Blood Sweat And Tears

No I am not talking about David Clayton-Thomas and the boys from that great band. I am talking about the ingredients in a good garden. It may seem funny to speak about such an enjoyable past time this way but I believe it to be right on the mark.

It is hard to garden and never spill a little blood. Whether you smashed your finger while placing a retaining wall block or just pricked it while cutting that stunningly beautiful rose that you just had to place in the bud vase gardening does involve some blood. It is okay though because that will bound you closer to your garden. Anything that is worth spilling blood over is a valuable asset and one which is much more appreciated.

Sweat is not something that sounds very pleasant a friend of mine prefers the term glistening  she says that women don’t sweat.  What ever you want to call it you will perspire if you garden. There is just no two ways about it. Working up a good sweat as they say is not only healthful it lets you know that you have been doing something.

Tears are a natural part of gardening. There are many types of tears. There are bitter sweet tears that come while in the garden and thinking about friends and loved ones who have past away and all the good memories you have of time spent with them in your garden. There are tears of frustration that come after struggling to grow a certain type of plant and coming out to the garden and finding it wilt away again after so many previous attempts. There are tears of anger after finding that beautiful lily ,which was just a day away from blooming, had become a delectable meal for some passing deer the night before. There are also tears of joy when you have finally completed a project and it came out even better than you imagined it ever could and realized that what you were looking at was born of your own creative juices.

Yes gardening does involve blood sweat and tears but it is a part of the experience and binds you even closer to your garden. It is what really gardening is all about it . You put your heart and soul into it and it then becomes a part of you. You will reap the rewards though from it so to spill a little blood or to shed a few tears it is a small price to pay for the return on your investment. For memories and tranquility and an inner peace that can refresh and rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul.