Tending the Garden

Religions would have us believe humans started their existence in a garden and a garden awaits them at the end of their life. Earth itself is cherished amongst all the planets of our solar system for its lush plant life, which is home to an estimated 8.7 million plant and animal species. The degradation of the earth’s environment is also gauged by its shrinking or damaged forests.

For urban dwellers, liveability is determined to a large extent by public parks, trees and domestic gardens, as nature is pushed out by tarmac and concrete. As Singapore has shown, well maintained green spaces are a factor in attracting increased financial investment and the promise of prosperity.

The garden is also a metaphor, a philosophical concept, and a spiritual, poetic and artistic symbol. Landscape painting and references to gardens in poetry are time-honoured traditions. The British philosopher John Wisdom called God the “Invisible Gardener”, who maintains all things, unseen by humans. “He must have worked while people slept,”says Wisdom.

Many business magazines, such as Forbes and Inc.com, equate good leadership with gardening skills. The writer John Brandon notes, “Get out your watering can and start praising people. Then, watch them grow.” A leader, like a master gardener, fosters growth rather than dominates his colleagues. He plants ideas like seeds, ensures a nurturing environment for their growth, controls the weeds, and protects his organisation during difficult conditions. As the author Jurgen Appelo says, "Manage the system, not the people." 

Some countries feel like neglected gardens, others may complain of being overly controlled. Leadership coach Ger Driesen identifies three types of gardens as metaphors for leadership. The first is the ‘let nature take its course’ strategy. This can have unpredictable results and encourage a ‘survival of the fittest’ culture.

The second is the orchard perspective. Goal-oriented, it is planned and organised to be rational and predictable, yield expected results, and financial gain. However, it loses out if the market changes its needs, or if there is any unforeseen disaster, requiring starting from scratch with huge new investments.

The third is an ecosystem strategy. It offers a wide range of possibilities, driven by interdependence, a community approach, shared experiences and idea generation, collective problem-solving, and an environment that allows multiple leaders to emerge. While this system does not yield immediate results and requires constant care, it easily adapts to changing environments. Lao Tzu said, “Nature doesn't hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

Whichever system is adopted, the basic steps to planning a garden are the same: understanding the land, its adjacent environment and the climate; whether the soil is fertile or needs improving; which existing plants are worth keeping, and which need to be removed or pruned back. Most importantly, for whom it is designed, how it will be used, what budget is available, and if skills are available to maintain it. The metaphor can be extended to an individual, an organisation or even a state.

As you sow so shall you reap, is a common adage. If you do not like what is growing, perhaps the wrong seeds were planted. The metaphor of gardening is used extensively in Shakespeare’s play Richard II. His failure as a king is the result of a ‘disordered spring’, where the state, like an untended garden, produced choking weeds that made the land barren, and where wayward branches were not pruned. Flatterers are likened to weeds that need to be removed ‘root and all’ — “All must be even in our government.”

Tolstoy, in his novel War and Peace, describes Napoleon’s armies retreating from Russia like a stampeding herd of cattle trampling the planted fields. A wise gardener would have known to close the gate, thus preventing the invasion and protecting the land.  Writer Stewart Justman suggests the theory of statecraft as gardening applies more to a king than a warrior.  The warrior protects the fences so the king can plan and manage a productive garden. 

Whether one views one’s own personal life or a business through the metaphor of gardening, the most significant lesson is that growth cannot be forced or sped up, but must be patiently awaited after creating the best possible conditions.

Durriya Kazi

June 16, 2023

Karachi

durriyakazi1918@gmail.com