The garden of peace and ideas

'I've been in my garden, working.' Not quite. Urm. 'I've been working in my garden.' Nope. How about... 'I've been working; in my garden.' Well that'll have to do!

Do you remember 'The Good Life'? BBC programme with Felicity Kendall and Richard Briars from the 1970s I think. Barbara, (Felicity Kendall) had the habit of going into the garden when she needed to think.

I can't do it just the same way as Barbara. I can't just think. I need to be doing something, even if it's just pottering about. And then it's magic. My garden is where my mind is free to reflect gently on whatever comes up, whether that be work, life, play, family, dreams, or whatever...

That's one reason why I love my garden. In fact I think of the pottering as loving. I go out and love my garden, which sometimes means just looking, smelling, listening, touching, and what the hell, yes, even tasting. And other times means a bit of tidying up, snipping, planting, or even a bit of a job like building a new stone wall. And I've noticed that if my garden looks neglected, then I'm probably not feeling quite myself. If it's looking loved and cared for, then that's the way I feel too.

And it is a place where I do 'real' work too. The thinking, wondering, and imagining that I do there almost always leads to progress when I get back to my desk. Whether that be writing, planning or resolving a problem.

Curt Rosengren was talking about this this morning as moodling. I've never heard the word before, but loving my garden is where it happens for me.