I Do Some of My Best Thinking in My Garden

A lemon blossom

I find that I do my best thinking when I am out in my garden.

There is something about the simple tasks I engage in there, like pulling weeds, planting seeds, harvesting vegetables and watering, that allow my mind to relax and focus on the things that are most important to me.

Yesterday while I was harvesting some of the vegetables still growing from summer, I starting thinking about my priorities in life. Which lead me to start composing a list in my mind.  This is the end result: 

• I need to put myself before other people
• I need to put people before things 
• I need to focus on mindfulness, not multitasking 
• I need to value mistakes over perfection 
• I need to focus on gratitude for what I have, not longing for what I want

It amazes me how much quality thinking I do in my garden.

Do you do much thinking in your garden too?

What Makes Me "The Seated Gardener"

My gardening seat

So the whole reason I call myself The Seated Gardener is because, well, I sit down when I garden.  So let me introduce you to the key piece of equipment that allows me to sit and garden:

There are many other products out there that go by the name of a gardening seat that are much prettier and probably more expensive than mine (above.)  Truth is, I cobbled mine together with items I found at my local home and garden store, OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware).

The foundation is a 5 gallon plastic paint bucket.  It's the white part that you see towards the bottom.  It is surprisingly sturdy, but with one caveat: DO NOT leave it outside in the elements.  The plastic will degrade over time when exposed to UV radiation (a.k.a.sunlight) and it will literally crumble apart.  So for your own sake and safety, store it in the garage when not in use.

Next I found something called a contractor's seat in the gardening department.  It fits right on top of the paint bucket.  It's that red and clear plastic bit you see on top and towards the front.  The clear plastic part actually opens up and can hold nails, nuts, screws and other hardware.

Since the contractor's seat is not really that comfortable, I also purchase a gel kneeling pad to go on top of it.  It is that green U-shaped object you see in the photo.  It is AMAZINGLY comfortable.  Plus if I happen to get it dirty from my gardening gloves (you can see how dirty they get!), it cleans up nicely with a spray from the garden hose.

Finally, I found the khaki bucket organizer in the gardening department right next to the contractor's seat.  It can hold all sorts of tools, from clippers and garden scissors to twist ties and shovels.  Although I have to admit my favorite way to store my tools is right inside the bucket since they are more visible at a glance this way.

Now I have had my eye on an upgrade to this basic garden seat over at Gardener's Supply Company.  They carry a really nice black padded seat (without storage), a choice of colored buckets and a very pretty floral pattern bucket organizer.  But the truth is my original garden seat has lasted 6 seasons already with no signs of failure.  So while a prettier seat might be nice, my original seat is kind of nostalgic and sentimental to me now.  (Plus the pretty bucket organizer below is out of stock right now...)

Why I Love Container Gardening

The humble beginnings
of my container garden
(circa 2006)

Chronic illness affects so many aspects of my life. Sadly, that includes all the fun ones too.

When I first became disabled, I thought Cool, I'll have more time for arts and crafts projects. Boy, was I wrong. With a chronic pain nexus in my neck, traveling down my arms and into my hands, doing anything for more than 15 to 20 minutes with my hands guarantees a flare-up.

Which means I have a lot of time on my hands, but hands won't cooperate to let me do anything with that time.

Luckily for me, I discovered container gardening a few years into my chronic pain journey thanks to a push from an occupational therapist.

The great thing about container gardening is that it lends itself to doing just a little bit each day.  It makes breaking down big tasks into small, manageable steps very easy: I can literally just focus on one container at a time if that is all the energy I have for today.  Plus containers don't need as much time and attention as in-ground gardening does.  There are fewer weeds to pull and less nuisances to contend with like annoying bugs, pests and plant diseases.  Oh, and I don't have to stand, kneel, bend over, lift or put myself into all the other body positions that make my chronic pain worse. 

Most importantly, when I look outside the window into my backyard I experience an enormous sense of accomplishment gazing upon the fruits--and vegetables--of my labor.  Dare I say that container gardening has become a source of instant gratification for me...

Truth is, I've always wanted a backyard garden.  Growing up, my Dad always planted a vegetable garden every year.  My family had several fruit trees: plum, apricot, peach, grapefruit, pomegranate and lemon.  I loved summer time when all the fruits came ripe--I couldn't get enough of them.

But when I was working full-time I never could quite find the time to get my garden going.

How ironic is it that chronic illness made my gardening dreams come true, albeit on a much smaller scale than I had planned? 

