It is the first of January and this is the first day of #whatgardeningtaughtme2019. The first topic is Why I Garden and I’ve never really thought about it before. I never asked myself “Why should I garden?” it just popped into my mind how lovely it would be to surround myself with green life and so I started. Now that I think about it, there are actually a lot of things reasons why to garden!

I’m thrilled to tell you all about it! I first started gardening on our little 4 m2 balcony because after moving to the city I missed the connection I once felt I had with nature. The gray balcony grew more and more green and the abundance son caught inverter with my neighbors. I enjoyed all the new life, the smells and tastes around me and adjusted finally to the city life.

Several years later I now have a garden to roam in and it is the biggest resource of relaxation and peace in my life. It again gives me this rooted, connected feeling to be part of natures big plan. Within busy work life and day to day business it is easy to get lost in the hustle. Gardening allows me to slow down. There is no rushing nature. There is no forcing nature. At least not in my approach to gardening.

Gardening is a very mindful practice. It let’s you be part of the change of the seasons. To me it is utter bliss to walk barefoot in the wet grass on a sunny morning and inspect my plants. Our to breathe in the foggy air on a winter evening when the garden has gone to sleep.

Also gardening made me more careful about what I eat and what I cook for my family. We’ve cut out processed foods and extremely reduced our consumption of animal products, especially meat. It takes a lot of creativity in the kitchen to work through the yearly tomato avalanche or the zucchini flood without getting bored of said vegetable.

All together we eat a lot more wholesome and I think we do profit from this.

So gardening made me a happier, healthier and more balanced human. This is, in a nutshell, why I garden. Why do you garden?