“August is the slow, gentle month that stretches out the longest across the span of a year. It yawns and lingers on with the light in its palms.” Victoria Erickson. “August is a time of growing up, of forgotten forever’s, full of the sweetest intent.” Meka Boyle. “August brings into sharp focus and a furious boil everything I’ve been listening to in the late spring and summer.” Henry Rollins. “Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August.” Denise Levertov. “August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.” Sylvia Plath. “August of another summer, and once again I am drinking the sun and the lilies again are spread across the water.” Mary Oliver.
Do garden tours give you garden angst? Do you compare grand, glorious, estate gardens to your perfectly pretty patch of flowers—and find your garden lacking? Do you flip through glossy garden design magazines—and feel overwhelmed by the slick perfection? Do you look with envy at your neighbor’s garden, watching as they spend hours every weekend creating a weed-free zone?
If you’re constantly comparing your garden to others, here’s our best advice: Stop it…Please…Everyone’s garden is unique. And every gardener’s time, budget, and ideals are different. The garden on the tour may be the result of endless dollars paid to landscapers to eliminate every weed. The glossy photos in the magazine are aspirational, not necessarily practical or realistic for most of us. Your neighbors may spend endless hours in the garden because they’re retired, or simply enjoy the therapeutic benefits of digging in the dirt.
But can we tell you a secret? No matter the size, age, or layout of your space—you can derive incredible joy from your garden. And if you allow yourself to embrace a less-than-perfect garden, you’ll find you enjoy it even more than if you’re constantly fretting over every fallen leaf, dandelion, or wildflower that pops up where you didn’t intend. It’s time to embrace imperfection in your garden and elevate your garden joy.
You’ve probably seen many online trends that promise to save you time while benefiting the environment. And while many of these trends do offer benefits, you’ll need to decide which ones are best for you and your garden. Some suggestions, like leaving seed heads in the fall garden to feed the birds, make sense. You not only save time by avoiding a fall clean-up, but you’ll enjoy watching goldfinches snack on coneflower seeds while you relax with a cocktail in the garden.
But other trends might need a little tweaking. For instance, let’s talk about those pesky fall leaves. Many pollinators use leaves to overwinter, emerging in the spring. However, voles also adore the shelter that fallen leaves provide, adding insulation to their tunnels during chilly winter days. So, if you’d like to avoid voles snacking on the roots of your plants, consider raking leaves away from the crown of your favorite perennials and shrubs, piling them in a space where the insects can enjoy the shelter—and foiling the voles’ plans to munch on your tender hosta roots.
But don’t try to rake all the leaves. Truly. Sit in the garden with a cup of hot tea and a good book, and enjoy the pretty colors of autumn instead. You’re guaranteed to feel much happier than conquering every… single… leaf!
While about 70 percent of native bees nest in the ground, other pollinators nest in flower stems. From egg to larva to adult emerging in the spring, the entire life cycle of a yellow-faced bee, for instance, takes place in a stem. Snip flowers but leave the stems, providing shelter for cavity-dwelling bees. Likewise, leave the leaves, as many native pollinators use leaves and brush piles as habitats.
Consider these flowering cuties a joyful scavenger hunt and embrace their benefits to wildlife. You’ll love watching the first butterflies and bees flit from bloom to bloom as you relax in your garden. While your neighbor spends hours spraying poison on the newly emerging “weeds,” gently remind them of the benefits that these beauties provide.
Honestly, joyful gardening involves a change in mindset. Rather than focus on all the work and tasks and imperfections of your garden, instead look for glimmers of joy. The first daffodil popping through the soil in January. The chrysalis hanging like a jewel from your balcony railing. The dew-covered spiderweb glistening in the morning sun. Instead of removing the web, marvel at its perfection—and the organic pest control that its creator provides.
Even dead trees create joy in the garden. Unless your home is in danger, leave dead trees standing. More than 80 species of birds rely on dead trees—called snags—for nesting, storing food, hunting, roosting, and resting. Standing tree trunks provide homes for many cavity-nesting species, including woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, bluebirds, tree swallows, great crested flycatchers, wood ducks, and American kestrels. Instead of removing dead trees—a time-consuming and often expensive ordeal–let wildlife move into the snags and enjoy watching the show.
A slightly messy, less-than-pristine garden means a space filled with color and life—from birds, butterflies, and insects—as well as gorgeous blooms, lovely textures, and tasty treats. Give yourself the gift of grace. Plants die. Pests happen. Gardening is a journey, not a destination, and part of gardening joy is embracing mindfulness as you grow what you love. Perfection isn’t necessary. Joy is.
This fact sheet is provided as an education/inspirational service of the National Garden Bureau (https://ngb.org/joyful-gardening-perfectly-imperfect/).
“In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness.” Psalm 31:1. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2. “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all — how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32. “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:6.
Eddie Seagle is a Sustainability Verifier, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland), Agronomist and Horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International) LLC, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Alumnus (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), Distinguished Professor for Teaching and Learning (University System of Georgia) and Short Term Missionary (Heritage Church, Moultrie). Direct inquiries to csi_seagle@yahoo.com.
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