Finding Your Outdoor Retreat

My grandmother has always had one of the most beautiful flowerbeds I have ever seen. Every time I visit her home in Pennsylvania there is something in bloom, daffodils, crocuses, or a dogwood tree. Never do I remember a weed daring to poke up out of the pristine mulch. There is a reason that the beds that outlined her home were so immaculate, they were her escape. Gardening is what she has always loved to do most of all. It is where she got her aggression out and alleviated the stresses of life. I think, when it comes down to it, we all have our own ideal outdoor retreat.

Lloyd Flanders Low Country Conversation Set

Gma is 81 years old now and her back is not what it once was. All of a sudden she finds herself unable to spend as much time bent over her bulbs. This morning I was talking to her and she was lamenting about this loss of her “outlet” and it inspired me to write today’s post about the importance to finding your happy place and doing everything you can to enjoy it on a regular basis.

For Gma is is her garden. Unfortunately, I did not inherit the same green thumb that she did. For me, the “escape” is in sitting down to write or read a good book. That doesn’t mean that I don’t admire how homey and inviting her landscaping makes her home. That is one of the reasons that I turned to artificial outdoor plants as a way to get the same look without having to worry about killing them with too much sunlight, too little water, overcrowding, or any of the other hundreds of dangers that are out there for living plants.

One thing that I do share with her is the desire to spend my down time outside, taking in nature and spending time with my friends. That is why I was so excited to build our brand new deck this spring, not to mention that I got to play with power tools. Best of all, there is a relaxing chaise lounge where I can sit and read. What does your ideal outdoor retreat look like?