What my garden taught me: The little things matter.

in #lifelessons7 years ago

Looking at my garden today as I wait for the agent to bring in new prospective renters to view house, I am amazed at how far we've come.

January 2017

Feb 2017

May 2018

January 2017

May 2017

Is it the most profound change you've ever seen? no, probably not. But for me this garden and I built each other up in the year and a half that I was privileged to live here.

This was my lawn guys

Cats for scale

My lawn today

It has come a long way. I didn't have a big budget to blow on the garden. All in all we spent about $50 on labor and $70 on fertilizer and plants because that's what I had. My mom donated the lavenders and rocks. We made the borders from bricks that were already here. The grass that grew is considered a weed and a pain in the butt to keep under control, but you know what? That's the only thing that grew with minimal water. The plants were kept going in greywater from the washing machine and when the water restrictions became very strict, the laundry water had to go to flushing the toilet so the plants were on their own.
We've had a couple of rain showers now in the last month and it's always amazing to see how quickly the plants respond.

There were times when I was wrestling with my thoughts, sorting things out in my head as I pulled weeds out of the garden. We've grown together.

The most important thing that I learnt from this garden is that the little, insignificant-seeming things that you do today matter. It adds up. The seeds you plant today will be food in 2-3 months time. The seeds might fail for whatever reason, you might have a bad crop, or you could have a massive return for your time. But if you didn't try you would have nothing at all.
The ' Why bother' things in life matter.

And it matters that you are the one doing them.

Peace to you today.

Lizelle

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Your yard looks fabulous and it was cool to see the progression shots over time.

Thanks Chelsea. I tend to forget how things used to be and how far I've come. Taking a moment to look back helps in times when I feel like I'm not making a difference.

There should be no problem getting your deposit back on the place, you are leaving it in much better shape than the way you got the place. both inside and out. I remember the pictures of the inside and especially that bath tub with the burns.
Your garden is something that you surely can be proud of , people have spend a lot more and ended up with a lot less simply because the plants need love and attention and they fail to give them that.
Can't wait to see the next place you two call home.

Thank you Sult :) Yes the agent said we won't have trouble getting our deposit back and that the owners should be paying us for the work we did! hehe
I'm a bit sad to go but the new place is definitely an upgrade. Half of my current house fits into the kitchen of that one :) It's going to be an adventure and I hope to share lots more when we're there.

What a lovely place to rest up, enjoying the perfume of lavender @simplylizelle

Gardening has always been a place to go, pull some weeds, look into the trees for birds and enjoy the outdoors. Sadly the road that now passes by has become congested over the years, not as much peace and quite as I would dearly love.

That's sad to hear about the road noise. (I highly recommend planting Spekboom/ Elephant bush as it absorbs carbon dioxide/monoxide and other toxins as well as being super hardy.)

My garden keeps me sane. It's such a tangible way to measure your progress. The house will always be messy and there will always be dishes, but the rosebud of today will be a rose tomorrow.

Sugarcane has grown from the verge of the road to the wall (national road), being on the south coast the can has obviously just spread from the fields close by over the years.

I have some great big trees along the perimeter and added thorn bushes and cactus every so often for a measure of safety from people jumping over walls.

Will look out for your bush and see if it will grow down here with the humidity thanks @simplylizelle

Beautiful you see your garden!

Feels good to get results and to make a vision reality.

Sure does :)

You did wonders there. I love the lavender and the first pic. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much :)

I love the "Cats for scale" part.

I think all these little actions also translate into what happens on Steemit. Over time and with dedication, it will make a difference.

Cats: the other universal unit of measure :)

Ya definitely. All the 2 cents' add up over time. And even if it's just a small amount, its still more than you would have had had you not posted anything.

For sure. And as long as there is constant interaction and building a small but dedicated community can grow strong together. :D

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