The Zen of Gardening

     With the growing season starting to wind down I was thinking about how much I enjoy gardening. If your a gardener you get it, if your not you don't. The IT I'm talking about is in the title of this post. The technical term for Zen is: a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition.  

     Another way to look at it is a total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind. I think probably most westerners view it as feeling peaceful and relaxed. I know I certainly feel that way when I walk around my garden. But as you know a garden doesn't BECOME all by itself.

     Many people view yard work as just that, work. I consider it a form of creating. To take dirt and make something of beauty. I have numerous posts on my blog about different areas of our yard that we have transformed.  Was it a lot of work, yes, but for me the pleasure I derive from my garden far out weighs the work that went into it. 

     What started out as nothing but dirt and weeds is now an oasis. With over thirty trees where there were none.  Flowers, shrubs, fruits and vegetables to delight all the senses.

     We get lots of compliments on our yard. Everyone marvels at how large it is and how beautiful. But the majority of people say the same thing; "I'd love this yard but it looks like too much work." Yes it is probably more work then most people would like, but it isn't near as much as you might think. My husband has a riding lawn mower which cuts down on mowing time. We use mulch to reduce weeds and retain moisture. We don't work in the garden everyday, depending on the time of year maybe 2 -3 times a week. Probably our busiest time is early spring; cutting back and cleaning beds to get ready for the new growing season.

Spring time in our yard

     Most of our plants are shrubs or perennials so the only planting we do in the spring are some annuals in pots and our vegetable garden.

     And of course at the end of summer what is better then the harvest. 

     Gardening can be good exercise. You can burn 150 to 200 calories in 30 minutes. Volley ball is 93, tennis 260, basketball 258, jogging 300-450. I was never very good at sports so I never became attached to playing any.  I do enjoy swimming (250) and bike riding (150). But mostly I walk (150-200) and garden for exercise. But what I like most about gardening is how I can get lost in the moment of whatever I'm doing; whether it's planting, weeding or pruning. It truly is a togetherness of body and mind.  

     Fall brings the beauty of changing colors but also the work (exercise of raking leaves).  And then winter covers everything with a blanket of snow giving the garden a quite beauty.

     Then it all starts over again when the daffodils tell me it is officially spring.

     If you feel the need to garden, not just work in the yard, then you feel       the zen.

A thought to ponder: "The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul."                                                                                       Alfred Austin

Participating in:Share the Joy, Through My Lens, Nature Notes, Share Your Cup, Grand Social

Medicine Wheel

     We finally got everything together and took a trip in our popup camper.  You can read more about the makeover and problems we had at my previous posts: The Road Trip that wasn't and Popup Camper Makeover. We camped at Sibley Lake which is an hour drive up into the Big Horn mountains from our house.

     We went up on a Sunday afternoon and came back on Wednesday. The weather was good other then Tuesday was cloudy with rain in the afternoon. The temps at home were in the nineties while on the mountain it was in the seventies.  So a good time to be there. We had a nice camping spot.

     It took us several hours to set up. Not so much the camper itself but rather the awning. We had not done the awning before so we fumbled around trying to figure it out. But we finally got everything in order. 

     It was a good idea to take a short local trip before we take a longer one.  It gave us a chance to work out some of the bugs. To see what works for us and what doesn't. Over all things went well.

Here's our dog Wally, keeping an eye on us while we eat dinner. You never know when a morsel might come your way.

     It was fun and peaceful hiking around the area and I took lots of photos.

     One of the places we visited while on the mountain is somewhere we hadn't been in over twenty years, and that is the Medicine Wheel. It was about a twenty-eight mile drive from our camp site. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel is considered the most important of several medicine wheels in the American West. It is thought to be about 700 years old. It is a sacred place for Native Americans and is used by them for fasting and vision quests. 

     Native Americans continue to come here for prayer ceremonies and to leave offerings.

     There is a well marked sign where you turn off the highway on to a dirt road. You drive up to a parking area with a small ranger's station. From there it is about a mile and half walk up hill to the site which sits at almost 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). Because of the elevation the area is inaccessible much of the year because of snow pack. If you are unable to walk up hill that distance they do have limited parking at the top. But note it is a steep and narrow road.

     If you ever happen to be in Wyoming it is worth stopping to visit this sacred spot, it is interesting and you can definitely feel that it is a special place. If you are interested in learning more just Google Bighorn Medicine Wheel, Wyoming. 

A Rock chuck (Yellow-bellied marmont)

A thought to ponder: "Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect."                                   Chief Seattle

Participating in: Grand Social, Share Your Cup, Outdoor Wednesday, Through My Lens

Blooming Marvelous

     Weather in Wyoming can be very unpredictable. This spring as been particularly good for my flowers.  The blooms have been in great profusion this year, more then usual. So how could I not share the bounty.

The tulips started things off with a nice display

The William Baffin roses are going crazy

These Clematis (Nelly Moser) blooms are 7 inches across

The crab apple tress were gorgeous. I wish their blooms lasted longer.

We have an abundance of peonies  

My creeping thyme was beautiful as usual.

The Ivory Silk lilac trees are busting out and the fragrance is wonderful.

     Even the wildflowers have been putting on a display, as you can see from the photo below. This photo was taken on one of our morning walks.

     Every day I am excited to see what new blooms have graced my garden.  That is one of the many things I enjoy about gardening. The wonder of discovery, from the first sprout of spring and on through the growing season.

A thought to ponder: "Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the                                          flower."                                          John Harrigan

Participating in:Grand Social, Share the Joy, Seasons, Share Your Cup, Gardens Galore