The Hobby Named Gardening

Most people have detached lives of work and play; we go to the office and stay in our respective cubicles, we spend weekday evenings with our parents. Sometimes we bring the kids to rehearsals on weekends and we play golf with our family.

This is not the case for the gardener since moving around his backyard and looking for insects may not sound fun and does not fit neatly into a program either. After a frustrating day's work, he goes home with sore muscles but more weeds will sprout the next day. He knows this, and yet, he also finds that his soul is filled with fervor and his consciousness wants to do more work on the little patch of earth.

Believe it or not, the aforementioned is a typical image of a French local -- yes, gardening is a very common pastime in France. Gardening seems poor for a pursuit that demands so much effort and, arguably, gives so much in return.

Gardening in France is said to be almost a ministry. It means coaxing yourself out of the car after a long day at work and a weakening trip home. You have sore feet, an aching back, a sleepy brain, and drained body, but then, you find that you can't wait to hose your plants and check up on your gorgeous flowers, young vegetables, and rare, ornamental plants.