The Worth of the Calling Gardening

In the ladder of all things, gardening can be placed at the summit because gardening keeps you feeling young enough to enjoy life's other marvels. This is generally the view of those of us who reside in France. In this hobby, we pass along the value for life to our children, with whom we can plant cabbage and onion seeds and get as energized as they do when the seedlings poke out of the ground. In addition, common sense tells us that adolescents who grow vegetables are more likely to feast on them.

I've known a fair number of the elderly who do gardening and I've observed that they are more quick and have less knee and hip problems. Older gardeners may be able to plant fewer shrubs and find that weeds usually infest their yard, but they walk through life with a joy that companionship with the grasshoppers can give.

Only a real gardener would spend currency on a single uncommon ornamental plant and not feel guilty. Only a devoted gardener would spend long evenings absorbed in garden catalogs. Only a real gardener can derive patience from the experience of finding out that his rare plants have been eaten by pests.

Gardening also shows us the bliss of cleaning a garden and the delightful responsibility of caring for a tiny seedling that blossoms in time. When your gardening days are finally over, there is no lack of children who can prolong what you have done.