I spend a lot of time in the Flipflops garden. I had always enjoyed gardening since I was in my twenties, but never had anything bigger than a small patio or a balcony before we bought our house. But I made it work. I filled the balcony with pots of all shapes and sizes and planted all year round. I grew tomatoes and strawberries, nasturtiums and geraniums…anything that would grow. I dreamed of one day having a garden that I could fill with trees, plants and flowers and in 2018 my husband and I finally bought our first home together and it came with a small garden. Since then we have transformed it from a rubble-filled wreck into an oasis of calm and peace.
One of the things that has always interested me about gardening, is that not only is it good for our bodies as we are exercising and using all our muscle groups, as we bend and stretch and move, but also that it is also an amazing way to connect with ourselves and find some zen amidst the ever-changing, fast pace of life.
Gardening forces us to slow down, to adapt to the changing seasons and to appreciate the beauty in small things. Something that always strikes me about gardening is that after I’ve spent an hour or two outside with my hands in the earth, the wind in my hair and the sun on my face, my soul feels lighter somehow. There is a kind of peace to be found in the garden that I cannot find anywhere else. There, amongst the trees and flowers, time and space don’t exist for me. I can get into a meditative state without feeling the need to lie down or close my eyes.
There is a saying, that “gardening is good for the soul”. The tranquility I find when I am gardening is like no other. Watching new buds appearing on trees, seeing the seeds we planted begin to grow and blossom into flowers is like watching a miracle unfolding every day, right before our eyes.
I decided to put together a short video of how to make a simple window box which I hope might inspire you to create one of your own if you have never tried it before. The simple pleasure of filling a basket with compost, carefully placing our plants where we would like them to be, watering it and then popping it onto a windowsill to enjoy from indoors on a rainy day, is a great way to garden without knowing anything at all about plants. No experience necessary for this project – all you need is love.
For me, I believe that plants are just like human beings and with a little love, care, water and sunlight in a nurturing environment, they will grow and blossom.
Until next time…
Love,
Tania
flipflopsandbutterflies.com 