The (Un)Passionate Gardener

February 13th, 2009

What do you do when your passion for something has waned? How do you get it back? Can you get it back? Do you want to get it back? My passion for gardening is gone, and I have been struggling with the answers to those questions for many months.

 

Gardening has been my hobby for most of my adult life, and my career for nearly half of that.  It still is my career. And I still like gardening, but the passion is gone. Every day I ask myself why? And, what happened? But the answers seem to be buried at the very bottom of the compost heap that is life. I’m thinking a backhoe is the only way I’ll ever be able to dig up the answers.

 

Is it burn out? Not likely or I wouldn’t enjoy my job and the bit of gardening I still do.

 

Is it boredom? Have I been there, done that? Have all the challenges that come with gardening been conquered and there is nothing left to try? No way! There is always much to learn, to experiment with, to play with.  That’s the beauty of gardening. It’s always changing so boredom never gets to set roots.

 

Perhaps I’m feeling outdated? Newer trends have brought significant changes to the gardening scene that are not always to my personal taste. But I’ve never been a trend follower so that shouldn’t bother me. And, as long as I have my own gardens to counter the trendy necessities required in the gardens I install professionally, I can play with the best (or worst) of both new and “old”.

 

Aha! Maybe that’s it! Maybe I am getting too old for gardening? Nah! You’re never too old to garden!

 

No, it appears the answer to my problem is deeply seeded and much more digging is required to make my passion for gardening sprout new growth. While I’m working on that, I’ll start some seeds, and maybe, if I’m lucky, the answers will come to me and the passion for gardening will return.

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Posted in In Our Opinion | Comments (1)

One Response to “The (Un)Passionate Gardener”

  1. J. D. Says:
    February 17th, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    I think your passion ran off with the Feb. thaw we had a week ago! But, it will return as surely as the seeds you’re starting will sprout! I think you should start a larch or 5. That would be something different that might get the passion juices flowing again. Besides, I understand your best friend in the whole wide world doesn’t have one & would love to have one & is too cheap to buy one!!!!!
    Chin up, Girl. Your passion will return with the robins. Or sooner!
    J.