Things to do this week in your garden- 30th June 2024

Mindful Gardening and Floristry activities to calm your mind and soothe your soul

The bubble of anxiety deep in my stomach, my mind racing, playing the scenario over and over in my head until I feel like I want to scream. I want to stamp my feet, throw things and bellow at the top of my lungs, but that’s not what a good girl does. So I keep it all inside, simmering like the curry i’m cooking for dinner, ready to rise up and explode at any moment. My conditioning still ruling my mind even after all these years of practice.

As soon as the children are in bed I head outside. I feel the tightness in my throat dissipate and my shoulders relax from what feels like somewhere up near the top of my ears. After many years of practice my body just knows to relax when I step out into the garden.

My mind is like a swirling tornado, so I choose an activity to bring me quickly to the present moment. I pick up the garden hose and begin to quench the thirst of my plants on the hottest day of the year so far. I watch as the water trickles from the end of the hose on to the grey parched soil, the dark patch spreading, taking the water to where it’s needed the most, deep down in the soil.

As I do so I feel something shifting deep down in my soul, working it’s way out through my body as I wander lazily from plant to plant. After 10 minutes I realise that knot of worry is gone, the grip of needing to control everything is loosened and my mind feels calm. No longer frothing angrily, now just a flat calm millpond-like surface ready to clamber into bed and snooze peacefully til the sun rises once more.

This is the power of gardening.

Come and give it a try.