---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The garden is a living, pulsing, singing…"
description: "\"The garden is a living, pulsing, singing, scratching, warring, erotic, and generally rowdy thing. I may find peace in its midst, but I regard it as a w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/diane-ackerman-1035_find_the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-s_694656.png"
---

#  The garden is a living, pulsing, singing, scratching…

![“The garden is a living, pulsing, singing, scratching, warring, erotic, and generally rowdy thing. I may find peace in its midst, but I regard it as a whole with many parts, a plural organism.” quote by Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/diane-ackerman-1035_find_the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-s_694656.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/diane-ackerman-1035_find_the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-s_694656.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/diane-ackerman-1035_find_the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-s_694656.png)

> “The garden is a living, pulsing, singing, scratching, warring, erotic, and generally rowdy thing. I may find peace in its midst, but I regard it as a whole with many parts, a plural organism.”

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Nature is a complex, vibrant system; embracing its chaos brings peace.

**In simple terms:** Nature is chaotic yet beautiful.

Key Takeaway

Accept nature’s complexity for inner calm.

Themes

nature complexity peace interconnectedness life organism

Mood

reflective contemplative

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

- gardening
- wildlife observation
- environmental activism
- mindfulness practice

Key Concepts

ecology systems thinking holism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you find balance amid nature’s disorder?
- What part of nature feels most alive to you?

A Different Perspective

Over‑emphasis on chaos may cause anxiety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garden/) [Garden Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garden-living-5511739/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Generally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generally/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Living Pulsing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-pulsing-5511741/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Midst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midst/) [Organism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organism/) [Parts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parts/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Plural Organism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plural-organism-5511740/) [Regard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regard/) [Scratching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scratching/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/)

## Related quotes

> [Some people aren't touchy-feely, but I grew up in a family where you'd walk into the family room and there'd be five people on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-donnell/some-people-aren-t-touchy-feely-but-i-grew-up-in-a-family-where-you-d/)

[Chris O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-donnell/)

> [“Eventually, I managed to peel it off, bit by bit, scratching at each piece until it was finally gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-mart-nez/eventually-i-managed-to-peel-it-off-bit-by-bit-scratching-at-each/)

[Francesca Martínez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-mart-nez/)

> [When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-lover/when-once-the-itch-of-literature-comes-over-a-man-nothing-can-cure-it/)

[Samuel Lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-lover/)

> [Scratching and itching I'll keep biting my lip, from this pain that I'm feeling, picking wounds of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/scratching-and-itching-i-ll-keep-biting-my-lip-from-this-pain-that-i/)

[Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/)

> [I was never good at scratching, but I was good at collecting old records. Florida was a great place for that, because it's where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diplo/i-was-never-good-at-scratching-but-i-was-good-at-collecting-old/)

[Diplo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diplo/)

> [Scratching is one of nature's sweetest gratifications, and nearest at hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/scratching-is-one-of-nature-s-sweetest-gratifications-and-nearest-at/)

[Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/)

> [Scratching and crawling along the floor to touch you and just when it feels right you say you found someone else to hold you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-etheridge/scratching-and-crawling-along-the-floor-to-touch-you-and-just-when-it/)

[Melissa Etheridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-etheridge/)

> [Cricket often leaves you scratching your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anderson/cricket-often-leaves-you-scratching-your-head/)

[James Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anderson/)

> [“You're not leaving us, are you, cousin?" "If you're going into the city, you may want to have a healer look at that chest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-aiken-2/you-re-not-leaving-us-are-you-cousin-if-you-re-going-into-the-city/)

[G A Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-aiken-2/)

> [It was a real honor to be able to work with someone like that that I've been watching since I was a kid. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/it-was-a-real-honor-to-be-able-to-work-with-someone-like-that-that-i/)

[Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/)

> [I love watching amazing actors and actresses that you can't take your eyes off of because everything they are doing - even if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paxton/i-love-watching-amazing-actors-and-actresses-that-you-can-t-take-your/)

[Sara Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paxton/)

> [“Like everyone, I want my soul to thrum. I run my long nails over the keys like I'm scratching the back of a lover.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-hern-ndez/like-everyone-i-want-my-soul-to-thrum-i-run-my-long-nails-over-the/)

[Carlos Hernández](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-hern-ndez/)

> [The first four months of writing the book, my mental image is scratching with my hands through granite. My other image is pushing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-higgins-clark/the-first-four-months-of-writing-the-book-my-mental-image-is/)

[Mary Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-higgins-clark/)

> [“You wonder if that really constitutes being ‘a coincidence’ but don’t press her on the issue, instead sticking your hand down your pocket to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-kerkhoven/you-wonder-if-that-really-constitutes-being-a-coincidence-but-don-t/)

[Rudolf Kerkhoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-kerkhoven/)

