Gardening - Recreation to mind An employed man has to put in at least eight hours of hard work per day to earn his bread. At the end of the day's job, he is physically tired and mentally bored. To avoid the effects of such a life, man needs some recreation. After a tiring day, a man may go to a club or library or watch TV at home, but none of these may be as satisfying and beneficial as gardening. We are closest to Nature when we are in a garden, with the grass under our feet, the tree overhead and flower-bed in front. The air is so pure and refreshing and the green color so cooling to the eyes. Undoubtedly, there is no activity so rewarding as gardening. A proper gardener's job is education of the 3, H's - the Head, Heart and Hands. Firstly, he has to collect information about plants, what conditions are conductive to their growth and how to preserve them. Secondly, as the plant grows big and healthy, it gives satisfaction to the heart. Thirdly, a gardener's job involves getting down on one's knees and digging or pulling out with the hands. Thus a person who devotes his time in gardening uses his head, heart and hands in a different way and this affords him relaxation-cum-recreation. In this essay we are treating gardening as a recreation and a hobby, not as a profession. After a whole day at a table job, or in a factory or mine or stores, an evening spent in gardening is welcome. One who does gardening for recreation is not paid for his labor in terms of money. He enjoys the activity and derives satisfaction from the results. Most Englishmen are lovers of Nature. After a whole day's hard labor, they either do some gardening, or look after their birds, or play with their pets. This change of activity relieves the boredom of their job and enlivens their minds.

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