Some Thoughts On Gardening At Age 54

Yesterday I turned 54 and while I am not a big proponent of celebrating those type of events it did give me some time to pause and reflect. Most of my life has been involved with gardening. Since I was only a little guy down in Miami helping my grandmother weed her lawn I have been involved.

Having been a commercial nursery owner, landscape maintenance firm owner, interior plant company owner and professional grounds keeper for schools and hospitals I have a pretty extensive background. One thing about the education and the experience I have is that it is something they can’t take away from you. You know what you know and that is something that sometimes people forget.

Some of the best information and education that I have received has been from other gardeners or fellow grounds professionals. The real key to being good at what you do is to never stop learning from others as well as your own experiences. I know a group of people who are in the maintenance business. The truly amazing thing is that they are competitors yet they work together in many ways. They offer each other leads and loan each other equipment and share good deals when they come along. It is truly  networking at it’s best. It is hard being in business and this group of people have found a way to ease the burden. The amazing thing is that their businesses are not being hurt by this but are actually growing and prospering more than before they joined forces. They have a philosophy  that a piece of the pie is better than no pie at all.

I try to live by this as well. If I hear of something that I know someone can do I let them know about it. I do not gain any rewards by doing this but at the same time I have been able to borrow a piece of equipment or a part in an emergency and the lender was going out of their way to help me. The fact that you are working with your competition is not a bad thing.

I also have realized that while I need to make a living that it is not the motivating factor for what I do. When I have completed a project or just finished mowing a lawn the real rewards is the sense or accomplishment that I feel  when I look at what my labor has wrought. I have accomplished something that makes me feel that I have used my abilities and talents in a meaningful way. More important I really enjoy it.

In my personal garden I feel that I have a great satisfaction because things that I plan and implement are a product of my own imagination. I enjoy the garden I created because it is what I wanted and what I like. There will always be critics who will not like what you do but in all it does not mater because I  am only trying to please me. If that is accomplished then I am a huge success . The same holds true no matter what you do if you are a painter, a carpenter, a musician, a baker, or even a candle maker. What ever it is that you do if it fulfills you than you are truly blessed .

I feel as if I have been blessed through the years I have been able to pursue a profession that has been a great senses of enjoyment and something I love to do!