Who? Me Worry?

Was talking about worry last evening with a friend and it made me think of gardening worries.  That wonderful gift of gardening that I so love - could it be connected to anything worrisome? 

Anytime, you are dealing with nature, there is the unknown.  As much as humans have learned over generations, the scientific community has discovered, and nature has revealed - something new (good or bad) has always changed the course of our gardens and landscape.

We have a a problem, we research the available options, and we try to control the problem with one of the options.

Realistically, we don't have all the solutions and not all solutions work.  Not all solutions can be accomplished for one reason or the other:  There's finances and the physical limitations of the gardener or the plot of land.

It can be as disastrous as tornadoes and as tiny as the Japanese beetles. 

So, now we realize we are not singled out by Mother Nature for garden disasters - right?

The next logical step is the realize if these things happen, and many can't be totally stopped, are we to worry about keeping everything perfect?  Perfection and control - Folks: "GIVE IT UP".  You can't control nature's destructive forces and you will constantly have to deal with lack of perfection.

Even those gardens where there is no limit to the amount spent on solutions, the amount of garden employees/volunteers, or the horticultural help of professionals - you will not be able to totally control or perfect.  Gasp!

How do you know enough about yourself to admit you worry about your garden?

• Do you not invite people to your home in the summer because everything isn't just like you want?
• Do you feel weeds are a direct reflection upon your gardening skills?
• Do you mourn the loss of a plant as if it was a member of your family?
• Do you physically keep working in your yard long after you start hurting? 
• Must you always have one better or more beautiful than what is currently thriving?
• Is your yard totally weed free, insect free, and damage free?
• Are you buying every new gadget and chemical advertised to make a yard perfect?
• Do you feel it's alright to use products that endanger the environment if it works especially well?
• Do you judge other gardens by their perfection or can you enjoy the spots of beauty?
• Do you tend to compete with other gardeners?
• Would you rather not invite children, rowdy adults or pets into your yard for fear they might mess it up?
• Do you feel guilty throwing away a half dead plant because it might have feelings of rejection?

Have I hit any of your secret control and perfection issues?  I know I've hit a few of mine!

All a gardener has to do is experience something major life altering to understand the quest for garden control and perfection is not at the top of life's needs.  It causes us to worry too much about the impossibly inconsequential (The II factor). 

I have preached my Saturday sermon and I might add that I thank God for the good gardening life and pray I understand the bad portions of life can be teachers that make us strong - much like a well-pruned bush.   

Note the promise: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)


A reminder:  by clicking once on a picture in the blog's text, it will enlarge enough where you can see the little garden details:  insects, a small plant, or perhaps an imperfection that I've learned to simply ignore or embrace.