Never Too Late To Start Gardening

Those of you who know me well know that I love gardening.  When people ask me why, I usually start with a story. One of my first memories is when I was 4-years old-and visiting my grandparents in France.  We were supposed to visit for two weeks, but when the airline went on strike we ended up staying for two months. There was a language barrier between me and my grandparents. They didn’t speak English; I didn’t speak French. Nonetheless my grandfather, “Papie” Pierre Roger, would take me into the garden every morning right after a breakfast of croissants, jelly, and bowl of lait au chocolat. Papie showed me how to water the plants, check for insects, tie up and stake plants.  He showed me how to tend to the pigeons in the coup adjacent to the garden. 

Papie’s was the typical European garden: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash, and lettuce. Beautiful red geranium flowers adorned the front stairs of his home. I remember the morning air always cool, the sky always blue, and the ground always fresh with dew. One day we were working in the radish patch. Papie showed me how to check if the radishes were ready for harvesting, and more importantly, when they were not quite ready. So, later that day I thought I’d help him out. I snuck into the garden and picked every single radish, ready or not. My garden basket was filled to the brim.  Imagine how proud I was. When Papie saw what I had done, he was angry; I could tell by his loud fast-paced French banter. Lucky for me there was a language barrier. Then he laughed and laughed and gave me a big hug. He put the largest and smallest radish in a water glass on the mantle for everyone to see the rewards of my harvest.

My parents had a small garden when I was growing up, but I don’t recall ever helping them out. No kid wants extra chores. I’d rather ride my bike, play with friends, and chase boys. I had no idea that the “gardening” seed Papie had planted in me many years before was still growing. Then one day it sprouted.

When my husband and I were just married, I wanted a few tomato plants for the deck. The next year I asked him to rototill a small patch in the yard for a few more vegetables. The following year we adopted two dogs, so a fence went around the garden which he also expanded in size for me, again.

We have since moved to a new home and our gardens have grown each year we have been here. Finding and maintaining the right location for the gardens takes planning, lots of it. Consider hours of sunlight, soil preparation and drainage, pest visitation, and access from the house.  Each year brings new challenges, new varieties of vegetables and flowers, as well as some pests I just can’t get rid of.  Squash vine borers seem to follow me, as do the bunnies who love my beets, lettuce, and sunflower seedlings. The tornado that passed through last summer flattened my mini corn field, making it look like an alien crop circle. This spring’s massive rain brought me many fuzzy-blue mold-covered strawberries. You just never know what to expect with Mother Nature.

Our garden this year consists of four small plots. Close to the house we have an herb garden; easy to access when my husband is whipping up some homemade spaghetti sauce. In the backyard we have a strawberry patch, a parcel for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and another parcel for sunflowers and corn. This one also serves as the place I grow early spring veggies like beans, beets, potatoes, and lettuce.  Four large grapevines edge the tomato parcel and we have grapes galore for the first time in 5 years. Maybe I’ll make some wine like Lucy did in the Italy episode of I Love Lucy. 

My friend who says she can kill artificial plants often asks why I do it, why do I garden.  It’s a lot of work, there are bugs and critters. Gardening is therapeutic to me.  It gives me time to think, alone. You have to be present in your task, but you can be away somewhere else in the sunshine, wind, and rain. Butterflies and bees treat me like their sister. The sounds of cicadas and songbirds call to me whenever I’m indoors. 

Tending to a garden is like being a parent. You do with best with what you have. There is no guarantee you will have done the right thing.  You tend to the seedlings, protect them, nurture them, and watch them grow. There will come a time when they are mature and they do what they will. You continue to tend to them but in a different way.  You offer thanks for what they give you, and you share your joys with others. 

I read an interview today on the topic of resilience; what stresses us out and the steps we can take to handle all the challenges life brings us. Dr. Robert Wilks talked about mindfulness and respect for everything we do and all we encounter. He went on to say “I remember once seeing by a garden a little sign that was covered with mud. When I scraped the mud away, I saw that it said, “There is always music in the garden amongst the trees…but your heart must be quiet to hear it.”  My heart is quiet and filled with song while I am tending to my children in the garden.