Why do I garden? Let me count the reasons; but seriously folks, I garden for many reasons and I will explore them here.

First, I believe that people need a hobby, interest or activity, call it what you will, that takes their minds off their day to day realities.

All of us are busy and often have a number of different thoughts or things to do that are competing for our attention.

Speaking of things to do, your hobby or personal interest should not result in you developing another list of things to do. That is not helpful and may indeed take the fun out of the doing.

That does not mean that you do not make a plan, without a plan you may never get started or get started and then have no idea what to do next.

It simply means that you plan is not the law; it is not engraved in stone and can be changed or tossed aside, in favour of another approach.

I find gardening to be the perfect activity and that is primarily why I garden. It can keep me enjoyable occupied all year round, either doing it; reading about it; ordering seeds or planning the garden and even redrawing last year's plans.

When I sit down with a seed catalogue the day's news and event slip from the forefront of my mind and images of what the plants will look like when they grow take over.

This leads to giving some though where the new plant(s) will look best and where they will most benefit in the existing garden/

Will this be the year I plant that flowering crabapple that I have been reaming about or perhaps a redwood dogwood. These thoughts nudge out the concerns about the economy, the environment and all the bad news that fills the media.

An hour spent with a seed catalogue in the deep of winter refreshes my mind and awakens the hope that Spring brings when the gardening season begins anew and old friends reappear and new ones are waiting to be discovered.

I garden because I love spending time outside; feeling the wind and the sun on my face and hands.

Of course these days you need to protect yourself from any prolonged exposure to the sun's rays but a hat works and gardening gloves serve many purposes.

I love to grow things; there is an immense satisfaction and sense of accomplishment from watching a flower come alive from a seed that you planted a few weeks prior.

Gardening offers you an opportunity to make decisions and choices. It is your garden. You can decide what you want to grow; how much you want to grow and what you will do with what you choose to

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