Cultivating Wisdom: Thoreau’s Lessons for the Modern Gardener

On This Day
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:

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July 12, 1817

On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a most remarkable individual, one Henry David Thoreau.

A man of letters, a philosopher of nature, and dare I say, a kindred spirit to us gardeners.

As we tend to our plots and nurture our green companions, let us pause to consider the wisdom this American sage has bestowed upon us.

Thoreau would grow to become a beacon of simplicity in an increasingly complex world.

It is no wonder that July 12th now stands as National Simplicity Day, a fitting tribute to a man who championed a life uncluttered by excess.

Thoreau's magnum opus, Walden, serves as a testament to the profound beauty found in simple living amidst nature's splendor. Yet, let us not forget his equally potent Civil Disobedience, a rallying cry for those who dare to stand against injustice.

But what, you may ask, does this philosopher have to offer us, the devoted cultivators of earth's bounty?

Oh, my dear readers, prepare yourselves for a feast of horticultural wisdom!

The bluebird carries the sky on his back.

Picture, if you will, the vibrant flash of a bluebird against the verdant backdrop of your garden. Is it not a living embodiment of nature's artistry?

God made ferns to show what he could do with leaves

Indeed!

Have you ever marveled at the intricate unfurling of a fern frond?

It is a masterclass in botanical architecture.

There are moments when all anxiety and toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature.

How true this rings for us gardeners!

Is there not a profound peace to be found while tending to our beloved plants?

I know because I read...

Your mind is not a cage.

It's a garden.

And it requires cultivating.

Ah, what sage advice! Just as we nurture our plants, so too must we tend to the garden of our minds.

Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed.

Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.

Is this not the very essence of gardening?

The miraculous potential contained within each tiny seed?

Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw.

How delightfully subversive! Perhaps we should all embrace a touch of wildness in our garden designs?

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.

One can almost picture Thoreau, perched atop a giant pumpkin, penning his philosophical musings. What a charming scene!

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of each.

Is this not the very rhythm of a gardener's life? We are, after all, intimately attuned to the ebb and flow of the seasons.

We can make liquor to sweeten our lips
Of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips.

A reminder, perhaps, that the fruits of our labor can be enjoyed in myriad ways!

I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.

And there, my dear readers, lies the true reward of gardening - those fleeting, magical moments of connection with the natural world.

As we celebrate Thoreau's birth, let us carry his wisdom into our gardens.

May we find simplicity in the act of nurturing life, rebellion in the wild corners of our plots, and profound joy in the company of birds and blossoms alike.

Henry David Thoreau 1856 (colorized and enhanced)
Henry David Thoreau 1856 (colorized and enhanced)
Henry David Thoreau Engraving 1861
Henry David Thoreau Engraving 1861
Henry David Thoreau, portrait as a young man
Henry David Thoreau, portrait as a young man

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