Gardening Through the Ages
Or More Accurately — Gardening as You Age
💬 Opinion | by Guy Saldiveri | October 9, 2026
Gardening and landscaping used to drive me. I had a mission, a blank canvas that needed to be painted. I had to plan things out, learn what things needed, what made things work, and what made things fail.
I needed to purchase the tools, the plants, and the bricks. I had to dig the holes, drop the plants in, maintain the yard, and rethink plans that seemed right at the start but fell apart as they aged.
Thirty-plus years of trial and error…
I've learned a lot over that time. I've had some great wins, and I've had some epic failures. That just goes with the territory though. Those failures always seem to make those wins that much sweeter.
The biggest lessons I've learned are to keep trying and to know when to quit. The "keep trying" part always seemed easier to accomplish than the "knowing when to quit" part. Pride is a tough one to deal with at times. 🙄
Nowadays, the hard part is done. The trees have been planted, the bricks have been laid, and the landscape is set. The main work is done and the remainder is just maintaining what was built. It's a good thing too, because every time I think about starting all over again, redoing everything that was done, starting all over from scratch… Yeah, hard no on that one! That's a job for a man in his early 30s, not one in his mid-60s.
No, nowadays, the fun is walking out in the morning, sipping coffee, admiring the landscape and appreciating not only what was done, but what doesn't have to be done any longer.
Seeing that patch of wildflowers, that trellis full of beans, the blushing tomatoes — the giant sycamore that used to be a sapling — that's the fun part now. The hummingbirds fighting over the feeders and the bluebirds chasing those annoying mockingbirds — that's what brings the smile that starts the day.
I've learned that slowing down doesn't mean losing anything. I learned that I can sit back and enjoy what was built because all the hard work has already been completed. It brings a sense of relaxation that seems to have been earned; a deep breath that brings back any pride that might have been damaged by those failures along the way. A feeling of accomplishment in knowing that I worked with nature and found compromise.
Knowing I don't need to show the world I can plant and grow 50 heads of cabbage, 40 okra, 25 different tomatoes and peppers — I already know I can do that. The difference now is that I'm content to grow those things just for myself.
And that contentment is worth every bead of sweat, every drop of blood, and every ache and pain this journey required. The ant and mosquito bites, the cuts and scrapes, the blisters and sore muscles, everything that goes on behind the scenes. It was (and still is) all worth it because nothing would be here without it. It was all part of the "experience," and all part of the enjoyment I experience now.
Gardening has always been fun; it has always been something I've found enjoyable, but like anything else, it has never been without its consequences. It's okay though, those consequences are all part of that same smile — and that smile is what makes the day.
The happiness now is not in the building, but in the appreciation of what has been built. 😎
As always, I appreciate your time. I'm always glad to have someone to sit and talk with. Hopefully, these little rambles help out, even if it's just a little bit.
Happy Gardening 🌱