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Some gardeners seem
unable to fully enjoy their
gardens, so caught up
are they in the latest
skirmish with mildew or
beetle...
My philosophy is: Forget
winning, cultivate delight.
– Diane Ackerman
Cultivating Delight
behind walls to isolate the
monks from the distractions of
the outside world.
With the rise of cities, even in
ancient times, this closeness to
the soil began to fade.
In modern days, rather than
seeing ourselves as “stewards"
or caretakers of the earth,
nature became something which
needed to be controlled and
managed to our own advantage,
and we were more likely to view
it from a distance, both
physically and mentally.
Today, the pendulum is
gradually swinging back. The
intensity of modern life and the
pace of technology, particularly
in America, is forcing us to re-
evaluate our lives.
As Donald Norfolk writes in
The Soul Garden
, “People need
gardens today more than ever
before. In an increasingly
frenetic age they offer a vital
source of comfort and an
opportunity for mental,
physical, and spiritual renewal."
He goes on to say, “As a race
we have inhabited planet earth
for at least two million years.
For 99 percent of this time we
led a nomadic existence. It is
only in the last ten thousand
years that we have mastered
the art of farming and learned
to live in towns. This is a mere
blink in the annals of recorded
time. Deep down we still feel
displaced, and yearn to regain
contact with our pastoral
roots."
Not only are
we displaced,
but so is
wildlife, and
wildlife doesn’t
have the same
resources that
we do to help
them adapt.
Food is rarely
limited or even
seasonal for
us, since we
can buy
products from
around the
world in our
local
supermarket.
Drinking
water is so
plentiful that
it comes in
flavors! If we
have less open space for
shelter or raising a family, we
build taller buildings. For all our
needs, we have options not
available to other species.
