Cultivating Hope

What does it mean to cultivate hope? Cultivating hope is a term I use when I talk about the benefits of gardening for our well-being. In these past couple of years we have learnt the importance of hope for ourselves, our families and our communities. And I believe that we cultivate hope every time we stop and take the time to notice the natural world around us.

And the amazing thing that happens for us is that, as we focus our attention on plants, trees, birds, or even a stunning sunset, without any effort on our part, our mind begins to calm and our bodies relax a little. We may even instinctively move closer to look at an insect, sniff a blossom, or touch a soft leaf.

These actions all help us to engage with nature, whether we're sitting in a small garden, or walking through a large park. And engaging with nature is now known as being very beneficial for our physical and mental well-being.

I like to take this concept even further. When we engage more fully with our gardens we are directing our thoughts towards a hope for the future. There are myriads of ways this is actioned; for instance, when we plant a bare-rooted tree in Winter, we are actually #cultivatinghope! Once the tree is planted, we water it in and tend to it with the hope that in due time it will grow new foliage, provide us with shade and shelter, or maybe flowers and fruit!

And of course, we're also providing habitat and a food source for wildlife around us. This is especially important in urban areas where habitat for wildlife is a scarce commodity. I couldn't imagine a garden, or parks without the sounds of birdlife.

Here are some of the ways that gardeners are #cultivatinghope :

Making compost from garden waste and food scraps, turning refuse into rich, crumbly black gold!
Planning and creating new garden beds filled with home-made compost, ready for those precious seedlings you've grown! Even the design process is a form of cultivating hope!
Planting bare root roses that look dead and incapable of growing, but knowing that in Spring they will grow beautiful, fragrant blooms!
What could be more hopeful than taking cuttings from a precious or rare plant to create new plants to share or give away!
Gathering seeds from last season's herbs, vegetables or flowers to store for sowing next season!
Planting citrus trees for delicious fruit to use in cooking! Imagine not having oranges for marmalade (go Queen Elizabeth 11 & Paddington Bear!)

Of course, the list of how we can cultivate hope is as endless as the possibilities of growing and cultivating.

In a time where there's lots of scope to contemplate the difficulties this generation faces, cultivating hope through creating, nurturing and growing a garden is one way we can collectively build hope for the future generations!