Two weeks ago, my life was getting a little boring. I might be taking six classes, am pretty active in a handful of clubs on campus, and juggling two jobs; but I still had hours of downtime with nothing to do. In looking for something to do with my extra time, I decided to start a garden.
This garden begins with a pleasant backyard containing a tree house, a stream, and a doghouse. Next to this is a large fountain, complete with a magnificent swan sculpture at its top. Nearby, there is a plaza where I display artifacts found on my property, including the coat-of-arms of an obscure noble family and a hedge castle. Directly next to the Castle Garden is a hedge maze, with a massive statue of a privateer captain at its center. At the other end of this maze is a stairway that leads to a private lake, complete with a Gazebo, miniature lighthouse, and mermaid statue that gives off mad Statue of Liberty vibes. Also present on the property is a run-down stables, water wheelhouse, and vaguely East Asian garden that I hope to refurbish in future projects.
Now, to accomplish all of this in two weeks sounds impossible, and it’s unbelievable because none of this is an actual garden. This is all in the mobile game Gardenscapes.
Two weeks ago, I decided on impulse to install the app that I vaguely remember from many years ago. Gardenscapes is a swipe-three game (like Candy Crush or Bejeweled) that awards you for completed levels with stars that you use to complete tasks around the Garden. You’re helped by a collection of characters, but are constantly working with the mansion’s new owner, Austin the Butler, to return the mansion to its former glory.
The game, I must warn, is much like others of the same genre in that it encourages you to spend money for an edge. However, I’ve never found the game all that difficult that I would need to spend any money to advance. In the last two weeks I went from a completely new account to completing a little over 1000 levels. I’m very happy with my progress in the game, and I still manage to strike a balance with my other work.
I should also say that I think this game is perfect for the CNU student body. When I’m playing Gardenscapes, I feel as though I’m leading a life of significance. I like to think that the feeling I get as I lay down a new section of my garden is the same feeling the former president Trible felt when he laid down the CNU campus. In the same way that CNU provides for the Hampton Roads area with a distinguished place of higher learning, my Garden provides the in-game community with an epic view of amazing works of art and architecture.
We all have hobbies. This is mine, what’s yours? Submit an article describing your hobby to our Lifestyle Editor.
