Hiya, hope you’re having a light day or evening. Today’s post is a video that I hope is both relaxing and encouraging for you.

When you work from home, tending to the garden also serves as an outdoor activity that can help you be refreshed when you go inside again. It’s a change of scenery and another space you can design and decorate with plants. Even though it’s a part of the same property, it doesn’t have to feel that way all the time.

I’m sharing a light day in the garden, time in the kitchen making provision CookUp (or ‘rundown‘) and coaching an Outdoor Vocal Session.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the studio, on stage, and in the sea, but 8 years ago, I started spending purposeful time in the garden (while then living on a farm) after taking a siesta from life as a frequent flyer. As a former involuntary plant assassin, it was a sweet surprise to discover that I loved it and still do.

Whether you pick up gardening:

– as a therapeutic hobby to help you breathe deeper during a challenging time

– to brighten your house, apt. or room with greenery to enhance air quality

– as a way to be proactive and grow food at home, considering the possible or likely food shortage in these tentative times

– as a gym alternative and home-based workout option

…there are ’nuff benefits to it.

It’s not only about growing food and enjoying quiet time in fresh air, but about witnessing God’s gift of creation seen in nature…in motion…listening to birdsongs in the morning or cool of the evening. Gardening is refreshing, relaxing and therapeutic, but it’s also an intense workout when you add in heavy lifting, raking, weeding and digging.

I have a set of tomato plants that sprung up from seeds scraped off of a lunch plate into a seedling palette (in the video.) I didn’t water them much at first; the rain did. What started off as salad scraps ended up as now flowering plants. Some snails mauled quite a few but some still standing strong.

When you get to see the fruits of His grace and (sometimes) your labour, it’s amazing and also humbling…to even be invited in as a small part of that process in the great design of it all.

The difference planting on the east and west of Barbados is clear; it has come with the same checklist with new challenges and a fresh test in patience. Here is a shortlist of things to consider when planting wherever you are:

• design: ideal planting areas and noting existing microclimates
• rainfall and tap water access

• soil depth and quality

• sunlight and cycle

• breeze/ventilation/air quality
• composting: saving, storing and reusing plant matter

Gardening takes time, but the time spent gardening is just as lovely as time spent enjoying your garden when you’re not working in it. The deep breaths that come with the beautiful view of lush plants or pending produce is really something welcoming.

Have one, or thinking of starting one at home? You can start with containers on your balcony, a few house plants or yogurt cups with seedlings on your kitchen sill. Here’s a post to encourage and equip you, shared by a non-pro yet avid, amateur gardener (that’s me.) Speaking of a pro gardening; I’ll be interviewing a real-real gardener in a post coming up so stay tuned. She’s gonna share lots of helpful tips for you and me to grow food and flowers well, and I’ll ask for some advice on designing too; could do with some help with that right about now. Feel free to send your questions for our gardening guest in the meantime, and click here to read her first guest post.

Related post: Growing Food At Home | Starting Steps & 8 Essentials