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The Art of Chaotic Gardening

Gardening is an activity I love to do, but my style of gardening is messy. I know many people who are afraid to try gardening because they don’t think they will be good at it, but anyone can do chaotic gardening. Let me show you how it works.

Each day my garden brings me joy while driving my husband crazy. He wants me to have organized rows that are a certain distance apart with pretty garden stakes telling you what is growing, but I enjoy doing gardening a different way.

When I enter my garden, I talk to my plants. If one is drooping, I give it a pep talk. If a section is growing well, I express my awe at their beauty. You might think this is crazy, but I saw a tomato plant come back from the brink after I spoke to it each day. While I’m working in the garden, I also sing, which I probably should not do because it is not one of my gifts, but the plants don’t seem to mind.

The chaos begins when I begin the planting. A few seeds usually slip out of my hands, so lettuce and carrots often end up growing in odd places, but it’s like finding a Christmas present that was left in the closet. It’s unexpected, but wonderful. I also often forget to label what I have planted, so last summer when some seeds turned into large stalks with beautiful flowers, I had to send a picture to a friend who told me it was okra. I had never eaten okra before, but I will tell you it is a very hardy plant.

I also plant vegetables I don’t like, but I do this to share with my community. Unfortunately, these are the vegetables that always grow the best. I can be seen making my rounds with bags of radishes, tomatoes, and peppers.

I become impatient if something doesn’t grow in a few weeks, so I replant something else. The problem with that is two completely different vegetables start growing in the same bed. It just makes gardening more interesting.

Chaotic gardening may be messy, but it takes the pressure off you to be perfect. Have fun in your garden. If something doesn’t work the first time, try again.

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Making Movement Fun

Movement is medicine. We were not meant to sit on a couch staring at a screen for hours. Think about how you feel after you have been doing that for awhile. You stand up and you feel creaky because you haven’t moved. Movement is one of the keys to being healthy, and it can be fun. The first thing you have to do though is stop finding excuses, and see the benefits instead. Here are a few ways to sneak movement into your daily life without having to dread it.

Dance. I know if you are like me you are thinking this isn’t possible because you have no rhythm and you also have no desire to look foolish, but you can dance in your own kitchen where no one will judge your dance moves. Get your friends and family involved and watch everyone’s moods improve as the room fills with laughter. 

Before my grandson could walk I would turn on Rick Astley and Never Gonna Give You Up and swirl him around the kitchen in my arms. I loved hearing him laugh as we zigzagged through the house.

If you do have some dance skills, why not sign up for a dance class, or try a Zumba class at the gym?

Go for a walk. You don’t have to keep up a blistering pace to reap the benefits of a walk. Ask some friends or neighbors to join you since the time goes by faster when you are talking.

Garden. I was surprised when two neighbors told me they wished they had a garden. One said she was afraid nothing would grow. I told her if I could grow a garden, so could she. I plant a seed and if it doesn’t grow, I plant some more. Eventually, it works out. Why does fear of failure hold us back from beautiful things so often? The other neighbor said she did not have room. I introduced her to container gardening which is just planting in pots. As long as you have soil, seeds, and water, you can grow things.

Gardening is more strenuous than you would think. you have to tend to it by pulling weeds, eliminating certain bugs, and trimming here and there. It is also a great stress reliever. 

Play like a child. What did you like to do when you were a child? I loved to swim and ride my bike. I don’t do either competitively, I splash around in the pool and cruise around the neighborhood on my bike. Did you enjoy baseball? Invite some people over to play catch.

Catch lightening bugs with the neighborhood kids. This is one of my memories from childhood. We would run after the bugs and put them in mason jars, and watch them light up. we let them go and chased after another set.

Play with your dog. If you have a Border Collie like I do, this isn’t a choice, It is a given, but throwing a ball or frisbie and just playing is still movement.

I hope these ideas start you on your way to being more active. Have fun!