A Garden Full of Happiness

I met some of the happiest people at Olbrich Botanical Gardens this summer in Madison, Wisconsin, and it naturally piqued my curiosity:  What made them so happy?  Oh, sure, the sun was shining, so it very well could have been the vitamin D after a cold winter and a damp, drizzly spring. Maybe it was the fresh air as the light breeze blew through. And though it may have been the warmth of the wind that was causing their elevated moods, I decided to find out for myself why they were SO content and amenable. They were digging around in the dirt, after all, and sweating under the sun picking weeds and planting seeds as they groomed the beautiful grounds for visitors like me to enjoy. 

   And enjoy we did. All of their hard volunteer work - yes, these happy horticulturalists were doing these tedious tasks without monetary compensation - is paying off in huge dividends. I wish you could see all of the amazing pictures from our stroll through their scenic gardens.  Such a visually stimulating experience, made even better by the friendly farmers and wonderful worker bees. So when I inquired, "why are you so happy?" their answers went something like this: The power of communing with nature, of hanging out with like-minded people, of experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of the great outdoors, the gift of giving was coming back their way.  Thanks, Olbrich Gardeners; keep up the 'heart' work!