Gardening in our violent world

“The gardens that have graced this mortal Eden of ours are the best evidence of humanity's reason for being on Earth. Where history unleashes its destructive and annihilating forces, we must, if we are to preserve our sanity, to say nothing of our humanity, work against and in spite of them. We must seek out healing or redemptive forces and allow them to grow in us. That is what it means to tend our garden.”

 

— Robert Pogue Harrison,

Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition

 

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Beautiful! People often say "in spite" when they actually mean "despite," but not this time. The man is a word master, and that sentence is "an emerald shining in a slag heap." We must "work ... in spite of them." I never thought of myself as a peace worker when gardening, I just wanted to surround myself with something beautiful, but I'll take it. Perhaps beauty itself is an antidote to destructive and annihilating forces? Perhaps we should inquire of our candidates whether or not they garden? It's not a bad idea. With such shining words, I am now ready for the Christmas season. Bring it on!

[Linda Brazill]

ELIZABETH — There is a book called "Defiant Gardens" about people, inc. soldiers, creating gardens in war zones etc. Certainly shows how critical they are to mental health.

[Tracy]

Perfect!

[Jerry]

This works on so many levels. I feel like while we tend our physical gardens, we are also tending the ones in our souls. You can't help but become a better human being when you are firmly connected to nature.

[Linda Brazill]

JERRY — Well said.