Contagious Gardening
On Sunday, I visited my old garden, the one I grew from scratch on poor soil and against all warnings by neighbours who thought that I was “doing that son of a bitch of a landlord a favour that he did not deserve” — let’s say, I had more reactions of incomprehension than curiosity or joy in the first three months. The labour on the soil was pretty intense too. By late summer, it looked nice. The vegetable garden had a harvest. The flowers brought a welcoming, plush touch. In the years that followed, the place transformed. Many neighbours stopped by to admire the garden, young guys used the opportunity to flirt (that was okay, though, because they are probably building their own gardens now), and butterflies, pollinators, birds made their home in the garden.
After I moved, I had to let go of that garden and my attachment to it. My co-gardener reassured me that she would find helpers. What I saw on Sunday blew my mind: the perennials I established are growing in many places — propagated, reseeded, transplanted. There is an abundance of new plants. There is so much attention to detail in every corner — I was overwhelmed with emotion. It was fabulous to witness that even the people who were negative only a few years ago are taking care of the place. My unruffled statement: “Well, I am living here too!” made an impression, I guess. Of course, noticing the upliftment they felt coming home also opened up their attitudes.. “It is kind of nice to have a garden.. Why has no one thought about it before.. I wonder… Hmm..”
I am talking about it, because the time to wait for some great thing to happen, or to be handed to you on a platter, is over: try new things in the conditions that you have been given — regardless of what people gossip or think. Beautification counts. It has a gradual, energizing, and positive effect on how people think of themselves.
A place treated with love, for example a garden, can awaken kindness, pleasure, connection in many people who pass by and an almost unnoticeable improvement in the mood and the quality of thoughts.
The reason why I am confident that beauty is a vital piece in our lives (not only for creatives, for everyone) is because I have plenty of proof. I also fill myself with music and harmonious impressions every day, so that I can stay inspired and have the courage to do things I don’t see other people do — which I do often.
16 June 2020
#loveiscontagious #loveblessesall #loveblessesme
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