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Hello Reader,
When the weather is nice, two things are always true. I will be out in my garden and F35 fighter jets will be flying circles over my head. I have no say in the flight pattern that places my garden right under these fighter jets from the nearby airport. I’ve gotten more used to the thunderous rumble overhead, but I dread to think about what these planes are training for. With new global conflicts sprouting up overnight like rampant weed seeds, I've begun to wonder if there is any point in gardening.
You may be wondering how these two are connected, war and gardens, but it’s not much of a stretch. Gardening is known to me by another name which is “doing good.” Tending a garden is how I choose to do good in this world. It brings me joy to create space for bees, butterflies, and birds and all the beautiful plants that support them. It is a humble act and I’m certainly not curing any diseases or feeding the world by gardening. Gardening just feels like something good, in a world run by warmongering heads of state.
Though gardening feels good, it’s scale is immensely dwarfed by recent news of an invasion of Ukraine, genocide in Gaza, a new war in Iran. How can my little garden matter when the scale of violence and evil is so immense? I’ve wondered this more and more over the years. If you are someone who tries to do good in this world, then perhaps you have been wondering the same.
Beautiful gardens are not built during times of war. Gardens are only built during peaceful times. The last two sentences were both lies.
Some gardens are borne of strife and conflict. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Garden marks the site of one of the greatest human atrocities in history. The park illustrates the quiet resilience of nature and the human spirit. Many trees here are planted from Hibakujumoku (trees that survived the atomic bomb), which is the Japanese word we never needed. This garden is a role model, and it shows that peace is more beautiful than destruction.
Doves flying over the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Garden
Back to those fighter jets flying over my garden. I looked them up, out of curiosity, and just one is worth more money than the real estate of my entire neighborhood. Dwarfed in scale again, but value lies not only in money. Value can also be found in relationships, which gardens produce in abundance. Relationships between the plants, animals, and gardeners. Relationships between neighbors, as we share yet another bumper crop of Summer Squash. I’d argue that noticing these relationships are what life is all about.
War is a practice, but so is Peace. To live in a peaceful world, we need to get out there and practice peace. Practice peace like it’s an instrument to master or like you have a final exam coming up. Gardening is how I practice peace, and I hope my practice inspires you to garden too. Like a stone falling into a still pond, we can make ripples inspiring each other to act. Don’t underestimate the power of your garden to inspire someone to join you in doing some good in the world.
I did not write this because I cracked the code on how to feel motivated to do good in the face of immense corruption. Actually, I wrote this as a way to grapple with a feeling of helplessness. Wondering if the things I enjoyed doing were really just a distraction to keep me preoccupied. However, I’ve decided that it is worthwhile for me to put some more joy in the world by gardening. I won’t stop gardening because evil men wage war, instead I’ll garden in spite of them.
Field Notes:
If this newsletter resonated, then do me a favor and forward it to a friend who chooses to garden when times are tough! I appreciate your help in sharing the newsletter.
Next week we will have a guest author writing about garden design. Make sure you don’t miss next week’s issue!
Last week was all about what plants we just can’t stop planting. Check it out and let me know what the crop you can’t quit is!
Plotter’s Commons:
Why do you choose to garden in turbulent times? I’d love to hear your thoughts and share any insight with the group.
Bulletin Board
A pre-order for an upcoming book Gardens That Can Save The World is now available and is a perfect pairing for today’s newsletter. Order it now so you have something to look forward to next month!
Written by Lottie Delamaine
Written for 526 peace makers. 💌
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Until next Thursday,
Ken Welch
Ken Welch is a garden writer with a very serious degree in Horticulture. When his city lacked a community garden, he helped build one. He teaches new gardeners how to grow their own food.
Cibus Est Imperium | Food is Power