Gaga
Summerifiq Hibiscus | Summer Snapdragons | Supertunias Vista Fuchsia

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero

Labor Day is a day lots of us organize and get ready for the school year, and settling into the busy time of planning, and budgets at work before the holiday season is upon us.

Summerific® Hibiscus | Summer Snapdragons | Supertunias Vista Fuchsia | Meteor Shower
Summerific® Hibiscus | Summer Snapdragons | Supertunias Vista Fuchsia | Meteor Shower

Do you meditate? Does the simple act of ‘being’ give you pleasure? Or are you happier doing? Let me give you an example. I explained to my daughter-in-law aka my therapist that I didn’t really enjoy watching the cooking channels.

'Sunsprite' Blooming on Labor Day Week-End
‘Sunsprite’ Blooming on Labor Day Week-End

I told her watching them made me feel inadequate as a cook and that they make me feel like running out out and start creating elegant meals. She said, “that’s because “You’re a doer.”

'Stormy Weather' Against a backdrop of Blue Skies and Fluffy Clouds
‘Stormy Weather’ Against a backdrop of Blue Skies and Fluffy Clouds

Another example of ‘doer’ behavior is this: time and time again I would invite my Mother to come sit in the rose garden with me. No sooner than the moment I would sit down than I would see a spent bloom and hop up and start dead-heading.

'Oh My!' Floribunda Roses Against A September Sky
‘Oh My!’ Floribunda Roses Against A September Sky

Gardening is the perfect outlet for ‘doers’. Channel your labors of love. Spending time doing things in the garden teaches us so many things. I thought on this Labor Day I would reflect upon the things you can learn from Laboring in the Rose Garden:

Kimberlina' Blooming on Labor Day Week-End
‘Kimberlina’ Floribunda Rose Blooming on Labor Day Week-End

Reflections of a Laborer in The Rose Garden 

  • Patience;  planting, waiting for new growth is exciting
  • Forgiveness; Roses are very forgiving with a little TLC
  • Responsibility; though forgiving plants still require care
  • Balance; the balance of nature is delicate but strong
  • Tranquility; the sounds of nature can calm a troubled spirit
  • Harmony; nature in balance is beautiful to watch
  • You learn more while being on your knees
  • Sharing; a garden is a gathering place
  • Fragrance; memory triggers evoke strong emotions
  • Labors Of Love: You create your own aesthetically pleasing visual masterpiece

Aesthetics is a set of principles concerned with nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in capturing it through photography as art.