Healing Garden

        

        

         Gardening is a wonderful activity that improves quality of life. Gardening helps people engage with the outdoors, which helps people become more aware of their surroundings, and more aware of time and seasonal activities. Best of all, gardening encourages the exposure to fresh air, sunlight, and exercise.

            My garden is a healing garden, a living, breathing memorial for my son, Nikolas. Nik’s garden, a hodgepodge of rocks, flowers, grass, vegetables, berries and shrubs, requires constant maintenance. An amateur gardener, I am blessed with numerous gardening friends that bring bulbs, shrubs, and flowers for my amusement. Even Nik's friends have made beautiful donations to his garden. Everyone provides detailed instructions on when, where, and how I should plant and provide for the plants.

            When I work in the garden, I feel the vibrations of life. I witness the birth of glorious flowers, as well as the swallows that nest in a donated birdhouse every year. Best of all, I often devour my breakfast in the garden, snacking on organically grown, fresh and sweet blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, peas, spinach, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and beans. In addition, I get my daily allowance of sunshine, which helps ward off depression and keeps me connected to the earth.

           Nik loved to eat corn home grown by the farmer down the road. Nik claimed that Leonard's corn was the sweetest corn on the planet. The corn growing in Nik's garden has that special flavor. It tastes sweet and fresh, and watching the stalks grow tall and strong brings happy memories.