I love the music of Paul Simon. As I listened to his song, “50 ways to leave your lover” while working in my garden, I thought, “50 reasons why I love gardening” would be a great title for an upcoming newspaper story, so I invited Gardening Club members to submit their reasons for gardening. THANKS to all the gardening club members who contributed to this list.
Gardening…
1. Brings meaning and purpose to my retirement
2. Gives me a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment
3. Gives me lots of organic, delicious, healthy food to eat
4. Is a canvas for creativity, a testament to patience, and a journey filled with growth
5. Teaches me that even when I do everything right, sometimes things just go wrong
6. Makes me aware of the goodness of nature
7. Is fun for me because I like to grow things
8. Is a mystery for me as I never know which seeds or plants will surprise me in Spring
9. Gives me something to care for and care about
10. Challenges my intellect
11. Nurtures my sense of belonging in nature
12. Brings me joy in feeling the warmth of the sun and hearing singing birds
13. Gets my creative juices flowing with unlimited opportunities for beauty in my yard
14. Brings satisfaction in every harvest
15. Is a pursuit of perfection that you never quite achieve, but you keep trying anyway
16. Stretches my mental abilities with constantly changing environmental conditions
17. Makes my yard my own personal sanctuary of peace
18. Teaches me to be thankful for every day, rain or shine
19. Gives me a reason to ask for help when I can’t solve it myself
20. Thrills me at seeing the first seedings breaking the soil’s surface
21. Forces me to get up, get out and exercise outdoors
22. Is nature’s way to humble us
23. Lets me see rewards for my efforts
28. Brings smiles to the poor people at my church who love my “care packages”
29. Takes work but gives back so much more than I give
30. Demonstrates the bounty of God’s good earth
31. Brightens my dining table with fresh flowers
32. In Arizona gardening gives me a great activity to enjoy 12 months a year
33. Failures are just opportunities to learn from my mistakes
34. Makes me appreciate the value of our desert water resources
35. Stimulates all my five senses
36. Creates a beautiful sanctuary for me to enjoy
37. Keeps me slim and trim without having to go to the gym
38. Is one-half physical and one-half mental
39. Is my way to participate in the miracle of life
40. Makes outdoor exercise time fly by
41. Let’s me grow varieties I can’t buy at the store or nursery
42. Motivates me to get out of bed early before the heat of the day
43. Teaches me patience as I anxiously await the first blossoms of spring
44. Proves that there is a time and season for everything
45. Citrus trees produce delicious fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice
46. Tomatoes – need I say more?
47. Teaches me to be grateful for every harvest, large or small
48. Melts my worries away
49. Reminds me of my early childhood days with my grandparents, parents and siblings
50. Success requires constant nurturing and dedication
As water lifeline evaporates, Arizona faces a cultural change over water use
