Sitting Area before I added Plants.
Gardening is something I have always enjoyed. Planting pots on a patio or having my landscaper install flowers or roses to enjoy. Sometimes it is hard for me to get down and do all the planting so it’s a great back saver to and have someone else plant according to my garden design layout.
I have always enjoyed looking at flowers but never had the time to really care or plant them myself. After my life change in 2018 I was struggling with all that I was dealing with, I needed something to put all my energy into, a positive outlet that I could spend hours doing. I remember going through my facebook feed and coming across a video for gardening, and for some reason I clicked on the video (which I never do) and I was completely drawn in. I felt inspired and excited about something. I watched more videos, I found gardening content on YouTube and delved into more. I loved them and I felt a spark in me that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
I have a backyard, why not start there? Experiment! Learn! The beginning of a journey that I had slowly (and unknowingly) started, took hold of me. I just had an overwhelming desire to create a beautiful sanctuary for myself. Somewhere to sit, and reflect surrounded by green leaves and beautiful flowers. I soon realized that it wasn’t just me admiring the tranquil space. My family took a liking to it, and so it pushed me to move to other areas of the yard, create multiple areas, and design a space that could be enjoyed not just for myself, but for my family as well.
And so, it began, I spent hours out in the garden, designing the garden and spending time at Garden Centers buying flowers, shrubs, rose bushes, ect. I researched plants, what would strive in the desert climate I live in. jumped into how-to videos. I worked with our landscaper to create beautiful gardens within our yard. I learned about fertilizers, watering, tips and tricks for a great plant and good show of the flowers. It was like I was meditating for an hour at a time, and that was amazing for me because I hadn’t been able to turn off my mind like that before. I started to go deep inside myself finding my creative inside, my love for nature, peace in my soul and most importantly my confidence, that I had lost throughout the years. It felt so good to get it back!
My gazebo dressed with all types of plants!
Now, every time I walk through the gardens or look out my windows, all I see is all the hard work, but more importantly I see the changes in me. So, gardening hasn’t just been a hobby, it really has been therapy that I desperately needed at a time in my life when I felt I was broken.
The wonderful thing about a garden is it’s never ending or done! There are always new seasons coming, or an area to complete or replant. There are always new ideas and visions to implement or changes to make, and that makes it exciting to me!