Home a holy place: The Annual Review: Why I Garden

I walked outside early this morning to gather the last of the tomatoes. Even though there was a light frost a few weeks ago, the previously green ones, were now a ripe red and peeked out between the brownish vines. They looked plump and juicy. What a treat for a late October day! The smell of tomatoes filled my nose as I clipped the vines and removed the tomato cages. The almost warm wind sent a reminder of the change in the seasons and the dappled sunlight through the leaves of trees had a shimmering effect on the soil. The spaghetti and butternut squash openly rested on the brown dirt sending comforting thoughts of satisfying and nurturing future soups and breads. A peace comes as one prepares for the coming rest of wintertime, knowing there will be healthy food on the table. The ground is a testament to the results of taking care of the earth. I see the terrestrial completion of seeds planted in faith, worked with care, and the resultant harvest. Both thoughts of the work ahead to ready the soil for another year and gratitude for the abundant harvest fill my heart and mind.

As I'm pondering these thoughts, enter recalcitrant unwilling help and/or not help from children who had other designs for their day. The tomato cages need to come in, the potatoes dug, the spaghetti squash cut and cured. Then I ask my annual questions: Is this what I want to do with my time? Why do I garden? Mentally, I list my con arguments:

so much time required (planning, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, preserving.)
the constant challenge to persuade and follow up on the family assignments. This involves encouraging recalcitrant, unwilling people who remind me they have other things to do.

Then I mentally list my pro arguments:

Connection: I am connected to heaven as we co-create this plot of planet earth. Heaven teaches me of gratitude, patience, work, nurture and joy in the garden creation.
Conversation: Working side by side with family creates space and time for sharing thoughts, humor, and challenges. I particularly enjoyed a recent garden conversation with a child about the joy of real things versus the artificial.
Independence and initiative: We can produce, try new things and enjoy the self sufficiency of growing our own food. This builds confidence and capability.
Health: Organic. Fresh. Green. Not to mention the exercise in fresh air and the mental health benefit of garden creation.
Experience the law of the harvest: Work and labor with God's help bring abundant results. We see the generosity of heaven, feel to rejoice and share with family, and friends.

These moments of remembering bring me to the annual conclusion: Gardening will continue. I remind myself in this mental ritual that more than vegetable seeds are growing here. We are growing people, hopefully people with connection, understanding, independence, healthy habits, gratitude and generosity.

I almost hear the garden whisper in the morning sunlight, keep placing "faith in the earth." There is a peace, healing, and abundance here. I hope they will find the same in their own family gardens one day. As they capably and willingly now retire the tomato cages, I can just begin to taste the joyful reflection of both harvests, sweeter than I imagined.

A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them. Liberty Hyde Bailey
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/libertyhyd198927.html

Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/libertyhyd198927.html

"If you've never experienced the

joy of accomplishing

more than you can imagine,

plant a garden."

~ Robert Brault