> [My neediness is not a hole to be filled but something beneath the skin scratching to get out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-evison/my-neediness-is-not-a-hole-to-be-filled-but-something-beneath-the/)

[Jonathan Evison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-evison/)

## More by Diane Ackerman

> [A self is a frightening thing to waste, it's the lens through which one's whole life is viewed, and few people are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/a-self-is-a-frightening-thing-to-waste-it-s-the-lens-through-which/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [“Our lives together, our duet, also continues to evolve, and even if we can’t go back to how it was, we’re designing a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/our-lives-together-our-duet-also-continues-to-evolve-and-even-if-we/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/hit-a-tripwire-of-smell-and-memories-explode-all-at-once-a-complex/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Horses have made civilization possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/horses-have-made-civilization-possible/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/look-at-your-feet-you-are-standing-in-the-sky-when-we-think-of-the/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Who would deduce the dragonfly from the larva, the iris from the bud, the lawyer from the infant? ...We are all shape-shifters and magical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/who-would-deduce-the-dragonfly-from-the-larva-the-iris-from-the-bud/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Though we marry as adults, we don't marry adults. We marry children who have grown up and still rejoice in being children, especially if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/though-we-marry-as-adults-we-don-t-marry-adults-we-marry-children-who/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Libraries change lives. They are the soul of a people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/libraries-change-lives-they-are-the-soul-of-a-people/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [“The etymology of the Hebrew word for prophet, navi, combines three processes: navach (to cry out), nava (to gush or flow), and navuv (to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-etymology-of-the-hebrew-word-for-prophet-navi-combines-three/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Knee-deep in the cosmic overwhelm, I’m stricken by the ricochet wonder of it all: the plain everythingness of everything, in cahoots with the everythingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/knee-deep-in-the-cosmic-overwhelm-i-m-stricken-by-the-ricochet-wonder/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [ Symbolic of life, hair bolts from our head\[s\]. Like the earth, it can be harvested, but it will rise again. We can change its… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/symbolic-of-life-hair-bolts-from-our-head-s-like-the-earth-it-can-be/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [“Most people know that 30 to 40 percent of the world's Jews were killed during World War II, but not that 80 to 90…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/most-people-know-that-30-to-40-percent-of-the-world-s-jews-were/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Choice is a signature of our species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/choice-is-a-signature-of-our-species/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [The further we distance ourselves from the spell of the present, explored by our senses, the harder it will be to understand and protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-further-we-distance-ourselves-from-the-spell-of-the-present/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Culture is what people invent when they have lost nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/culture-is-what-people-invent-when-they-have-lost-nature/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

[Explore all 304 Diane Ackerman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

## More Find quotes

> [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/)

[Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/)

> [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/)

[Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/)

> [You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-joseph-schwartz/you-will-find-that-the-more-successful-the-individual-the-less/)

[David Joseph Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-joseph-schwartz/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [They will find somebody younger, somebody funnier, somebody more engaged. As long as the court genre is viable, people are going to be looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/they-will-find-somebody-younger-somebody-funnier-somebody-more/)

[Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/)

> [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/)

[Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/)

> [I'm very fond of classical music, especially Mozart. I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/)

[Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/)

> [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/)

[Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/)

> [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/)

[Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/)

> [George Roy Hill, Redford, and I have been looking for a script to do together for 13 years. We haven't been able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/george-roy-hill-redford-and-i-have-been-looking-for-a-script-to-do/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [People from all walks of life that you might find as a King Diamond fan - you don't look a certain way; you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-diamond/people-from-all-walks-of-life-that-you-might-find-as-a-king-diamond/)

[King Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-diamond/)

> [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/)

[Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/)

> [For me, I like to be different. I didn't want to imitate another wrestler. I always try to find something from other genres, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinsuke-nakamura/for-me-i-like-to-be-different-i-didn-t-want-to-imitate-another/)

[Shinsuke Nakamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinsuke-nakamura/)

> [For young people in the U.K. who find themselves without anywhere to live - perhaps they have left the family home after a relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/for-young-people-in-the-u-k-who-find-themselves-without-anywhere-to/)

[Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/)

[Browse all 11,342 Find quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The garden is a living, pulsing, singing, scratching, warring, erotic, and generally rowdy thing. I may find peace in its midst, but I regard it as a whole with many parts, a plural organism.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Diane Ackerman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-scratching-warring-erotic-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Find"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-scratching-warring-erotic-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/diane-ackerman-1035_find_the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-s_694656.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/diane-ackerman-1035_find_the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-s_694656.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/diane-ackerman-1035_find_the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-s_694656.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The garden is a living, pulsing, singing, scratching, warring, erotic, and generally rowdy thing. I may find…” — Diane Ackerman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Diane Ackerman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The garden is a living, pulsing,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-scratching-warring-erotic-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-garden-is-a-living-pulsing-singing-scratching-warring-erotic-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
