“To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon the verdure is the most perfect refreshment” ~Jane Austen
What comes to your mind when you think of a garden? Peace? Quiet? Relaxation? You may be surprised to learn that those words do not actually describe the garden itself, but rather how being in the garden makes you feel. Interesting, isn’t it? In the midst of flowers and ferns, fruits and shade trees is a calm, tranquil environment in which to rejuvenate physically and mentally, if just for a few moments.
A place of solitude
Gardens have been relished as a place of refuge down through the ages. Marcus Tullius Cicero (63 BC), a Roman statesman, orator, lawyer and philosopher said this:
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need”
~Cicero
Where do you suppose he enjoyed spending his time? History attests to the turbulent and venomous politics of his day. For someone in his position, a garden was a place to get away from it all, to have some privacy to read, study and to contemplate.
In the 18th Century, English novelist Jane Austen wrote: “To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon the verdure is the most perfect refreshment.” I sense a slight sigh of relief in those words. Verdure refers to lush, green vegetation and ‘freshness’. This is true therapy: a place to unwind and to get your focus off the burdens of the day. For Austen, the garden was a retreat for the soul, a place of rest where one could leave the cares of the world behind. Just what the doctor ordered.
A symbol of romance
“Shall we compare our hearts to a garden; with beautiful blooms, straggling weeds, swooping birds and sunshine, rain–and most importantly, seeds.” ~ Grey Livingston
The garden is lush with symbols of romance and beauty. We talk about ‘cultivating’ a relationship, passion which ‘grows’ and love that ‘blossoms’. There’s an innocence and purity in such a setting. It was in a garden that God first presented Eve to Adam. Maybe that’s why, on a subconscious level, many couples exchange wedding vows in a garden.
It’s not the first time someone has pondered deeply on the matter. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) one of the great intellectual minds of his day, made this observation:
“God Almighty first planted a garden and indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.”
Could it be that within the depths of our being lies an inherent desire to return to the Garden? This was the place where the creature and his Creator spent time together in the cool of the day. “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15 KJV)
What does a garden mean to you?
Perhaps its why some people devote so much time and energy to gardening. There’s a passion and pure joy of developing a tranquil respite right in your own backyard. Maybe that’s your dream too! Whether you have one acre or just a back deck or patio…all it takes is a little ingenuity for it to become your private destination. A place where you can “sit on a fine day and look upon the verder”. Where the chirping you hear doesn’t come from Twitter.
In this technical, 24-7 always on-the-go World, there’s a real necessity for the simplicity of the garden. If Cicero were alive today he might say “If you have a garden and a laptop, you have everything you need.” I think gardens really are “the purest of human pleasures”. People of all ages are drawn to them. They’re a delight for the senses and offer an alluring place to explore for young and old alike. Jenny Uglow wrote:
“We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course its our garden that is really nurturing us.”
You may also enjoy the following:
Why are Gardens so Good for the Soul: from “Psychology Today”
Alaska’s Wildflowers of Summer (photo essay)
