A Green Thumb

Everybody has something he or she enjoys doing, maybe it is for relaxation or maybe a hobby. Sometimes that hobby can be hard work and sometimes it can help one unwind. I have found something that can be hard work at times but most often, it helps me unwind and relax. Want to know what my secret is? Well, it is gardening.

I first got started gardening while working with my mom in her garden. She helped me understand the basics of gardening like, the difference between annuals and perennials and the pros and cons of different plant types. At first, I would complain about helping, but after the project was completed, I felt a sense of pride in our accomplishment. She still tells me how much she wants me to come home and help her because, my brother and sister, who still live at home, do not help. My last trip home I spent two days putting in a pond and landscaping it.

Gardening can be hard work both physically and mentally. Someone may laugh at the thought of that, but digging up the ground and leveling it out to make a flowerbed can wear someone out. Maybe even harder than that is making sure you pick the right plants. The most important thing is, for it to be pleasing to the eye, but then I have to take into consideration the amount of sunlight the area receives, the make-up of the soil because all plants like different soil types. For instance, some plants like acidic soil while others will die if planted in it and other plants have to have the proper drainage or the root system will rot. Another important consideration, and most often overlooked is, how big the plant will be when it matures. Considering all this can be overwhelming, but if done right, the perfect garden is at your fingertips.

After the hard work is done, then it is time relax and enjoy all the time and energy spent creating my masterpiece. I like to come home and unwind by getting a cold glass of ice tea or maybe a beer, go outside and water my garden. I find it relaxing because I sit in an office all day in front of a computer, so I like going outside and getting some fresh air. After I have given all my plants a drink of water, I sit in my lawn chair and watch the kids play, spot some weeds that need to be pulled, and plan out my next landscaping project.

When I first moved to my house, there was not much landscaping in either the front yard or the back. Now all that has changed because of the hobby I enjoy so much. Yes, it was a lot of hard work at first having to dig up the ground, picking out the right plants and putting them in the ground but now I get to relax while either watering them or just sitting in a lawn chair enjoying my creation.