Last December, when we were vacationing in Florida, we
debated about visiting the Florida Botanical Gardens. It would take awhile to drive there, and winter
wasn’t the best season to view them.
After all, we had visited a decade ago, during the summer, when
all the plants and flowers would have been much more in bloom. But in the end we decided to go, as we really enjoyed our previous visit.
On the day we traveled there, it grew progressively more
overcast. Although it was pleasantly
warm and humid, we had to endure the occasional rain shower. We ate our picnic lunch in a Victorian gazebo,
listening to a nearby waterfall, and enjoying the variety
of plants surrounding us. Then we
left our cozy gazebo to explore.
There are several areas of the Botanical Gardens, and each
focuses on different aspects of gardening, from the types of plants you can
grow, to the way you can organize and structure a garden. It’s a great learning opportunity, even when
some of the plants are dormant, or not as vibrant as they’ll be at other times
of the year. Attending during December
also offered us the bonus of quiet and solitude, as most children were still
attending school, and their parents working, or perhaps shopping for Christmas
presents.
It’s tempting to pretend that your life is perfect, to
overlook your flaws, and ignore areas in need of improvement. But the winter, when everything slows down,
and it seems as though each day it gets tougher to accomplish your daily tasks,
is when it’s easiest to get an accurate picture of who and what you are. You can see how the seeds you’ve sown have
grown, how hardy your plants are, how balanced your garden is, and how well
you’ve designed and orchestrated your plans.
Then you know what areas of your life to improve on, and you can plan
for the arrival of spring.
I’m glad we took the time to make that winter visit to the
Florida Botanical Gardens. Our time
there reminded me of the importance of structure, balance, and that hard work, properly
directed, will pay dividends. Even when
the sky is overcast, the clouds are dripping rain, and the foliage and flowers
are less brilliant and abundant than I’d prefer.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time I got back to work. Spring will arrive all too soon, and I want to be ready.
Dragon Dave
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