Gardening is More than a Verb

Wikipedia defines gardening as “the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture.” Webster offers a slightly different definition: “to lay out or work in a garden, to make into a garden.” As I thought about the beneficial bug house I was about to make during a class at Garden Fever! and the reason I was taking the class, I realized that for me gardening goes well beyond the cultivating of plants or even the creation of a pleasing visual space. Both of these are extremely important to me, but I find I am not just gardening for myself, I’m gardening for creatures—insects and mammals, and I hope one day amphibians and perhaps reptiles—and for my neighbors. I feel a responsibility to offer a habitat where nature can thrive and that is as kind to Mother Earth as possible. This perspective adds weight and a sense of responsibility to the choices I make, but it is a gift that I give willingly.