transitoriness

The Banksia roses bloomed and faded in what seemed like 5 minutes. For that brief time they were achingly perfect, now they are dried and shrivelled. In this respect gardening reminds me of the sand mandalas created by Buddhist monks.

The monks spend a week or longer painstakingly construct beautiful pictures from coloured sand, then ceremonially destroy them. This symbolizes life and death, and the transitory nature of existence. Gardening for me is like a sand mandala. I work away intently, something beautiful is created, but it doesn't last and never remains the same.