It really is unprecedented times. Among other e-shopping activities I did, while staying at home, I also ordered tools & seeds to start my indoor garden ? Never before this thing could happen – I was perfectly fine to get my basil and salad at the supermarket.
But desperate times mean desperate measures – for almost two months already I am a proud beginning gardener, standing & staring over my herbs multiple times per day. Naturally, so much time spent with my greenery brought a couple of learnings.
? Knowledge is power. Of course, you can go with the flow, but it your herbs & veggies will not thank you for insufficient watering or placing them wrong. Being an avid learner myself, I had to dive deep into the do’s and don’ts of indoor gardening. Without knowing the basics, you won’t move too much ahead. Just like in other spheres – the best creative and experimental projects stem from deep understanding of already existing patterns. So, before starting any new project, I suggest familiarizing yourself with primary concepts, best practices and then – strive for results!
? Growing healthy emotions. My husband knocked over my freshly planted salad pot. It was just starting to show first signs of growth, so obviously I was super emotional. I have to admit that I shouted and shed a couple of tears. Not the best reaction. But what I learned is that my instinct after that was to immediately try to save what’s left of the sprouts – and now they are booming!
Also, even if you know all the right things to do, there still might be surprises. Just like in real life, such situations when unexpected happens teaches you to adapt or even let go a bit, if that’s the best decision.
? Patience is a good fertilizer. As I mentioned before, I like to go over my windowsill and look at my little plants. However, I learned that sheer power of my stare will not make them grow any faster. The funny thing is that when you don’t go over to them in a day – you will see much more improvement. Good lesson for working with long-term projects with multiple partners: having high expectations is good, but having some patience is great!
? Greenery is inspiring. In addition to my windowsill garden, I also bought some new house plants. What can I say – I became obsessed. Having different varieties of life around your house brings better mood, better oxygen supply and better view from the home office aka the sofa. Moreover, it gives you reason to move around for watering (and of course, staring) reasons. Having this (or any kind of) new hobby proved once and again that diversity in activities creates more channels for creativity.
? Self-made self-esteem. Most of us probably know about the IKEA effect making you value things you built yourself more. The same with plants. I am certain that my oregano and spinach will be much tastier than the ones from the shop. If would need to put a price on them – it would be so high, no one would buy. And I would be happy with that. Because they are my beautiful creations. I made them grow with own hands (with the help of water and the sun, but who needs to mention that)!
What have you been learning from your new or old found hobbies? ✍️