to appreciate time.

We get so distracted by our achey knees & our sore backs that we forget that time has made us what we are today in a positive way as well.

Within the garden & within ourselves, Time creates a richness, a lushness, a fullness that we can't get out of a box marked "instant".

good topic.

My friend in Alabama always says, "Middle age didn't turn out the way we thought it would," which means that you never expect some of the things with which you're faced.

Well, the garden never turns out exactly the way I'd planned. I make elaborate plans on paper. Some that do get done turn out prettier than I'd imagined. Sometimes there's a total disaster, or maybe something that was so pretty last year fails to return.

It's humbling when my plans are overshadowed by stunning self sown pretties.

Nell

One of my biggest lessons was the way eco-systems are created and depend upon one another in the garden. I just taught a class about my garden bug eco-system tonight, and how I learned to live what is supposed to be happening there. This organic garden is now very well balanced with good and 'bad' bugs.
I have also learned the importance of water to all my creepy crawlies. They need water too, and I'm sure that is why we are also having bee issues in the South. Climate effects even the tiniest little thing.

GGG

Patience.

I have to have patience to find the plants I want.
Patience for the spare funds to come along.
Patience to find the time or the health to plant them.
Patience for the tiny things to grow when they are ready to grow into the big lush things I want them to be.
Patience for blooms or fruits in the second and sometimes third year after they're planted.

And thankfulness...for the joy that the whole process brings to me.

MeMo

That sometimes I will try really hard & fail, and other times I will hardly try at all and succeed. It all balances out.

Humbleness is my greatest lesson. But it hasn't been solely my own garden that has taught me this lesson; it has been largely all of yours. Gardening is fairly easy in most of California. And even though I live in a colder zone than most, with occasional snow and drying winds, I can still have something in bloom every month of the year. That isn't true for many of you. So when I come onto this wonderful forum and see what you have all created in some of the most trying conditions, I am truly humbled.

As many of you know, I am a great lover of major league baseball, with the Cubs being one of my two favorite teams. Every year I watch at least a couple of spring games in which the snow falls as my Cubbies try once again to get off to a great start. I gaze at the bare brick walls and know that soon the ivy will return to its traditional home. Then my mind wanders and I think of all you easterners and midwest folks who post here and I am reminded of the conditions with which you must contend in order to have a nice garden and I am humbled. I am humbled when I see the grasses that grow so beautifully in Mr. Morton's garden; I am humbled when I see MaryLu's gorgeous cottage courtyard surrounded by peonies and roses that surely return because they know they will not find a better, more loving home; I am humbled when I see Mora's lupines that shout out in a riot of color and beg to be sat amongst while sipping tea and enjoying a good book; I am humbled when I see photos of Leasa's most easterly place, with freezing temps that would definitely send me flying to a warmer destination, yet she perseveres, always with a smile and good wit. And there are many, many more of you who amaze and humble me, and I thank all of you for the lesson.

Then as the gentle spring temps turn into the dog days of summer, it's the southern gardeners' turn to teach me a lesson in humbleness. As I enjoy relatively mild summer temps compared to most, I read the tales of woe from those of you who watch your precious perennials and roses whither in the humidity and heat yet still you persevere with a determined spirit and I am humbled; I am humbled when I see the many roses clambering happily up GGG's sweet arbors while her bounty of herbs bask in the sun and laugh at the heat; I am humbled when I see Caroline's determination to overcome the challenges of her dry shade conditions result in a pool side retreat that would make any spa owner green with envy; I am humbled when Kathy post photos of her Texas garden, glorious and triumphant, as if it wants all to know it is a testament to its loving owner who has battled many odds yet still wears the smile of a winner; I am humbled by my dear friend Marilyn, who works long hours every day, often coming home to wilted and sun scorched plants, yet she too perseveres and always finds the time to cheer us all on and wish us the best. And there are many, many more of you southern gardeners that humble me and I thank you for the lesson.

And l can't forget those of you in the northwest who must deal with heavy rains and fog that would send me running for some equally heavy duty meds but still you persist with your passion for gardening. I am humbled by madspinners' lovely roses and lupines that refuse to be overtaken by her self described overgrown pasture; I am humbled by Pat Tea's gorgeous roses that manage to look like they are growing in So.Ca despite being deluged by unmerciful amounts of rain; I am humbled by Annette and all she accomplishes despite having to avoid the harshness of the sun's rays. And there are many, many more of you who humble me and I thank you for the lesson.

