Why you should have at least one seat in your garden.

My mother had a fridge magnet that said:
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Come into my garden. The roses want to meet you.
Every time that magnet caught my eye it was a reminder that gardens aren’t places to hurry through. Gardens are places to spend time in, to linger.
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The word linger is seldom in people’s vocabulary these days. It’s been replaced by disquieting words like hurry, don’t stop, hustle, rush, get a move on – words that are usually followed by an exclamation mark, as if we’re being chased by a pack of slavering wolves.
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Hurry!
Don’t stop!
·Hustle!
Rush!
Get a move on!
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We do too much of these things. We need to rediscover the art of lingering.
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To linger means to prolong your stay, to dwell or abide in a place rather than quickly passing through it without a backward glance.
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To linger in a garden, you need to walk slowly through it and sit on any seat that you find.Â
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That’s why it’s important to have at least one seat in your garden.
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A seat is an invitation to linger.

What Happens When You Sit in a GardenÂ
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When I sit on a garden seat at Evergreen, several things happen.
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I relax. I hear birds and bees, a distant chainsaw, and ocean waves crashing on the southern shore. I feel the wind and the sun’s rays on my arms. My face softens and I stop frowning. My breathing slows and deepens, and my ceaselessly streaming thoughts take a holiday. I note colours and smells. I put out a hand to pluck a ripe cherry tomato and taste its sweet warmth in my mouth. I notice a rose leaf with black spot. A daisy bush that needs deadheading. A self-sown cosmos seedling emerging through a crack in the paving. Butterflies kissing.
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Lingering is good for our physical and mental health.
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Make sure there’s a place that encourages you to linger in your garden.
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No matter how small it is, find a place for a seat.
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Choose Simple, Cheap Garden Seats

Don’t make the excuse that garden seats are too expensive.
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Be innovative:
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Find an old chair at your local tip shop
Put a short plank between a few bricks.
Locate a decently sized tree stump.
Use a sturdy, upturned bucket with a cushion on it.
Grab an old camping chair.
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A garden without a seat is like an oasis without water.
Every garden must have at least one seat!
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With love, Marlane
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