I like to lie in bed and contemplate the day before I get up. It’s one of life’s little luxuries, to gently wake up to birdsong and the morning light leaking through the windows, thinking about the things that matter to me before facing the day. I’ve started to feel less inclined to rush things if possible; at work I must be as efficient as I can be, but in my own life I’ve learnt the value of things a bit slower.

Take time to notice the little details

This is partly because I like to observe. The world is full of fascinating things and yet it’s always the bad things that vie for our attention. The din of modern life tries to drown out the sound of birds singing in the trees; the smog of day to day life obscures the delicate details of nature.

Bang!

Spring seems to have arrived very suddenly here. Just a few weeks ago I was getting excited at the sight of pristine early magnolias in Cornwall; now they’re just a memory. I’ve become acutely aware of time flying past.

Winter hasn’t been particularly hard in my corner of the UK. There was a bit of snow in November and there have been a few chilly nights, but by and large the winter has been benign here.

Magnolias thrive in my region

Gardens have exploded into life. Snowdrops are long finished and the daffodils are now firmly in charge, and the rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias for which this region is famed are hitting their peak.

All Or Nothing

I confess I’m finding it hard to keep up with it all. The nature of my work means that I see a different garden each day, usually with a two week interval between visits. I see plants in full bud and then by my next visit they’re nearly finished.

Cherry blossom is fleeting

It frustrates me. I’m eternally jealous of those gardeners who get to see the same garden every day, who get to enjoy the progress of spring as a gentle process rather than as a chaotic stop-start of concentrated frantic activity. I’m not saying that keeping up with spring isn’t challenging anywhere else, but I envy those gardeners who get to watch their gardens come to life each day.

This is not just an issue for professional gardeners either; so many avid gardeners are taken from their gardens by work and other commitments. We snatch time with our plants whenever we can.

Gardeners Are Never Happy

There are worse things than the arrival of spring.

This winter was a tough one for me on a personal level, and I’ve spent the dark months longing for the return of more joyful days. Now they’re here I just wish I could slow down time just a little, simply so I can catch my breath.

I hope that doesn’t sound ungrateful? I’m as grateful that spring follows winter as I am that the day follows the night. I have absolutely no control over seasons and natural processes, but I’m delighted when they favour me.

Tulips are great in spring

I think this is a symptom of gardens as much as of gardeners. We bring together chosen plants with aesthetics in mind, then we worry about how they’ll cope with our local climate and the conditions we have. Native plant advocates would argue that this is a good reason to create gardens with the plants that grow locally, and maybe they’re right. Whether we call them weeds or wildflowers, the plants that grow wild near our homes are usually well adapted to the intricacies and nuances of the local environment.

The Truth Of Gardening

But gardening is about being adventurous and creative. You could be adventurous and creative with any plants, but it’s so much more fun to be creative and adventurous with a wider palate of plants to choose from.

Thus we endure the sleepless nights as we wonder whether our little treasures are OK during cold winter nights. Not only that but we risk missing out on such a treasured season as so much needs doing and it seems that life moves quickly.

Enjoy every bloom if you possibly can

No matter what’s going on in our worlds we must adhere to the fundamental truth of gardening: gardens are there to be enjoyed.

And so enjoy them we must.