My beloved, paternal grandparents never gardened.
They’d tell you that outright. My Papa was an excellent chemist–might’ve started a fire at Clemson University in the 1920s–but he wasn’t a gardener.
Dad is.
Dad worked in his parents’ yards, and while my maternal grandmother lived independently, he worked in her yard, too.
He messes around in anyone’s yard where he can play. But Dad can’t sit still for one minute to enjoy and feel pride in his accomplishments. (This is part of his ADHD.)
I wish I could get this guy, see below, to slow down and appreciate what he accomplished.
While Dad tried his best to encourage my brother and I to garden, I did not begin until age 36. I began gardening after our daughter, Corrie’s, sudden death from an abdominal tumor four years ago. She loved going outside, and watering flowers John’s mother had planted on the farm.
I say that I’ve gardened for three years instead of four because I didn’t begin learning until then, as I was in the early stages of the grief process. No matter how I entered gardening, an important habit anyone should start is
… simply stand back and enjoy your garden. Take pride in the world or retreat you’ve created. It doesn’t matter if you have a small space, indoor plants, all sun, or a lot of shade.
The simple act of enjoyment is almost a lost habit. My eighth grade students focus on the amount of likes or how many followers they have on Instagram or TikTok. I enjoy the act of making videos and sharing pictures from the work I’ve completed. It’s a way to share Corrie in the world, it’s positive, and I enjoy it.
Sometimes with my PTSD, I haven physical health reactions that weaken me, such as a panic attack or feeling very week. My heart rate spikes to above 105 bpm, due to a trigger. I experienced one the other day, and it sometimes takes me two or more days to recover from my physical weakness.
My son, now 14, says, “Not everyone in the world is evil, Mother. Look at your gardens. They’re beautiful.” For clarification, I haven’t ever taught him everything in the world is evil, but it is a reminder, as I write this about enjoying our gardens.
If I could encourage my dad or anyone aim for a goal, it is to sit down or step back, and enjoy your gardens. I know: it’s hot. We’re looking at 90 plus temperatures this week. Take time in the early morning or late evening. If you have a porch or seat in the shade, go to it.
I’m most proud of the Calla Lilies I grew from bulb, as I show in the first video in this post. It is a Picasso Calla Lily, and I have another one on my front porch waiting …
but for now I will sit back and enjoy.
Photos, videos, and writing by R.A. Bridges
Corrie's Season 