Why do we Garden?

I posted this as a comment over at "As the Garden Grows" but I wanted to preserve it here as well.

Gardening enriches our lives and enriches the world. It is a creative activity. So often we are involved in activities that don't create anything (i.e watching TV). They don't add anything to the richness of life. But when we garden we enrich the world. Creating something gives us a sense of achievement. This is particularly true with gardens. We have a constant reminder of our efforts everytime we walk in the garden or look out of the window. I think it is more rewarding than may other creative activities because it is an ongoing process. A painter works on a painting for a period of time and then he moves onto another painting. It is a record of his perspective at a specific point in time. But gardening is an ongoing process that is evidence of a changing perspective and also of a consistent approach to the world. The longer we garden the more rewarding it is.