of intertwined shrubs and stunted trees - a bit of a mess. Last year we did some heavy pruning just to be able to do some basic work like seal the driveway (overgrown with blue spruce shrubs) and access downspouts and vents (masses of dogwood and lilac shrubs to tame). This year I’ve been spending time seeing what each season brings and understanding where we need to thin growth and where we need to replace old/dead or straggly growth. I have been very mindful that the plants and shrubs that are here have been here for a long time and therefore are deer and moose proof.
Chive blossom vinegar steeping. (EXIF data iPhone photo)
I noticed that there are a lot of chives growing in the gardens and these do well without any interference from the grazing visitors we get. It seems the mild onion taste puts them off, but I have been enjoying harvesting the chive blossoms to make chive vinegar as well as chive ricotta dip and pesto. I’m looking forward to the fall when I have a full kitchen to be able to harvest again and make chive oil.
Where is our garden heading.
I think that one of the great things about mature gardens is the surprises you find - like the way the cedar waxwings love to feast on the haskap berry bushes (sometimes called honeyberries) and the pine grosbeaks swarm the pine trees in the fall. Everyone seems to benefit from the bounty that is found in this garden and I am able to enjoy moments of peace and tranquility soaking up the sights, colours and scents as well as pulling weeds. I am learning that in fact I’m not taming this garden, but rather trying to bring out all of the amazing nature beauty and glory of it.
My bucket overflowing with green leafy weeds - yes!
Are you a gardener? Do you find time in your garden meditative or are you a weed puller like me? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or feel free to reach out to me directly by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
Chive vinegar final product. (EXIF data F7.1, 1/250s, 100mm, ISO400)
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
