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The Art of Gardening
Today, people are living in a society that is marked by dramatic social, political, economic, cultural and religious changes. Technological developments, urban living and alienation from nature have led made many people to a sedentary life. Those who are affected by this condition are turning to their physicians who in most cases recommend physical activity. When one hears about physical activity he/she immediately thinks of sports and gymnastics. However, I would like to talk about a different kind of physical activity. This activity is connected to nature and it protects our environment while rendering our homes, offices and parks more beauty and attractiveness. More specifically, the art of gardening can be a beneficial form of physical activity, which balances the mind and the body in perfect harmony. “Gardening can be considered both as an art, considered with arranging plants harmoniously in their surroundings, and as a science encompassing the principles and techniques of plant cultivation” (Encyclopaedia Britannica.) This discussion mainly sets out to examine gardening as an art and understand its importance for the inhabitants of urban areas in south-eastern Europe, which are “drowning” in concrete.
In fact, gardening is an ancient activity if we review the human history. It has its origin in the book of Genesis in the story of the creation. As I think about the art of gardening, I reflect on the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament. God created man and woman to be the keepers of a divine place where there was no pain, no worry, no tears but only happiness and joy. There are no words that could describe the beauty of this garden and its richness or even the joy in which they were living until they committed the sin of eating the forbidden fruit and disobeying God’s only restriction “But you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it You will die.”(The New Oxford Annotated Bible...