Gardening: Dig a hole and shove something green into it.

I am in pain today because I spent two of the last three days on my hands and knees gardening. However, now that the hard bit is done, I can sit back relax and enjoy the fruits of my labour for the next few months. It is this opportunity to sit back and watch as things grow and change that I think is one of the true joys of gardening for me, and hopefully something that everyone has the opportunity to experience.

Despite the rows of books on the topic and endless lists of experts gardening is really quite simple - dig a hole and put something green into it. As an added bonus, with the exception of "green side up" there are no hard and fast rules about the right or wrong ways to do things. It is all up to you own imagination and fancy. Impulse buying is okay! The worst that will happen is that the plant does not survive. Oh well. On the other hand, it just might survive and flourish! Through no special talents, I have some plants that have survived decades of neglect, poor light and all those conditions that should have killed them six times over!

Even if you live in an apartment and do not have access to an outdoor green space you can still enjoy the sense of satisfaction that comes with gardening with something as simple as an herb garden or a houseplant of some sort.

The connection between plants and living a more earth friendly lifestyle is simply a matter of appreciation and awareness. For those that spend the majority of days in the concrete jungle of a city, it can be easy to overlook the amazement that comes from seeing something grow. Imagine, from a pot of dirt and some water a flower can emerge. When you stop to think about it, that is pretty amazing, and well worth celebrating and protecting!

If you have never tried getting some dirt and putting something green in it, give it a try. Once that is done, the bulk of your work is done. You can then sit back and watch how nature can take soil and water and produce beautiful plants.