Why Does my Garden Grow?

Local park. I love the sun beams!

I've posted a lot about all the work I have done in my tiny little container garden. I've been trying to show regular progress on the garden, and keep adding more and more seed and containers to the fenced in section. I can't remember if I shared what blend of soils I used. I'll double check that and add it here later if I didn't. I'll make a separate post about that later.

What I haven't posted about is why I am doing this. 'Surely, the grocery store has vegetables and fruits, already grown and picked and ready for your table. Why would you do all this work, when you are already so busy?' someone had asked me. I drew a blank at first. I mean, why would they ask me that? Then it dawned on me. In this day and age, gardening and farming is becoming a thing of the past in my culture.

A garden in the yard was something grandma and grandpa had. A rare neighbor might grow something on the side of their yard, and it is more of a novelty, then common sense. We live in an age where anything we need can be shipped across the continent and be brought within 5 minutes of our homes. We don't see the cows that we get our milk from. We don't run through the corn fields, playing hide and seek. We don't know how to make sure the crops get pollinated when the bees don't come this year. We don't know the time to plant and the time to harvest by the feel of the seasons. We live apart from all of that, behind our tiny privacy fences and postage stamp yards. Some of us can barely keep the grass alive, let alone know what to do for the bald patches or the weeds.

In the age of Information, we have the ability to look things up. We can look things up on YouTube and SEE how to do any number of things. For some, just watching others do it, is enough. They "pin" things on their boards, and dream about all the exciting things they could do but there is no push to attempt getting it done. I know, if I spent 10 minutes on any 5 projects I have pinned, my house would have a face lift!

I am gardening for several reasons. This economy is tough. We have had some cuts to our income, and our budget is very tight. By planting and growing veggies, I am hoping to reduce our food costs by 1/3. When this batch is harvested, I will plant for the fall and winter. I am very blessed to live in a year round gardening climate. I want my children to understand where their food comes from, that it doesn't magically arrive in the stores, and that what we do to the land around the plants affects the fruit that they produce. (Yes, science happens outside too - we have separate plants for that project) I want to teach my family some of the benefits of working with plants. Nothing is instantaneous. There is no instant gratification in tending the garden. Everything keeps growing back. Diligence keeps the weed back. Water evaporates, and has to be done more than once a day, routine keeps it watered. Turning the soil, moving the pots for best sun, cutting the grass inside the fence is all hard work that needs done often, and hard work builds strong character. Perseverance at Patience are slowly learned while you keep following the routines with diligence, while you are waiting for those green strawberries to turn the best shade of ruby red or when you think that NOTHING is happening, and that all your seeds are duds (as unlikely as that could be).

Gardening is peaceful to me. I enjoy wandering around and looking at all of the tiny changes that have happened overnight. I love soaking the soil each day, making sure that the morning watering is deep and plenty. I peer down close at each plant, checking for bugs and damage, and looking for new sprouts in the areas that I've squeezed in just a few more seeds. I bring my camera with me, in case there is a great shot I need to share, or to snap progression photos for the blog. Early in the morning, I can watch the birds flit through the yard, chasing each other and gathering various materials for their nests. Sometimes, it seems as if it is my peaceful moment in my day, before the hubbub of the children gets started, before the battles of wills start, before the various ways 6 children can say the same word 25-50 times in the day. It is a place to recharge my weary spirit in the mid day, checking the plants, watering them again, and praying for things that are weighing on my mind.

It doesn't matter WHY I am gardening, I realize. All that matters is that I am enjoying it. That's what I told that someone, too. "I enjoy the work. A few moments here and there will make for a wonderful salad later."

Have a great day!