In my experience, gardeners approach their gardens as we approach a long winding staircase.
We climb easily onto the first landing where we pause and marvel at the landscape. For the first time in our lives, we see flowers and vegetables – we now know we want some but we have absolutely no idea how to do it.
We climb further.
After climbing another flight of stairs we begin to understand some basics. Plants have roots, they need water and food if they are to grow. And interestingly enough if you don’t feed them properly, they won’t grow.
Some, easily satisfied, stay on this landing but others climb further.
Learning new skills and growing different plants.
We climb further.
Along the way, the landings fill up with those who are happy with their lives and gardens – they visit and rest from their labors.