Last week we celebrate that our patchwork patio is finished. From the one-material concrete paver space that we inherited when we bought the house to the mix of found stones, recycled granite and stone, we expanded this space three years ago and finished the final area last week. The area morphed into a smaller space where the recycling mixes with beach rocks set in organic forms. Creating this last space was hard work and a lot of fun.
Creative work often looks like play but it takes effort. Interestingly, what many people find is that the most challenging restrictions often lead to the best, most imaginative solutions. Instructions: Take these scrap granite countertop pieces and combine with these leftover cement blocks, those beach rocks and that pile of slate, blending it into an existing patio.
One thing I love about gardening is that it encourages the cultivation of creativity. Whether combining materials as part of the hardscape or putting different plants together, the artistic juices flow. This often bleeds into other areas of life as well. While gardening I might come up with ideas for writing or some other imaginative activity.
Getting into the garden can be the equivalent of lighting a creative fuse.