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The Path To Self-Understanding Is Filled With Weeds

Published June 7, 2019

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I’ve been gardening a lot lately and, in turn, thinking a lot about how it leads me to understand myself a little better. So, I wrote this piece for Heated, which I wanted to share here. The first part is excerpted below; if you find it interesting, you can read the rest on the website, or just skip straight to the recipe (Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Pine Nuts, and Raisins) that I’ve been cooking with my “bounty.” Have the best weekend.

—Mark

Gardening, like cooking, or anything solitary and semi-relaxing, showcases our personality quirks and makes them more obvious. (Oliver Sacks, says Maria Popova, equates gardens and music.) Or at least that’s the case for me. When I’m gardening, I’m more aware that I can be obsessive, creative, disorganized, lazy, indifferent, and sometimes mindful — which I, in turn, love or loathe about myself. When I feel laziness is diminishing my accomplishments, I’m self-deprecating; when a laid-back attitude allows me to enjoy gardening without becoming a maniac, I’m glad about that.

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