Through years of working with plants, a person can’t help but learn a few lessons from them. Not just about what plants appeal to him or her, or what fertilizers or pest controls work best for whatever plant or problem; I mean lessons for life. Many people I know find refuge in the garden away from the stresses of day to day living. I have enjoyed the times when I’ve been able to just stop thinking about stuff and things and concentrate on only a simple task. Other times it’s been good to have a simple task to do while thinking things out. The garden is a good place to get the family together. It’s probably the best place to teach children a good work ethic, to learn how to cooperate, and to see or feel the rewards of a job well done. There is no place better than in the garden to learn how to “Stick to the task ‘till it sticks to you.” That’s mostly in the literal sense since, while working in the garden, parts of it inevitably end up sticking on clothing, hands, foreheads, or under fingernails. However, performing the tasks necessary to keep a garden can become a joy and provide fulfillment when you stand back and experience the fruits of your labor. The test for being a good gardener is not how well your garden looks, but how well it makes you feel.

To keep a well tended garden, the gardener must learn to care for and provide for each plant in it. He or she must learn to recognize where there is a need and find a remedy. As the gardener works among the plants, he learns to see signs of stress which may be indicated by wilting, yellowing, stunting, etc. It takes some talent and requires attention and, perhaps, experience to catch these signs early enough to be able to prevent a problem from getting out of hand. If a person can develop skills like that in the garden, I suppose he or she could use similar skills in relationships with people as well. If a friend, associate, family member or even an acquaintance was “wilting”, a good “gardener” would know that it’s time to take action.

With plants, the first defense against problems is to make sure it is healthy by providing the necessities it requires. It needs to be growing in the right environment for it to flourish. It might prefer a lot of sun or shade, moist or dry conditions, hot or cool temperatures, etc. We also need to feel safe in a comfortable environment and it’s our responsibility as “gardeners” to provide the same for our loved ones.

When trying to figure out what’s causing a plant problems, the gardener may find insects, disease, a nutrient deficiency, or soil toxicity. Once the pest or condition is identified, the gardener must find the right controls or practices and patiently work on the problem until it is corrected or eradicated. Sometimes the gardener will have to consult with an expert to find out what controls to use and how to use them. Of course there are some problems that can’t be fixed and the gardener sometimes loses a plant even after a lot of effort. The same principles apply to people. The problems might be physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental but, with the right controls or practices, patience and effort, most can be corrected.

Weeds are unsightly and will compete with ornamental plants for space and nutrients. Though they don’t poison or eat other plants they slowly, insidiously grow amongst, or wrap themselves around the better plants until they choke them out. The gardener must diligently prevent or remove weeds before they can take over. I think the analogy here is to avoid influences that creep into our lives and cheapen or degrade us.

You probably didn’t expect philosophy from a garden column and I hope you’re not asking, “How will this help me be a better gardener?” Is there anything bad about learning how gardening can make you a better person?