Into Every Garden A Little Rain Must Fall

If not there's always Zen Watering.


Sunday morning I awoke to thunder, fell back asleep dreaming that the Susans and the summer phlox had turned their faces heavenward in thanksgiving. I know I did. That little bit of rain was enough to remind me that nothing is forever in a garden...dry spells in a Middle Tennessee summer usually end.

After our May deluge of 18 inches of rain in less than 24 hours it's been hot and dry. I've been out of town at least two weeks out of every month most of the summer! For a non-traveler who prefers to stay home and garden~ that's a lot of away from the garden time. The garden looked tired and beat up from lack of rain. Thank goodness for the Susans, the phlox and summer annuals!
Traveling did not stop me from adding shrubs and perennials to the collection; I brought home plants from Buffalo, St Louis and OKC. I really wanted to bring home plants from Malvern, but the US has strong deterrents and tough rules about that...darn them! Knowing I was going to continue to go out of town for a family vacation and family business has meant that the dozens of plants are lining the driveway instead of being planted in the garden. Personally, I love tending to new plants and making sure they are getting a good healthy start; but having a plant sitter water several dozen different spots all over a large garden is beyond my budget!


So having a small nursery gives me an opportunity to practice my version of Zen Watering.


Zen Watering is a state of mind that requires you to take control of what you think. An especially good skill when standing in the heat and humidity watering what can other wise feel like hundreds of containers. My mind must quiet in order to be in the moment. Without centering and quieting my thoughts would quickly move toward complaining and whining about the heat. Before long I would have a long list of all kinds of things to be irritated about. Quit frankly, I don't want to reinforce negativity.
It's been a long hot summer and I find it best to avoid collapsing into the "OMG this is terrible!" Thinking about being miserable and complaining over and over, even to one's self, is not helpful. It's better to give one's self over to the experience of watering; whether it's hot or not. It can be a time of appreciation or gratitude; a time to celebrate the garden, life and water.

Many gifts arrive when we learn to be fully present in our lives.

Simply turn on the water wand to a gentle shower and begin watering.

Start by counting down. The shrubs in 3 to 5 gallon containers get a count of 20; smaller containers get shorter time....never less than a 7 count. It's not a race, it's a nice easy countdown~20, 19, breath, 17, 16, 15...Counting helps me center and be in the now of the experience. The now of my life which at that moment is watering.
I like to think about the plants 14, 13, 12...breath....They're beautiful and always more complex then we at first perceive. I notice the texture of the leaves, the shape, the colorations and whether they are making more buds. I watch the visiting pollinators and notice crab spiders plotting their next meal.

I surely want to plant more of Hosta 'Guacamole'

As long as I am in the moment of plants and breathing deeply, 11, 10, 9, I will let myself think about other things. Ideas for planting the containered plants; great posts I've read~like Carol's Wildflower Wednesday post on milkweed or Dee's sweet post Rose Scented Memories . I often celebrate the good gardening friends I've made and think of their many kindnesses. Thank you Darla and Cheryl for the seeds....8, 7, 6 breath.

Sometimes, I just feel the sweat roll down my face and notice nothing else.
5, 4, 3 breath...You could try it, 2, 1...breath.

Gail

"When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love." — Thich Nhat Hanh