I was going through a big stack of clay pots one day, sorting them by size and wondering where they all came from. Since most of the plants I’ve purchased in the last umpteen years were generally grown in plastic pots, I found it hard to believe that I had so many of these clay pots, but I did.
Some I got from my Dad. I remember stopping once at an old dilapidated greenhouse with him when I was a kid and buying a whole bunch of four inch clay pots. I think I have most of them now. My sister in law brought me some other clay pots that her parents found when they were cleaning out their basement. And my Mom’s neighbors gave me another stash of pots when they were cleaning out their shed in anticipation of moving.
As I started to sort the pots by size, I found one oddly sized pot that was a different size than any other clay pot in my stash. As I held it in my hand and looked it over, I realized that someone had scratched words on the inside of it. Could it be the fifth secret?
I peered inside that clay pot and carefully read the inscription as I turned the pot in my hand to see the entire message…
The fifth secret to achieving happiness in your garden is to share your garden.
Share your garden?
Yes, share your garden.
Let others see your garden. Give others passalong plants from your garden. Give away vegetables and flowers from your garden. Share what you know about gardening by showing others how to garden.
And most of all – share your love of gardening and plants with anyone who is willing to try to garden, too.
Share your garden, the fifth and final secret to achieving happiness in your garden.
But is it really the final secret?
All your secrets have been well known to anyone who gardens, and yet it was so refreshing to review them all, like rediscovering a favorite book or meeting a long lost friend. Thank you for this series.
That secret is wonderful…although they all are. It made me smile.
This one is too easy – it's hard not to share the garden when you're all enthused and excited about it.
Carol, that's just beautiful. Thank you and thanks for sharing your garden with us every time we visit your blog.~~Dee
Wonderful Carol. So true 🙂
Great series of posts on the five secrets of achieving happiness in the garden, Carol.
While I liked all your secrets I find myself partial to the first one : Grow the plants you love. As you so rightly stated we sometimes fall in love with a new plant only to find out later that we misjudged it. I don't waste much time in passing those along to someone who wants them.
Thanks for sharing your great secrets with us, Carol.
This is most important. To share your garden most definitely.
Sharing is so much fun! Informally,or as part of a seed exchange,joining a garden club or plant society. I have pass-alongs in my yard from locally legendary gardeners I never met in their lifetimes. They live on in other friend's gardens. Sharing's the best…
You clever girl, I imagine that you will come up with more secrets from the garden. Especially since you like to share with us gardeners and we in turn can share with others.
I share my garden with
those that are really
pertinent: flora and fauna.
It is design according
to their needs, a lot
of wild, collected vegetation.
People are irrelevant in my
scheme, blog read in five continents.
However, the passers by
can look half do, my collection
of over 120 species..
Good luck in your projects!
This, to me, is the most important secret so far…
I've been the recipient of many passalong plants from generous gardeners and always try to return the favor. Makes me happy to see some of the "pretty" from my garden being enjoyed in the gardens of other people.
donna
Sharing your garden is definitely a most important secret, Carol. I share mine whenever possible, although last year I fell down on giving away plants because I wasn't home for so much of the spring and early summer. This year, looking ahead, will be much better.
Perhaps more important yet: share your clay pots. Those suckers are expensive.
Sowning more seeds of wisdom, you are so right. Giving creates the most happiness.
This is my favorite secret of all! I wish I could remember each plant, each pearl of wisdom, every flower, and every vegetable that was given to me from enthusiastic gardeners. In return, I did the same. This was such a wonderful series and your creativity made it so much fun to read.