Gardening at Night
You’d have to live under a rock not to know how important sleep is for human health and well-being. I try to follow best practices for restful sleep, but I still have sleepless nights often. I’ve read that when you cannot get to sleep, or in my case stay asleep, it’s best to get out of bed and read something really boring, like say, the instruction manual to your microwave. The idea is to avoid doing something you enjoy and thus rewarding yourself for not sleeping.
I do not follow this advice even though I know I should. Often what keeps me up is my thoughts. I do not worry or obsess at night. I plan. It’s mostly just that I don’t love to sleep. My brain turns on and begins to think of ideas. Places to go. Photography ideas and projects. What to make for lunch the next day. How to repair the mirror that hangs crooked. What type of quilt would look good on the bed. How long before I can eat breakfast. Which plants need to be re-potted. I’ve tried keeping a notebook by the bed to jot down these ideas so I can remember them in the morning and proceed to take care of them in the daylight hours.
But it just seems like so much more fun to get up and do something. In the quiet of the night, I water all of the houseplants. I sit on the screened in deck with candles burning and listen to the sounds of the night. I write postcards to friends. I make a big pitcher of sweet tea. I know I will pay a price for this lack of sleep and I know this is not healthy. There is some part of me that is like a little child who simply will not give in and go to sleep.
I’ve taken to gardening at night. Barefooted and in my pajamas. Last night, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the garden, glowing and serene. I wanted to wake my husband up and say, “Hey, you’ve got to see this.” I wanted to share the experience of camping in our yard, like kids once again. But he needs his sleep and it isn’t fair to wake him or expect him to keep up with my busy mind. So, I took pictures. I dragged the tripod around and fiddled with camera settings. All so that I could show him the magic of the garden at night.
And it was worth it.