I grew up at my grandmother's house, and she had a beautiful

In the quiet refuge of the garden, there is both beauty and labor. The garden stands as a metaphor for life itself—a place where growth, both of plants and of the soul, requires both care and effort. Elton John’s reflection on his youth and his relationship with the garden reveals a profound tension between the love for the beauty of nature and the work that must go into it. He says, “I grew up at my grandmother's house, and she had a beautiful garden. I used to hate mowing the lawn and weeding, which is what you do when you're a kid. I loathe gardening, but I love gardens, and I have two beautiful gardens.” These words speak to the dual nature of human experience: the desire to enjoy the fruits of labor while resisting the work required to attain them.

In the ancient world, this tension was well understood. The great Greek philosophers often discussed the balance between effort and reward. Aristotle, in particular, spoke of the pursuit of happiness and virtue as a balance between action and contemplation. Just as the gardener must toil in the soil, pulling weeds and tending plants, so too must we labor in our lives, sometimes doing work we do not enjoy to achieve something greater. The garden, with its beauty and its labor, serves as a metaphor for the way the soul must wrestle with the mundane in order to experience moments of divine tranquility. Elton John, in his acknowledgment of both his dislike for gardening and his love for the garden, echoes this ancient wisdom: there is beauty to be found, but it often requires effort and sacrifice.

In ancient Egypt, the garden was not just a space for food, but a symbol of eternal life. The gardens of the pharaohs were not merely decorative; they were designed to reflect the divine order of the universe, offering a space for both spiritual reflection and earthly enjoyment. The act of tending to the garden was not just labor but an act of honoring the gods. And yet, just as Elton John reflects, even the most beautiful of gardens comes with its own tensions—the weeds that must be removed, the labor of tending that cannot be avoided. The Egyptians understood that the beauty of their gardens, like the beauty of life itself, was achieved not through neglect, but through constant care and attention.

Monty Don, the celebrated gardener, often speaks of the therapeutic qualities of gardening, acknowledging that it can be both a source of joy and a place of personal reflection. In this way, gardening becomes a process of discovery—a reminder that we must confront the work in order to appreciate the reward. Elton John’s admission of loathing the work of gardening, yet loving the beauty of the garden, reflects this universal truth: we often resist the effort required to achieve our desires, but it is only through discipline and commitment that we come to appreciate the fruits of our labor.

Yet, the act of gardening, like many things in life, is not solely about the end product. In ancient Rome, gardens were seen as spaces for both contemplation and rejuvenation. The Roman philosopher Cicero spoke of gardens as places of mental respite, where one could withdraw from the chaos of the world and find peace. The work involved in tending to a garden, though sometimes burdensome, was seen as a path to clarity and renewal. Elton John, in his own way, recognizes this—though he may loathe the work of gardening, he understands the deep gratification and tranquility that gardens can provide. The act of labor, though difficult, ultimately leads to something greater: a space where the spirit can rest, reflect, and grow.

There is also a lesson in Elton John’s words about the nature of family and home. Growing up in his grandmother's garden, the work he resisted was entwined with memories of home and the roots that shaped him. The garden, like the family, provides the space in which we grow, both physically and emotionally. The work may be unpleasant at times, but it is often within the labor that we form the deepest connections. The love for the garden is not just about the beauty of flowers and trees, but about the legacy and connection they represent. As Elton John reflects on his grandmother’s garden, he acknowledges that it is not simply the flowers he loves, but the life and memories that have grown there.

In this way, the garden is a reflection of life itself. We must tend to the soil, pulling the weeds of doubt and discomfort, even when we do not want to, in order to create the space for beauty and peace to flourish. The lesson, as Elton John reminds us, is one of balance—between the work we must do and the beauty we seek. The garden teaches us that even the most beautiful creations require effort, and that in the labor, we find not only the reward of the garden but also a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Let us then take Elton John’s words to heart. In all areas of our lives, we must recognize the balance between work and reward, between the struggle and the joy. The garden, in its beauty and its burden, teaches us that life is not simply about enjoying the fruits, but about engaging fully with the process of growth—both in nature and in ourselves. Let us embrace the labor, knowing that it is through the work that we are ultimately shaped, and in the beauty that emerges, we find the reward. Just as the gardener must toil to create a flourishing garden, so too must we labor to create a flourishing life.