Donald Land – Master Gardener

Feeling yourself slipping away, dropping tools, and slowly disconnecting from the life and the love you had for gardening is the most traumatic part of this horrible disease. I’ve helped a lot of people find strength, face calamity, and forge their way forward by gardening. Guiding others on how to garden by verbally advising instead of physically demonstrating has been my way of passing on my legacy.

I gave classes at the Cornell Cooperative seminars, and I couldn’t continue because the disease had me in its grips. Focal Points, one of my curriculums, had been published and I was still able to get my thoughts across on design and execution. The root of gardening is following your thoughts in a manner that your skills are built around intention and vision. Especially in the time of Covid or any other human strife, gardening takes you away from the current circumstance, envelopes you, and transports you home to a better place in time. It has its way of drawing out stress, anxiety, and sadness. Gardening is part of your heart and soul. It eases you out of the mental state that causes distress and brings you closer to the Almighty who has control over all of this no matter what it is.

I have to help others today as long as my earthly journey is still with me, and then it will continue through my legacy of gardening.

*Donald spoke this piece to his daughter as she transcribed his words, two days prior to his divine and beautiful passing to heaven where it is certain he is gardening.