Why do you garden?

[atascosa_tx]

Why do I love gardening?...Imagine this,,
take some bowed pieces of wood...and then take a saw in one hand and a sander in the other and then you work to create a piece of art. Make a planter, make a hutch, or even a windmill... pure enjoyment
Same as gardening...you sow the seed, you take care of it, you transplant it..
You reap the rewards of your hard work...and the plants are a work of art.

[BlueBerryGarden]

I just recently started gardening but I started to plant foods for all my pets...Consisting mostly of rodents so they easily can live off foods I can grow. I'm hoping to grow my veggies and be able to feed them that way, instead of spending tons of money weekly to feed just my animals. (I hope anyway! I just started planting them). But I also enjoy watching them grow. It gives me a relaxing feeling to go sit outside and just plant something new or water my existing plants. I love when they first germinate. I'm a teacher but I'm taking time off right now to complete a few Child Care classes I need to complete. So, this is a great way to spend my empty time.

[pointcook phil]

Gardening is exactly what everyone has said on here. I personally took it up when I was I very sick and was told I had a terminal illnessa at age 30. I vividly remember coming home from weeks in hospital and relieved to see plants and sunshine. I was sitting in the shade on a very hot day feeling quite awful until i noticed some seedling I had planted before diagnosis were wilting...with limited energy i watered these and watched standup and get on with their growing. This started a passion for gardening for me that all these folks have described. Seven years later I have a created my own garden from scratch. It is full of colour, fragrance, edible fruits and veges and most importantly full of life...I too am now full of life. Gardening wont cure my disease but it makes me forget and actually keeps me very healthy.

So please do give it a go.

[The Helpful Gardener]

What a great post lynn...

ALthough I am expanding the veggie garden now, it is a fairly new feature to a fairly old gardening career. I love veggie gardening more all the time (hence the expansion), but it sure ain't what sucked me in two plus decades back...

Rainbowgardener said it best; it's that primal tug that keeps us all tied in to the seasonal clock, it's the magic trick of harvesting your own seeds, storing them and returning the plants to life after a cold snowy winter, it's watching the birds and butterflies that you planted plants specifically for showing up and using them, and watching the soil you are nurturing get better and better every year...

Gardening is how I plug into the part of me that IS nature and keep it alive... a pretty smart guy once said...

“A human being is a part of a whole, called by us “universeâ€

[zombunny]

I stared gardening because I like to know exactly where my food comes from.

[GardenLisa]

I have a problem with patience. Gardening teaches you patience...
Also, I find it so relaxing. The only way I know of to clear my mind. It's better than any other form of medication for me.

[Billy]

one word..... LOVE

[DiJon]

Great posts everyone, thank you for all of your responses. I find it great what a visceral connection to gardening many of you seem to have. Personally, while I find the explosive growth of plants and the transformation from seed to food incredibly fascinating, mostly I garden because it's work thats just hard enough and just mentally engaging enough to be thoroughly meditative and thoroughly rewarding. Also, if I have an excuse to be outside, I'll take it.

[jal_ut]

Uh.... what was the question?

Oh, yes two questions.

why do you do it?

What's your main motivation?

Good questons. Every year lately I have been tilling my wife I was going to cut my garden in half .................... so, what did I just do? Tilled up another 2200 sq feet of space. Go figure.

Some reasons (can't say which is the main motivation):

Great tasting veggies.
Loads of good food.
I enjoy growing veggies.
$$$ yes, contrary to some notions, there is a great economical benefit. I have kept some detailed records of expenses and yields, and can say for sure the $ rewards are there.