"There are certain things we feel to be beautiful & good..."

"It seems to me
    we can never give up
  longing & wishing
    while we are alive.
  There are certain things
    we feel to be beautiful
       and good,
          and we must
        hunger for them.

           ~ George Eliot

After work yesterday I was hungry for beauty and goodness -- well, more like starving for them. So I went out to my balcony to experience colour, sweetness & life. Primroses, a little bird, soft light, and contemplation through a camera lens; February's versions of sunshine, freedom & a little flower.

Today the answer was fluttering in a gentle breeze

Even before I read this blog post today, again and again I had been asking myself Why do I garden?  Actually, the specific questions were:

1) Why, from 9 to 10 pm, do I many times climb up and down and reposition a ladder so I can tidy and water my hanging baskets?
2) Why do I move each pot at least four times (left side of deck, right side of deck, back of deck, original position) to make space for the ladder?
3) Why would I undo all the good of a Pilates session the night before by lifting heavy pots the next morning?
4) Why wouldn't I add extra dirt to the dining room's hardwood floor -- it's already crisscrossed with muddy paw and foot prints?
5) Why do I keep more seed packages (35) than food items (22) in my fridge?

Today, feeling a little more discouraged than usual, I really need to answer why I should continue making the time, effort and BIG MESSES  in a such a small space for a few, precious blooms. And it came to me:

What  are your biggest gardening challenges and what do you tell yourself so keep on growing?