Recently Edith visited Alice Hand Callaway’s Hills and Dales Estate in LaGrange, Georgia. It is a 35 acre garden lovingly cultivated by two family matriarchs over one hundred year span. A quote from Alice caught her attention:
“From gardening I have learned three things: Patience, Perseverance and Acceptance. I’ve learned patience to wait for the plants to grow… I’ve learned perseverance to try again and to keep trying when something fails… because you will succeed eventually. I’ve learned acceptance, because weather is one of the great deterrents to gardening there is nothing you can do about… So accept it.”
At The Giving Garden we learn patience in waiting for crops to fully mature or patience for the weather to attain optimal planting temperatures l. It takes perseverance to keep gardening even though we are attacked by pesky gnats or mosquitoes, months of 90 degree heat and the ever-present weeds to pull.
So, we accept our environment and keep plenty of water to rehydrate ourselves as well as bug spray close by. Pulling the weeds simply gives satisfaction that all is in order. What are your challenges?