Savoring a Garden in Spring

Early Spring is a wonderful time to savor a garden....

Just as a wine connoisseur relishes that first sip on his tongue, so can we revel in a flower, a scent or even a Spring breeze. 

Gardening and wine are similar - although not essential to life, they enrich the experience and contribute to an overall sense of well being.

Garden lovers know what I am talking about - that exquisite moment of 'stop time' when the wafting fragrance of a single rose-pink blossom captures your attention and lifts you away.

Or when, basking in the warm morning sun, the birdsong is louder than the chatter in your head.

Or that first deep breath you take when stepping outside into the budding green realm where Flora reigns.

 In short, gardens allow you to delight in the little things of life, to savor the essence of the our natural world... to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Other activities can transport us away from the daily hubbub - yoga, reading, running - but only gardens can be shared

. And gardeners are only too happy to share their 'dreamtime' with others. Its a gift to be able to say, "Come to my garden and be transported with me."

(Johnsen Landscapes & Pools)

How can an outdoor setting affect us so markedly? The realm of nature is not simply a nice view or a pleasant sound - it is the energetic presence that enlivens us.

Garden lovers know this - the trilling of songbirds really does lift our spirits. The quality of
sunlight does affect our outlook. And red really does stimulate!

(Planter - Jan Johnsen)

So go out there and immerse yourself with nature right outside your door - plant that pot of flowers....spread those nasturtium seeds...prune that smokebush....

and when you do, savor the air around you - it is humming with those subtle flavors of oak, maple and a slight hint of crabapple.