Downsizing: a must for maturing gardeners
From Zelpha A. Boyd
Explain to me, once again… just why are you leaving your beautiful garden?
My friends are moving from their beautiful home, with an immaculate garden and luscious lawn, into a condo. What a shock! How could they leave that wonderful garden behind?
Is this a forerunner for me leaving my home and garden? There are days when the work in my garden seems like just too much. What is needed is to realize that all that work can wait. I can take time to simply sit, enjoy my coffee and look at the garden without needing to be working in it! There will always be the something that could be done.
Downsizing is necessary as we grow older. I’ve already done a bit of it, moving from a rather large yard – lawn, vegetable garden, flower beds all around the lawn, and a water lily pool in the back of the house. Did I mention chickens, rabbits and a dog? I moved from that space to a smaller house – which was on a corner lot for heavens sake – in Butte. That was the mistake! This yard had ground granite for soil, two large trees and of course the all that space.
From there it was on to an apartment in Billings with a very small gardening space. Lots more time for volunteering and fun activities.
Now I’m in a very small house with a very small garden – with no lawn – in Bozeman. It’s been, and is, a lot of work, mostly because I make it that way. Transplanting plants from one place to another, weeding, maintaining compost piles, pruning, cleaning up in the spring – well you know what we gardeners do! Always! Always something needs doing or re-doing.
But I have a plan! This summer I’ll sit more, watch the homing pigeons over the back fence, and notice each plant as it blooms and grows. Or just walk around, simply enjoying the garden. I’ll not notice what coulda, shoulda, be done. Those plantings will just have to fend for themselves.
Yes, indeed, downsizing is the name of the game when it comes to growing older. These friends took notice of their abilities, or lack thereof, and have acted accordingly.
May I have the wisdom to do the same! •
