By John J Murphy

One of my lifelong practices is to leave a home looking better than it did when I arrived. This includes all kinds of improvements, inside and out. To me, it’s simply a matter of respect. Put love into a home with creativity and action, and love will return to you in miraculous ways. 

Gardening is one way to achieve this, and you don’t need to be a master gardener to do it! All you really need are a few tools, some imagination, and the will to do the work. (A little knowledge helps, too.) Nature takes care of the rest.

Friends of mine have often remarked, “Your gardens are exquisite. Where did you learn this?” I usually tell them I got the idea at a landscaping store or from a picture. Sometimes they ask, “What is the name of this flower?” Sometimes, I don’t actually know, so I look it up. That’s one of my favorite things about gardening. It’s also an adventure. 

I have found that there can be other therapeutic benefits, teachings, and insights from gardening!

Learning from Your Garden

Gardening has taught me about essence. Our essence is our true self. It is who we are and what we are meant to be. Some people refer to this as our soul and spirit, our true nature. For a lily, it is a lily—a unique flower with certain characteristics. It doesn’t make any sense for a Lilly to try to be something else. Flowers know this, and they appreciate it. They don’t pretend to be something else or compare themselves to others. They simply embrace what they are and let go of resistance. 

Gardening has taught me about emergence. When a Hibiscus flower blossoms, it blossoms with a beautiful display of colors. But, not because it is trying to, but because it is supposed to. It is simply emerging with essence. It is growing and expanding in a sacred, miraculous way. It somehow knows what to do, and it does so effortlessly. I have learned a great deal about emergence from my flowers, especially my perennials. They continue to come back bigger and stronger each year, after a cold, harsh winter. How magnificent is that!    

Gardening has taught me patience. I have noticed that my flowers do not appear to be in a hurry. They seem to pace themselves, growing in a healthy, peaceful way. Some take longer than others, but it isn’t a race. And, it appears to be more of a journey than a destination. I like that about flowers. They are very patient. 

Gardening has taught me trust. I think one of the reasons flowers are patient is because they trust the process. They trust nature. They trust the sacred, life-giving field of energy we all share. They trust their essence. They trust one another (even the weeds). I have learned to do the same. If we plant specific “seeds” in life, such as ideas and beliefs—and we nurture this process—life will unfold as it is meant to be. 

Gardening has taught me appreciation. When I commune with my flowers, I notice that they do not complain. They do not point fingers, cast judgment, and blame. They do not criticize or condemn one another. Even my vegetable plants, bearing food to be taken, live peacefully. They don’t worry about anything. They live in a state of appreciation and gratitude. No grievances. This says a lot to me. And, I am very thankful.   

Garden Diversity

Gardening has taught me about diversity. No two plants or flowers are exactly alike. They all differ in some way. Even species of the same essence grow and blossom in different ways. They have respect for one another. It is like an orchestra: diverse instruments all playing as one, with perfect timing, harmony, rhythm, and balance. How beautiful. Wouldn’t it be great if we did more of this as a human race?

Gardening has taught me about cause and effect. We reap what we sow. What better illustration of this universal law than a garden? Plant a seed, nurture the process, and witness the unfolding of miraculous growth. This revelation has helped me as a father, as an entrepreneur, as an author, and as a consultant. Each year, I plant new ideas, I cultivate those ideas with action, and I trust in the law of cause and effect. Thank you, flowers, for making this process so simple and easy to understand.

Gardening has taught me about love. If there is one thing I’ve learned and valued most about gardening, it is that love responds in kind. When we express love and offer it unconditionally, it returns to us. The more we give, the more we receive. The more we share, the more we are given to share. There are no limits to love. It is available to us at any time and in any situation. All we need to do is feel it. And, we feel it most by giving it away. 

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John J Murphy is the founder and CEO of Venture Management Consultants, Inc, a firm specializing in creating lean, high-performance work environments. As a business consultant, John has worked with some of the world’s leading organizations, including ADP, BMW, Chase, the Michigan State Senate, the CIA, and the US Navy. He is the author of more than nineteen books, including Miracle Minded Manager (available by Beyond Words Publishing), and has trained thousands of people from more than fifty countries. He lives in Palm Beach, Florida. 

For more information: https://www.johnjmurphy.org/