Home Garden Companion

Ilona's Garden Journal

Garden Mission

| | 6 Comments



Helen Yoest of Gardening with Confidence had the idea of writing a mission statement for our garden. I’m giving it a try.

I think my garden’s first purpose is to be hospitable. I want it to welcome flora, fauna, and humans alike. I want it to be welcoming, and not over burdensome for me to maintenance. Foremost is this welcoming aspect… which is very American in demeanor. Room for swings and running children, as well as bonfires and cookouts, with quiet places and seating areas tucked in.

I have a very large space, so integrating those things is easy, but the fact that I am aging and need to lighten to workload on this body (that won’t suffer a laborers duties anymore) means a change in how it is planted, and what it is planted with. So the second part of the garden mission is that it is kind to its gardener.

The third part of my garden mission is to provide. I want it to provide vegetable produce, plenty of flowers, some fruit, herbal and floral fragrance, and a safe peaceful background for our family’s enjoyment.

To coalesce these things into a simple set of words, this years garden should endeavor to:

Welcome life, host peacefully and kindly, provide abundantly.

Tags: mission statement

About Ilona Erwin

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

DISCLOSURE: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. Thank you, in advance for your support! Privacy Policy

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Ilona says

    My garden has it’s ups and downs… but making this statement helped me get a bead on what I want to prioritize now. I just got my garden catalogs, but I need to look at what plants will help me renovate AND keep down future maintenance.

    But the picture was of a very nice year;)

  3. CONEFLOWER says

    Hello Ilona, I’m new to your blog but I like it very much so far. I’m going to go back and catch up on previous posts.

    I have a new blog too, which will in part be about gardens when the weather gets better. I have two beds to plant this coming year.

    I’d be honored if you’d visit my blog Gardens and Birds and Thoughts, Oh My

    Tracy from TracyLive is one of my dear friends and I agree with you that she is totally awesome.

  5. Ilona says

    CF- How wonderful to have her as a personal friend, the garden talks you must have 🙂 I ‘ve been making the rounds and like you I like to dig into a person’s page over time.

    Genie, I was surprised how it galvanized my thinking of what I really want and really am as a gardener.

  6. Helen @ Gardening With Confidence says

    Hey Ilona,

    Thank you for participating, I thoroughly loved you mission statement. It has been fun for me to watch this process. First fright (at the thought of doing it) then delight (of the process.) As you walked us through the process, you wrote the statement. This process allows us to reflect on our gardens, which are dear to us all, and put into words what they mean to us. I’m thinking to post this on Valentines day. I want to add more to the collection and what a better day to make a declaration of love. I will add yours now. Thanks again. Helen