The Tired Gardener

Healing Through Growing

Healing Through Growing Blog



  • Blackbird eating ivy berries.
  • Female blackbird, nesting.
  • Sparrow.

Playing With Time

I have been given a time machine for my birthday. It only looks like a camera.

  • Mango
  • Mango stone
  • Avocado

Baby Steps Towards Recovery

Should I be resting or moving?  Learning how to take baby steps and manage frustration is a huge challenge in the early stages of recovery or after a relapse.  Sowing a few seeds is a manageable activity that gives a sense of achievement and anticipation.

  • Herrenhäuser Allee
  • Image courtesy of Wikicommons at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hannover,_Germany_-_Herrenhausen_G%C3%A4rten_-_panoramio_-_MARELBU.jpg

A Healing Garden

My personal experience of the powerful pain-relieving powers of a beautiful space made sense once I understood the mechanics of chronic pain.

  • Image from Rapidweaver Unsplash.
  • Image from Rapidweaver Unsplash.
  • Image from Rapidweaver Unsplash.

On the Other Hand

Addressing pain and loss of function in my hands, while the rest of my body recovers, has given me pause for thought and a new perspective on my approach to recovery

  • Hawthorn berries and ivy flowers.
  • Happy ducks in a down-pour.
  • Escaped ducks in a waterlogged field.

Hope is Something to Work at

Living with fibromyalgia, ME or chronic fatigue can drag you down.  Nature can be a real tonic when finding and sustaining hope feels like an uphill battle.

  • Hardy geraniums and pulmonaria leaves bring light and colour to a shady spot. I didn't plant them, they just like it there and look after themselves.
  • Self-sown feverfew frames a greenhouse-sown cosmos flower. Lots of 'weeds' have beautiful flowers.
  • Cecil the sparrow — I can relax watching his frantic calls for a mate.

Sunshine and Shadows

Gentle, slow gardening gives me time to notice and learn about the world around me as well as giving my body sunshine and stretching.


My illness has meant that I have had to give up my work and so I am now looking to find a new career through my writing. If you have enjoyed this page and would like to encourage me to produce more, click the coffee cup below to make a small donation; no strings, no fuss, just a little, 'Thanks, keep it up.'


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I have categorised my blogs by the 8 segments of the wheel of life, as identified by The Chrysalis Effect. These need to be addressed and balanced for effective healing and sustained good health. Click on the Categories tab to search through these, or the Tags tab for more detailed searches.
All of the photos that accompany my blogs are my own. I find that taking a camera out with me helps me to notice so much more of the beauty and detail of the world around me. When I've taken a photo I try to stop and watch whatever I've been snapping, so I appreciate it in real life and not just through the lens.

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