Lesson Learned - Weeding

I enjoy weeding.  Yes, I realize how crazy this sounds. Trust me, I didn't always love weeding. I used to dread it. At our first house, John and I had almost no landscaping. During our time at the house, we removed most of the landscaping and let grass grow.  Neither of us enjoyed having to care for flowers, bushes or any general landscaping.  

Then, we moved into our new home.  The house had landscaping that consisted of rock areas with bushes and some flowering hostas.  It was not complicated landscaping, but it did require more work than we were used to.  We could tell that the new neighborhood was not really going to embrace the all-grass concept, so we needed to embrace doing some yard work.  

As luck would have it, we were fortunate to enjoy a trip to Japan.  During our time there, we visited a palace, where the gardeners were working meticulously on the grounds. They were pruning bushes with the smallest of shears, almost like they were pruning small bonsai trees.  They were carefully weeding the landscaping.  They were trimming the grass with shears (pictured). We even saw one man weeding the grass with what looked like chop sticks.  

We learned that they take extreme pride in ensuring the grounds look amazing. They have such reverence for the gardens and the joy they bring to everyone.  You could tell this was not a chore for them, but a dignified way for them to work. They were Zen while working and found peace in the tasks.

When I returned from this trip, I realized that I should take pride in my home and my yard. I should be honored to own a home in a good neighborhood that embraced beauty. I should find Zen in yardwork.

So, I did.  I downloaded a good book on tape and set to work. I bought a nice gardening mat at a garage sale. I got myself some good weeding gloves and set out to learn to be Zen with the weeds.  I started out small.  I worked through the rocky landscaping areas, pulling weeds, grasses and sticks.  I sat in the rocks, sometimes for hours, just enjoying my book.  When I would be done, I could marvel at how much better the area looked. It really was a Zen way to spend an afternoon.

Now, to be honest, if I am busy, I don't always take this Zen approach.  Sometimes I just spray the weeds and pick up the larger sticks. Sometimes I pay someone to clean the landscaping.  But, when I have time, I still enjoy the simplicity of sitting in the rocks and enjoying nature.