20 things I learned from digging in the garden

You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry, and stop to smell the flowers along the way.” ~Walter Hagen

This past summer I was puttering around in my garden  —  pulling weeds, snipping off spent blossoms, digging holes. There’s nothing like a fistful of dirt to make you appreciate the simple gifts of the earth. As the lazy afternoon passed, I began to think of some of the simple lessons of life that are found in a garden. Here are a few that came to mind.

1. An acre of good soil is more valuable than 10 acres of dust. Quality, not quantity, is what matters.
2. Cultivate life like you would your garden: prepare it, get familiar with it, nourish it, loosen up the dirt and get rid of the weeds, plant the right seeds in the right season, reap the harvest.
3. Death is an integral part of the life process. Even the strongest of trees will one day topple, but in its place a new seedling will sprout.
4. Our environment is where we get the nourishment we need to thrive. Keep it healthy and positive and we will grow.
5. Flowers and people come in all shapes, sizes, colors and varieties. They are all beautiful in their own way.
6. Growth comes in cycles. Sometimes it’s slower than others, but it always comes in its own time.
7. It’s not the harvest that’s important but rather the seeds we plant each day.
8. Indoor plants don’t do well when planted outdoors. We each have to live the life we are made for. Bloom where you’re planted.
9. Joy can be found in the simple act of digging a hole, pulling a weed or planting a flower. Life is made up of small moments that we shouldn’t overlook.
10. We all have to deal with people shoveling manure on us. Even though it stinks, it does make us stronger and helps us grow.
11. Nurture the important things in the garden of life so they might grow and be healthy – these are  family, friends and ourselves.
12. Plant the plants you are interested in. Don’t waste time with plants you don’t care about because you will neglect them. In the same way, pursue the things in life that inspire you.
13. Patience, patience, patience.
14. The quality of a garden increases in direct proportion to the quality of care and attention put into it. Same with your life.
15. Roses have thorns, and thorns have roses. Sometimes we have to take the good with the bad, and deal with a bit of discomfort to get to the beauty.
16. The sun shines on different areas of the garden at different times. We all have our moment in the sun and we shouldn’t begrudge others for theirs.
17. Plants that are crowded out and shaded by bigger plants can’t grow to their potential and often die. Don’t live in the shadow of anyone.
18. We can unearth treasures buried within us if we just dig a bit deeper.
19. Having variety in a garden is like discovering a new surprise every day. Variety in life is the same.
20. Weeds that infest a garden can be hard to get rid of. The same can be said about bad habits in our lives.