Down the Garden Path: Talk to the Trees and Gardens

A couple weeks ago, I went out to eat with a friend at a restaurant that was new to me. During the dinner, we each acknowledged that 2025 has, thus far, not been filled with overall feelings of happiness or joy. My comment was that I am just waiting to be able to be in my gardens and that I thought that would change everything. I have ordered new plants, purchased new vegetable and perennial seeds, and I have purchased the materials for more raised beds. Now, I just need to be able to be outside completing the planned projects.

During the winter days when the wind and wind chills are uninviting to me, I spend time reading physical books and articles that stimulate my interest from the few online subscriptions that I have. Today, March 31, I read an article written by Britta Lokting titled, “Finland Says It Can Teach Tourists to Be Happy. Challenge Accepted” that was published in the New York Times. Ms. Lokting wrote that during her trip to Finland she wanted “… to see whether I could bring happiness back to America with me.” The premise that Finland could perhaps teach her how to be happy is based on the fact that the World Happiness Report of 2025, that is published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, has reported that for the eighth year in a row, Finland has been designated as the happiest country in the world. Sadly, the United States has dropped to the 24th position, out of 147 countries.