Lastly, there are those of you who are new to gardening and I can honestly say you humble my spirit the most. While I am awed by the beauty of all the gardens of our experienced cottagers, it is your gardens that keep me coming back here time and again. I read the accounts of your trials and tribulations, your follow up progress reports laced with dogged determination, your assertions of a willingness to go the distance despite having to often start completely over, and I am humbled beyond words. I look forward to each and every one of your garden photos, taking joy in all your accomplishments as if they were my own. I am humbled by each and everyone of you and I thank you for the lesson.

: )
Diana

What a wonderful thread!

I've learned:

Turn your face to the sun, reach for the sky, and bloom where you're planted.

Nature is stronger & smarter than we give it credit.

Natalie - what a great analogy!
I've learned that -
Through all of the obstacles and trials of life, the garden remains an ever-evolving 'constant.' I, and my garden, go through seasons. We are both affected by these seasons but we weather each season (or storm), become stronger for it, and continue to grow.

What a great thread! I am really enjoying everyone's responses.

None of us are truly solitary gardeners. We all partner with nature, which can be our biggest ally or our greatest enemy, at times. Gardening has taught me both perseverance, and hope, because our gardening partner (Mother Nature) is fickle, at best.

As the sun and rain nourish our gardens, we also contend with insect and animal invasions, flooding, drought, extreme heat, extreme cold. I can get so discouraged at times, but we all persevere and keep going. Gardening tests your mettle and your faith.

But, when the fragrance of roses and honeysuckle fill the garden with their sweetness, when butterflies flock to my flowers, when a perennial emerges from the ground that I thought had died over the winter, when a pass along plant from a friend thrives, when I see a bird splash in our bird bath on a hot summer day, when I harvest fresh herbs after a rain storm....well, it is nothing short of perfection!!

May all your gardens thrive and make you smile!

Marilyn

There was this quote I read (probably on GardenWeb somewhere) that said "Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow". I've been ill for a several years now and I love this quote. I'm going to paint it somewhere on a sign for the garden :)

I have learned to look to tomorrow with hope.

You plant flowers with room to grow into.
You plan for future projects.
Loads of ways to look hopefully into the future.

I love the responses so far, this was a great thread. I agree with the first post about living in the "now" too, but I think we can learn lessons about past, present and future in the garden/outdoors.

The thoughts shared in this thread have really touched my heart and soul.

Gardening makes me feel so thankful for so many things. For God's great creation and the love that surrounds us. We all have our ups and downs in this life, and having a garden helps to balance things out. How can we not feel better when we touch a velvety leaf or petal, see a bee or butterfly gathering nectar or pollinating flowers, when the wonderful scents fill the air, when we feel the gentle breezes upon our skin, when we hear the birds singing their songs, when we view the dazzling array of rainbow colors? In my gardens my heart is filled with song, hope and love. It is a place of healing, it is a sanctuary from the hectic world that we live in. Each day is a new day and it is wonderful to have a garden, large or small, filled with so much to enjoy and fill our lives.

FlowerLady

My garden has taught me many things, how to deal with failure, if you don't at first succeed try, try, again. How to appreciate mother nature in all her glory, I sometimes sit just looking up at the sky admiring the cloud formations as they drift by in a sea of blue. The tall trees that were here long before I was born and will still be here long after I'm gone. The garden has taught me patience and tolerance, yellow is not my favorite color and yet my garden is overflowing with it. My garden has given as well as taught, a place where I can leave all my cares and worries behind, a place of peace and tranquillity, at least in my mind. I have a four lane highway just outside the back fence :o)

Annette

Annette ~ We have a 4 lane highway out front. When we pull into our driveway we enter a different world than the street. We are hedged off from the front, and it feels greener, cooler and fresher inside our property. It is our haven, and we are still working on decluttering, etc. It is peaceful, it is paid for.

FlowerLady

What a great thread. I needed to read this. I have been losing my focus . Thank you all for sharing your powerful and enriching thoughts.

Thank you Diana for your lovely tributes to so many and for helping me to see . Caroline

I think we should take the things written here & put them into a coffee tabel book, along with pictures of our gardens.

I have learned how to be patient, & have realized that good things DO come to those who wait.

My favorite saying is Earth laughs with flowers.