The shops are heaving with gift ideas and I don’t know about you, but this year more than ever, it feels like every retailer is chasing me down to eke out the very last remaining dollar left on my credit card.
Does anyone actually “need” another Christmas-pine scented candle??? My inbox is exploding with buy this, buy that, last shipping opportunity before Christmas, and hey, do I want another 30% off? No, I do not, stop this nonsense. I mean how many beach towels does one person use in a single lifetime, new picnic basket anyone? Stop, just STOP!
I am getting into my garden and hoping it all goes away. Our gardens are the gift that we give to ourselves. Investing a little of your time (and your cash) in your garden each week will make you happier than you could ever imagine and enormously happier than a pine-scented candle would.
Your garden is the gift that keeps on giving, 365 days of the year. Your garden is the place that will offer you peace and joy. You can partake in an endless list of activities, and a constant source of change. Embracing a gardening life will give you a sense of purpose and offer a welcome distraction as you navigate your busy lives. The garden offers the best diversion from whatever might be on your mind. Nothing is more distracting than weeds or attempting to identify a particular pest or disease.
Standing in whatever sized garden space that you have, with a hose in one hand mindfully watering what you’re growing and a cup of tea (or a cold beverage of your choosing) in the other, will bring a smile to your face, I guarantee it.
We are all seeking ever-lasting joy…you will always find glimpses and tiny sparks of happiness and joy in the garden. Watching the birds come and enjoy your beautiful space after you have toiled away is a priceless activity.
It’s getting hotter so it’s the right time of the year to spread some compost so that you improve the soil and it is the perfect time to lay some mulch to keep the water in around the root zone of our plants. In the week before Christmas, why not plant up some pretty perennials and annuals in containers (using a premium potting mix, of course)? Buy someone an indoor plant already potted and looks gorgeous and share your knowledge and experience with them about caring for that plant. Don’t buy another crappy plastic toy that will be broken by Boxing Day, give a kid some seeds or seedlings and teach them how to grow tomatoes or cucumbers. Share what you know with your friends.
So, if you’re looking for the perfect gift, save your bucks on another expensive pine-scented candle or a beach towel this year and opt for a plant, a pot, a bag of compost, a gardening book, or better still offer an hour of your time to help someone else in their garden.
Merry Christmas Garden Friends.
