Sunil I make statements.
That, in itself was a statement. They are about what I want and in particular what I want from the garden or what I want it to be like. Sometimes it’s a scenario I want fulfilled. I don’t sit down to consciously think about them, they materialise out of a collection of thoughts about vaguely related things, usually when I’m in the garden.
The statements I make are goals and they’re achievable ones, but they make take some time to complete. They’re things for me to work at and do, not to quickly buy in or have someone else do for me. One of the earliest statements I had was:
“I will make a garden out of this space”
I’m still working on that one. The mistake being that it was a bit too vague and doesn’t have a final end point. I might never be able to take this one off the list. From then on I decided it was best to stick with better defined statements such as:
“I will have a Wisteria and it will hang its gorgeous flowers all along the length of the patio doors.”
This was probably not the easiest one to start off with either as five years later, I’m just about getting there. It will still be a few more years until I can stay:
“I do have a Wisteria and it does hang its gorgeous flowers all along the length of the patio doors.”
I’m not entirely sure why I have these “statements” as I like to call them. If they were wants or wishes then they would be much more vague and start with “I hope to…” or “I wish…”. No, it’s not going to happen with hopes and wishes. It’s going to need hard graft and effort. The determinism of my statements reflects the drive and work that goes into making the garden into a truly beautiful space. Perhaps it’s just a way of exerting some control over the uncertainty of the future.
Another statement I have is:
“I will have garden arches and they will be covered with beautiful roses”
This one is well on the way too. Another few years and I can look forward to ticking it off as well and confirming it with a celebratory blog post and picture.
One of the more odd statements I have and finally completed last year was:
“In the summer, when I go into the garden shed I will look out of the shed window and see the garden through spires of delphiniums”
This is now done.
When I now go into the shed to grab some little thing or for bird food refills, I can look to the left and I will see the garden through lilac, purple and cobalt-blue spires of the delphiniums planted in front. They were grown from seed and so although this statement prompted yet another border expansion, it didn’t cost very much.
These statement always contain the words, “I will” or “I want”, well, I wanted it, I now have it and that satisfies me. After all, I’m always happiest when I get what I want, even if I have to work for it.
6 comments
I do something very similar. 🙂 When I turn a concrete thought into a statement, I’m removing the possibility that it won’t happen and accept everything I have to do to make it a reality. I remove emotion and superlatives from my thought process and turn my ideas into actions. Now, if I could just do that with the weather!
Hi Tammy, it’s almost militaristic isn’t it? The trick with statements is to make them about things you can control, otherwise you’ll go crazy!
I admire your approach, mine is much more unfocused. I guess I make a statement, but then before I have finished it I think of a different one, and so on. Your delphiniums are just too gorgeous.
Hi Jason, I think I have to be more disciplined otherwise I’ll loose focus or forget what I was doing, or change halfway through and end up with a mishmash that I didn’t want. The delphiniums are looking good this year, thanks. I think I’ll do more from seed for the front garden.
The delphiniums are certainly making a beautiful statement! I hope to have similar blue spires in a couple of weeks.
Hi Jean, I really like the delphiniums and I secured them at the right time too so they haven’t fallen over. I have noticed a heavy mildew problem on the leaves but since they’re in flower and going to seed, I’m not that worried.