sweet, sweet patience

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.  R.W. Emerson

PETAL POWER

Recent research confirms that flowers might be the perfect pick-me-up for millions ... who do not consider themselves morning people. Participants of a behavioral study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that they feel least positive in the early hours -- but reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning.

I know that I do! My grandmother always kept a vase of fresh flowers from her garden on the dining table and it is something I have continued as much as I can. I find that just looking upon them for even brief seconds provides me with an instant mood lift.

Another good reason to garden, as if I needed one!

chirpie chirpie, cheep, cheep

I woke to the sound of bird song coming through my open window. Now that the heat has dropped we can once again sleep with our windows open and with no constant hum of the air conditioner. Hundreds of birds overnight in the bushland across the street from us, and we have our own selection of parrots and other native birds that visit our garden. It is a joy to lie in bed and listen to their various songs.

In fact, I woke feeling so great that after I had finished a few kitchen chores I actually went outside and started the long overdue pruning. We have a semi tropical back garden, but the front garden is more formal, with lots of plants that need pruning. Luckily I love to prune.

A love of pruning is something I inherited from my Dad. He was never happier than if he had a pair of pruners in his hands and was trimming back trees. My Mum has never understood the joy that it creates, that sense of satisfaction of taming a wild thing and bringing it back into shape, knowing that in weeks it will thank you with lush new growth and  an abundance of flowers. All my mother could see was that Dad was cutting her trees!

Seriously, it is one of the greatest enjoyments I find. I love to train unruly shrubs, lop tree branches, prune fruit trees. The sense of satisfaction I experience cannot be described in words, as it is an emotion more than feeling that a job is well done.

Possibly, it is being outside, working with nature, and bringing back beauty into the garden. I know that the plants are happy that I prune as well. No one, not even a plant, wants to look less than glamorous, right.

And when I have completed, I brew a great cup of tea and sit in a quiet corner where I can view my handy work, and prolong that warm sense of satisfaction, and anticipation of what is to come from my efforts.

happiness is....

To a gardener, happiness is an effective nail brush and a good hand cream!

I am not a person who uses gardening gloves, unless it is a "prickly job" or a plant with a milky sap, so my hands get very dirty and the humus does build under under my nails. However, I am also vain about my hands and while the rest of me may age with wild abandon I do work to keep my hands soft (nothing shows age like one's hands and someone should let all those women addicted to plastic surgery know that!)

So joy for me is an effective nail brush and a good hand cream that allows my hands to forgive my abuse. Once again, I am reminded that it is the little things in life that often do mean the most.