Salvation through gardening
Looking back, I spent most of my life thus far living and working outside the city, away from the crowd, noise, and bustle. Many people I met over the years said that they would go crazy without the city action, whatever this means. Of course, almost none of those was an artist and a creative. For us, calm and peaceful lifestyle is a necessity and a true goal.
Judging from TV shows hosted by Ben Fogle, more and more people want to escape to nature, as far as possible from stress and pressure of city life. Many of them aim to be completely self-sufficient when it comes to food and necessities. However, this is not an easy step to make, particularly if you’re on your own. Living in a country comes to mind, which in reality demands a lot of hard work. But if a whole family is involved, which is often the case, things become much simpler. Finally, there is that precious feeling of working for yourself instead for some bosses or system.
I might not be a true Ben Fogle material, but life on the outskirts is my everyday. With my family, I live in a rather large household in the suburbs, surrounded by a small park. There are also our four temperamental and demanding dachshunds. Since I’m currently the fittest, most maintenance jobs fall upon my shoulders. Although I’m often fed up with all the work, this has certain perks as well.
The first one are staying outside and physical activity. In my case, the second isn’t really a necessity as I exercise every morning and visit the gym twice a week for some 15 years now. However, I still spend a lot of time in the studio, sitting at the instruments, computers, and other gear. Therefore, some additional movement can’t hurt. As for the fresh air, this somewhat relative, especially during hot and arid summer. But you know what I mean.
The second is an opportunity to do something that is calming and predictable. Gardening is a such activity. Once you learn the basics, you always know what to do. As a creative, I often try to find comfort in this. In creativity, reaching your goal frequently isn’t as clear and straightforward. By maintaining the yard and garden, I try to recharge my creative batteries with fresh energy and ideas.
Finally, there is a possibility of growing edible products, which is a special experience and feeling. Particular pleasure comes from picking the fruits of your effort, which, however small they might be, taste far better than anything you might find in a shop. With nostalgia, I remember my late grandparents who have tried themselves in growing everything from carrots and parsley to even mushrooms. Although things often didn’t work out, the will and enthusiasm were certainly there. Unfortunately, this is something I don’t have enough time and patience for, but I sincerely admire all those who do.
Designing and maintaining your surroundings requires numerous skills, being handy with various tools, and also an aesthetic mindset. Sometimes I watch a TV shows on this, most often about English gardens. Their passion toward gardening is staggering and the stories on how far people are ready to go to achieve the “perfect garden” are awe-inspiring. Especially for someone coming from my parts, where lately rules a trend of concrete with almost no greenery. I immediately think about the majority of newcomers to my neighborhood, for most of whom the very next step after buying a house was cutting down most of the surrounding vegetation, particularly the trees. Therefore, I’m very proud to see my family’s garden, which is a complete opposite.
Keeping up your grounds demands a lot of time, effort, and dedication. It isn’t easy when a lot of work piles up, especially something that you need to do over and over again. But if you approach it from the right angle, this ceases to be just a tiresome chore. The best testament to this are countless enthusiasts you can see in TV shows dedicated to gardening. But this is something requiring a lot of spirit and goodwill. Most people tend to choose an “easier way” of urban living in some apartment. But with all the hardship this brings, I think that it’s still desirable to be as close to nature as possible these days.