Garden

The best way to enjoy life is in a garden full of trees and fruits and flowers.

Everyone perceives life differently but there is no doubt that a garden makes the heart beat slower. This sense of relaxation is undeniably wonderful. Life is so much more beautiful with the scent of freshness in the air and hues that cleanse the eyes.

Anyone can have a garden in the home. Gardens can vary in sizes. Every urban living person is probably used to the concrete jungle. However concrete it can be, there is always room for some greens. Be it a little pot next to the computer screen or the tiny bed at the window sill. A garden is somewhat something that has no rules.

Home gardening is gaining popularity nowadays. Tiny homes become especially interesting with little pots of plants hanging from the ceiling right in front of the windows. All plants need a little sunlight and some nurturing to provide so much more to us humans. With little care, they adapt quickly to the environment. There is a lot we can learn from the little leaves from the hanging stems. They seem so fragile and yet so tough. Never judge a book by its cover describes them well.

Some people have become more creative in way of planting. They reuse kitchen containers and tin cans from the canned food urbanites indulge on to make their little herb garden in the kitchen. This is the best place to have herbs hanging around. Not only they are a pretty sight, they are also conveniently available for cooking. Their fragrance will drive away pests in the kitchen as well.

There are city dwellers more fortunate to have a little patch of soil in front of their houses. With more space, the variety of plants grows wider. Scrubs and small fruit trees can be of great choice. As long as their root system is not too invasive, they can easily beautify the home while providing shade and yield. Not only it is very satisfying plucking fruits from trees planted in our little garden patch, it is also healthy. We know the source. We know it is organic.

Retirement means differently to everyone. Some see retirement as dreadful because they love to be surrounded by people and work. Some see retirement as a chance to finally travel to see the world. Some would like to give back to nature and society.

We have spent most of our lives hustling and bustling without realizing that nature is paying the cost of everything. Perhaps retirement means to have us slow down and return nature a favour. I have a plan to move back to where I was born. This place is neither a city nor a village. It is a town where basic amenities are readily available and yet each house has their own patch for planting. Life in a town is calming. The birds sing beautifully every morning. The main roads are a few kilometers away. The only sounds covering the night are from crickets and bats.

Neighbours all greet each other. They chat about almost anything under the sky. There are no boundaries. When we are travelling, it is so easy to get helpful neighbours to take care of our home. The barter system somewhat exist in town areas. I have a mango tree, you have a mangosteen tree, and we can exchange the yields. This is what urban societies lack and should learn from.

Some who have seen a lot in the world may have even bigger dreams on retirement. Perhaps a piece of land far away from the rest is ideal. Many would seek to migrate to New Zealand for the peaceful life there. Perhaps it would be much easier to adapt to life in home country. The weather is just right. The people talk in the same language.

I have this dream of building a Homeless Sanctuary right in my home country. As the name says, this is a sanctuary solely for the homeless. This is a place for the strays and abandoned, be it dogs, cats, or even humans. The rule of thumb is to have the homeless humans take care of the animals and everyone live in harmony. The green fingers can even start a farm and sell the yield to upgrade the sanctuary. This is a combination of an animal shelter, orphanage, old folks’ home, and much more. It is win-win for all.

Dream big.

 

A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself.    

Eleanore Marie Sarton (May Sarton), American poet, novelist and memoirist, 1912-1995