“Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow.” – Anonymous

Here in Prague, the earth is bursting with blooms — brilliant yellow fields patch the countryside, centuries’ old lilacs line boulevards, and petticoat-rimmed peonies wave in the spring breeze. It’s beautiful. Can you tell I’m a gardener at heart?

We are lucky to have a yard surrounding our rental house while we live as expats in Prague. And though I’ve planted a few flowers in our postage-stamp yard, I miss our sprawling yard in the United States. For there, though the half-acre started as spotty grass when we moved in, over ten years, the square of land became more flower garden than grass. It was my living painter’s canvas.

Isn’t it fun at this time of year to go to a garden center, gaze at all the colorful blooms, and dream about the gardens that could come home with you?

There are so many benefits to gardening … Here are five of my favorite reasons to get into the garden this spring:

1) You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.  -Author Unknown

Mysteriously, digging in the dirt is the best therapy.

2) The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.  -Hanna Rion

It’s true– the caress of a gentle breeze, the sound of a goldfinch flying banners overhead, the taste of the air after a summer rain, the sight of countless shades of violet within one unfurling flower, the fragrance of a knock-out garden phlox swaying in July. There is so much life to wake up to in a garden.

3) “In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.” -Abram L. Urban

Just lovely. So well-said, on the connection between the gardener, her gardens, and her soul.

4) “When one of my plants dies, I die a little inside, too.”  -Linda Solegato

Of course, all gardeners have plants that thrive and plants that die. Somehow through being closely connected to the natural life cycle, we realize the value of our moments and days.

5) “Gardens are a form of autobiography.”  -Sydney Eddison

When we create, we come to know ourselves.

This year, I’ve been thrilled to see my 5 rosebushes come fully into bud, as well as the delphinium I planted (and loved!) last year. And what have I planted? My hands got dirty planting twelve windowboxes for our Austrian-style house, filled with fuschia, verbena, petunias, and pelargonium. Pictures to come later this season …

Have you dug in the dirt yet this spring? If so, what have you planted? What plant are you most looking forward to seeing in bloom?