Is gardening a spiritual experience?

[Trellum]

Most of my spiritual understanding /revelations come while watching over my plants and meditating.
I don't know if my garden speaks to me.. The inner voice often speaks to me using parables about trees and plants. Gardening is surely a spiritual experience for me.
It is a great way to wind down, relax and enjoy the beauty of creation while praising the creator for his wonderful creation.
I connect with myself and the world around when I get totally involved in my garden. The sense of oneness with the universe is often achieved through this experience.

The same thing happens to me! Do you happen to get lost in the task very often as well? Back in the day I'd get so focused on my gardening I'd lose myself in the task and forget about EVERYTHING for hours! Gardening for some reason made me feel this way, my mind would go blank... having only the current task in mind, then the next... for me that's some sort of meditation

 

[firelily99]

For me it is! Its a wonderful way to get out of my head and just "be". I recovered well from two surgeries due to a garden, it wasn't the kind of thing that the doctors wanted me to do but I had at it anyway. I love to sit out next to my gardens in the early evening and watch the birds going for the sunflowers and just admire my handiwork.

 

[Kristy]

Most definately, yes! Without a doubt. My love of plants is as a part of me as my brown eyes. When I was little, other kids used to peruse the Sears catalogue in hopes of finding something Santa might bring them for Christmas. My Christmas wish book was Gurneys Seed and Nursery catalogue and I wanted Santa to bring me one of everything...
My love of gardening was tended in me by my grandmothers. One taught me how to 'snap' a snapdragon, and the other taught me the wonders of fresh wild plum jelly, the intoxicating smell of iris in late spring and the beauty of a fence line covered in blue Morning Glories. From her juniper tree I spent hours looking out in the distance, contemplating life, and sometimes hanging upside down by my knees like a fruit bat.
Now I own a little greenhouse. Its such great fun to teach little kids how to 'snap' the snapdragons. And they love to torture the Sensitive plants. With one touch, the plants fold up their leaves and they play dead. It makes very clear that those plants are most definately alive. It seems to delight kids of all ages, just as it still does me. Hopefully it also creates the connection in them with the plant world, that one can affect the other. And there are so many folks just learning for the first time how to grow a garden and what a difference there is between a home grown tomato and a super market one. Sharing that knowledge and the love of plants is as close to spiritual as I get. Its spiritual in the sense that it is history, an avid interest and a passion that threads its way through my life. And maybe I get to encourage that in a few other people's lives just as my grandmothers did for me.
Every year I plant a few blue Morning Glories to sell in my little greenhouse. And from the floor in different spots where I didn't plant them, they grow. They climb my benches and take over and bloom a mass of clear, true blue trumpet shaped flowers. And I let them. The level headed part of me believes that I just need to do a better job of weeding. But a tiny part of me would like to believe that its Grandma's way of stopping by and saying " Hey kid, what's new? " In any case, they will always remind me of her and always makes me smile.

 

[headfullofbees]

Not for me.
It brings me some happiness, some challenges, mental relaxation, physical exercise, and I have made new friends, both on here and at my allotment.
Gardening has brought me a lot for which to be grateful, and I am, but I'm down-to-earth feet-on-the-ground type, so I don't really feel that.

 

[DancingLady]

It is a spiritual experience for me because I am working directly with God's creation, seeing what He is providing for me, relying on Him to make the plants grow and yield a crop. Gardening reminds me that I am not in control of my world, God is the only one who provides for us.

 

[elenamarie]

Yes, I strongly believe everything is spiritual specially the nature. The plants, trees, oceans, mountains etc. When I feel down or low energy, I sit in the garden for half an hour or more, sometimes less. It all depends on my mood and most of the time, just a few minutes spent with the plants, flowers and trees, I would feel revitalize.

 

[elenamarie]

Staying in the garden helps me to relax and enjoy the scenery. They help clear my mind when I’m confused and don’t know what to do specially when stressed. I might be crazy but when I look at the flowers, it’s as if they’re smiling back at me. For me, the plants and trees around us reminds us to take a moment to indulge in nature. I honestly think there is no other natural relaxing way than to take a deep breathe and enjoy some fresh air.

 

[kammy]

Gardening is a spiritual experience for me in the sense that it it's these moments when i am in my garden when i get the most peace of mind and tranquility in my life...it's also a time that i take for meditating and talk to god.

 

[Satya]

I find gardening to incredibly spiritual. I sometimes find that as I care for and spend time with my plants I see a beautiful energy permeate through them. They begin to glow and intensify in color. They become, in that moment, more beautiful than anything I have ever seen in this world. They radiate colors I can't say I have seen before. But, then I notice that it's happening, and it fades. A reiki healer I know told me of her first deep meditation experience - she said she got up from meditating and looked out the window and the world outside looked more colorful and vibrant than she had ever seen before... radiating new, bright, glowing colors. But once her consciousness noticed the change, it faded. In Ayurveda, gardening is seen as a Kapha trait... very meditative.
I had one particular experience where I looked at one of my succulents and could tell it needed water. I gave it a generous drink and as I watched the water sink in, I felt a rush of energy that seemed to come from the plant. It seemed as though it was saying 'thank you' by passing on good vibes. This probably sounds weird to people, but I wanted to share these experiences because they are amazing and beautiful. They are why my garden is my happy place. Not sure if I'm nuts, but I love these beautiful little moments that bring me joy. Pay attention in the garden and maybe you'll see the colors brighten and feel the plants share good vibrations.
I also feel that the sun speaks to me in the garden. Particularly at sunset. One time as I relished the beauty of the garden I am so lucky to have I heard this message in my mind: "It's all about light. See if you can figure out the frequency."

 

[Esther Knapicius]

It is when Enya is playing and the birds are harmonizing to her and the wind is caring soft fragrances.

 

[sixxup]

I have never thought about spiritual gardening but now I understand how it affects me. The sweet smelling flowers do attract so I find myself meditating while sitting next to them. I therefore feel relaxed after a long day's work.

 

[Greenhorn]

No it's a lot of time and work and care and patience... But sometime the results are awe-inspiring.

Awe-inspiring
Causing or worthy of admiration or respect; amazing or magnificent, impressive, striking, wonderful, amazing, stunning (informal), magnificent, astonishing, awesome, breathtaking, wondrous, jaw-dropping…