I was recently quoted in The American Gardener, the magazine of the American Horticultural Society.
My quote is in the November/December 2023 issue, in an article by Marianne Willburn titled, “In Defense of Gardening Unplugged.” You can read the article if you are a member of AHS, which you should be if you are a gardener of any sort.
So how and why did she quote me in the article? Let’s circle back to 2020. That summer, I decided I was spending too much time on social media. After a discussion with my co-podcaster, Dee Nash, we decided to do a 30-day fast from it all, as recommended by the author/college professor Cal Newport who wrote Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, which I bought and read shortly after I retired in 2016. (He’s also the auther of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Distracted World.)
Let me tell you that giving up all social media for 30 days sounds easy-peasy, but do it and you’ll be surprised how often you reach for your phone in moments of boredom, without thinking. Do it and when you are with other people, you’ll notice how they pick up their phones even while talking to you to scroll through a bit of social media.
Do it, and some of your friends will think you are crazy!
But do it and you’ll be amazed how much time you have for other activities! Perhaps old activities you had abandoned because you didn’t have time. Perhaps new activities that you’ve always wanted to try but didn’t have the time to explore.
Or perhaps time to write a book.
Perhaps time for more gardening!
How do I use social media today? I check in on FB to keep up with family but the app is not on my phone. I use Instagram to post “My Dearest Garden” letters and pictures, alerts to new podcast episodes, and occasionally alerts for new blog post. And I’ll admit I probably scroll too often through Instagram to see what others are posting. I never used TikTok, and I won’t. I also deleted my Twitter-X account and that was the end of that!
And yes, with my reduced use of social media, I have more time for gardening!
I JUST read that article while we were driving south for a vacation! I was excited to see your name in it! It is a great article and one that I ripped out of the magazine to save. I love Marianne’s ideas. And I also really enjoy Cal’s books.
One of the main things I like most about gardening is getting AWAY from screens. We are being pulled closer and closer to screens every day. We have to be intentional to stay off of them. I find it frustrating when gardening “experts” suggest I check out this post, that reel or the other YouTube video. Certainly there is a place for those things. But I’d rather be out IN the garden rather than spend hour after hour watching other people in THEIR gardens.
Thank you for all you do!
Cool, and you’re welcome!