Inspiration and engergy

We all have days when gardening is a chore rather than a pleasure. Most of the times this is because we are literally tired or bored with something we've done for too many days. So what do you do to get back the geist?

Start with a good day of rest. Take twentyfour hours of doing something completely different, like staying in bed eating icecream (don't mind the sheets, we live in the age of washing machines and laundromats). Then decide to have days like this in the future too. It's not a coincidence that christianity (as well as jews (jewiality?... my dictionary fails me on this one) and islam) have a sabbath every seventh day, and that its observance is among the most important decrees of the religion. You don't have to be religious to copy this custom - we are all tempted to nibble on the battery loading when something important is to be done*.

Don't be surprised if your day of rest brings along a host of new ideas. When you work a lot with something (gardening in our case) the brain gets overloaded. As soon as those important thoughts (I need to weed, boil more water, plant hundreds of potatoes and call my mother in law) aren't thought the periferal ones (why don't I ask my inlaw to help me garden?) surface, and they can be rather good.

In addition to rest you need some inspiration. In general I read gardening books and magazines with a lot of colourful pictures and, if possible, good and well written articles with lots of facts. And I surf YouTube for chreative gardening. Patti Moreno is a case in point - I may never raise pygora goats, but I get a kick out of her doing it. If she manage a thing like that I can probably grow a slightly different carrot or tomato without too much trouble.



But, what if you've tried all of the above and you still are fed up? I have to admit that I keep on working anyhow - I can't expect to be in glimmering form every day. If the feeling persist I'd probably change interest gradually, but it hasn't happened yet, and I hope observing the sabbath will keep me vaccinated against fatigue.

*I we were mobile phones we would all have worn and almost empty batteries.