Cultivating the Land and Heart

The Simply Happy garden, in its first year of life, spans about 200 square metres that are already beginning to yield their first fruits. Thanks to the help of friends and collaborators, the first vigorous lettuces are already sprouting, ready to be harvested, along with onions, beets, tomatoes, green beans, cabbages, pumpkins, cucumbers, aromatic plants, flowers, and much more.

This diversity not only fills the eye with colour and life but will also generously supply the space with fresh, organic food, full of flavour and vitality. Consuming these products brings us health and well-being, and reminds us of the value and abundance that the earth offers when we care for it with love and gratitude, while also giving us the joy and satisfaction of nourishing ourselves with what we have nurtured and cultivated.

This garden has been carefully designed by Óscar, a multifaceted friend and member of Simply Happy, to integrate seamlessly with the natural environment and enhance biodiversity. Each garden bed and each furrow is arranged to make the most of the available resources, fostering soil regeneration and the balance of ecosystems. As an example of this resourceful approach, a drip irrigation system has been installed, allowing water to be delivered directly to the roots of the plants. This optimises water use, ensuring each plant receives just the right amount of hydration, thus avoiding waste and unnecessary water consumption.

The garden follows the principles of organic farming and applies the wisdom of permaculture, based on observation and continuous learning. This brings with it new challenges and constant discoveries. It offers us practical lessons, such as water management, adaptation to climatic conditions, and observing nature's rhythms.

At the same time, it reminds us that nothing is forced; everything is accompanied. Plants grow at their own pace, and we learn to read the signs the earth gives us. This encounter with nature turns the garden into a teacher, inviting us to let go of control and allow life to express itself in its own dance. It teaches us what can emerge when we trust the process, without forcing anything, allowing life to blossom in its own way.

Working in the garden also reminds us of the value of effort. Intention and words alone are not enough: we must put our hands in the soil and be attentive day by day to the care and growth of the plants. Thus, we learn that effort and "not forcing" are not contradictory but complementary.

Effort means dedication, will, and perseverance to prepare the ground and support its growth. But "not forcing" means respecting natural rhythms, not trying to impose our will or accelerate processes that need their own time. So, the task is to put in energy and attention, while we trust and let life take its course. This teaching that the garden offers is invaluable not only for cultivating the land but also for our own personal growth.

At Simply Happy, every corner reflects the intention to live in presence and harmony with nature. The garden is no exception: it is a place where the earth and our labour come together to remind us that every activity can be an opportunity to connect and be present.

This presence can be deepened through the intimate contact with the soil. The plant kingdom, with its stillness and sattvic energy, offers us a space to surround ourselves with the serene presence of the plants, allowing us to attune to the calm and stability that radiate from the plant world.

Putting our feet in the garden and sinking our hands into the soil helps balance our energy and fosters natural grounding, essential not only for physical and emotional health but also for our inner development. We know this is of particular value and support, especially when we are experiencing periods of constant or temporary mental overload. Moreover, through this close connection with nature, we can strengthen our deep bond with it, helping us remember the unity that we are.

The small garden is a mirror of what is happening at Simply Happy: a place under construction, in constant evolution, where not only the final result matters but also the honouring of the process itself. This is just the beginning.

Step by step, furrow by furrow, the Simply Happy garden will continue to grow and flourish—not only to provide the space with the highest quality vegetables and produce but also to bring us countless lessons and insights, such as the reminder that life should not be rushed. Every step and every cycle have their moment, and ideally, we should accompany that natural rhythm of Mother Earth, simply happy.