Plus my garden actually helps with my diabetes management. All those vegetables are an important part of my diet, providing choices that don't count as carbohydrates (and raise my blood sugar.)  With very low calories, lots of beneficial fiber and loads of vitamins and nutrients, not to mention great taste, growing my own vegetables makes enjoying them a whole new satisfying experience.

Is there such a thing as vegetable heaven? Because I think my backyard is slowly being transformed into one.  Despite my chronic illnesses, which you can read more about here, I seem to be able to add a little bit more gardening space, a.k.a. more containers, every year; I have to thank to my hubby for this because he is the one who helps me get new containers set up.

Who knows, maybe by contributing to this blog I'll inspire some other sick chicks along the way to try container gardening too...like you! 

How My Seated Gardening Journey Began

My first six garden containers

The Seated Gardener, so fibro-friendly,

How does your garden grow?

With radish, pepper, tomato

And green beans all in a row.

One of the good things to come out of the six weeks I spent in a chronic pain and fibromyalgia program in 2006 is my container garden.

I was challenged to turn my interest in gardening into a fibro-friendly activity and gardening in containers fit the bill. I can tend my garden from a seated position, with minimal reaching, lifting, digging or bending.  Along the way, I create my own gardening seat, purchased disabled-friendly gardening tools and set up a timed soaker hose watering system that makes this task much easier.

I am constantly learning how to make gardening doable and enjoyable, so I can focus on the fun of getting my hands dirty and watching the miracle of life take place in my backyard.  Oh, and the meals I create with my vegetables are pretty fabulous too!

Today I want to share photos of how my garden space has grown over the years.  You can click on any picture to enlarge it:

2006

Lightweight Barrel Containers from OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware)

 

2007

Lightweight Planters from Costco

2009

The BIG planter box from Naturalyards...
...built to last 30 years!

My garden wish list includes several more containers from Naturalyards. I was able to order an exact size that perfectly fit the space I designated for the big planter box container. This container was wonderfully easy to put together---tool free and like stacking Legos. My husband helped me put my Naturalyards container together in about 1/2 hour and it will last for a long, long time thanks to the Port Orford cedar used in its construction. I highly recommend Naturalyards: their customer service was excellent and shipping via FedEx is included in the price of the container.


As you can tell from the photos, I am slowly adding more and more gardening space to my backyard.  I've got my own little farm going on back there!

Stories from the Garden: The Mow and Blow

Image via WikipediaOne of my garden pet peeves involves gardeners.  I'm talking about the people you hire to do a weekly lawn and garden service.  In my experience, getting them to do what you want them to do can be a real headache.

If I wasn't a sick chick living with chronic pain and fatigue, I would do much of the garden maintenance myself.  After all, I have many of the tools I would need to get the job done: a push lawn mower, an electric hedge trimmer, a weed whacker, a lawn edger and an assortment of clippers.

Alas, my health problems prevent me from using these tools with any consistency.  Not to mention what a workout garden maintenance would be for me.

So, like many of you, I hire someone to take care of my front and back yards.

Whenever I start with someone new, which has happened a lot recently, I take the time to walk around my small property and point out all the things I'd like them to do.  These things fall into three categories: mow the lawn, trim the hedges and pull the weeds.

Seems pretty simple, right?

So why is it I have to keep pointing out work that isn't getting done?  Or attempt to do these things myself?  The later of course is a really bad idea, by the way.

During my last foray into finding a new gardener, I learned a new term: the mow and blow.  Apparently this is a gardeners' trade term for what some are doing when you pay for their services.  As the name implies, they limit their work to mowing your lawn and then using a leaf blower to sweep all the cut grass into the street.

'Really?' I thought to myself, 'And they charge me $100 a month for this limited service for my small front and back yards?  What a rip-off!'

But it is more than just a rip-off.  It is a huge disservice to me, someone who really does need to hire people to help her.  Having a gardener isn't a luxury, it's a necessity.  It pains me to have to spend my hard-won disability income on a service that doesn't meet my needs.  It peeves me that I have to constantly ask nag to get the work done that I can't do for myself.

So for the second time this year, I hired a new gardener.  This was after giving the last one to many chances to get the job done right.  When he failed yet again, I turned to Angie's List to find someone new.  That's when I saw the on-site reviews and learned I was not alone in my gardener woes: it seems many gardeners start out strong and then fall back to the mow and blow.

I've decided I'm not putting up with bad service any more.  My new gardener has great reviews on Angie's List, but I'm still only giving him three chances.  Three strikes and he's out.

Here's hoping he listens and does what I ask him to do.