This sounds like an obvious contradiction, however, there is a lot of truth in it. I’m going to mention a few things about gardening that brings simplicity to life.
I want to simplify my life. I wish I had a garden.
Gardening tends to slow life down a bit, it gives you the opportunity to have a connection with the food that sustains you, and it has precious yet humbling moments you wouldn’t otherwise experience.
First of all, how do I even have time to begin the process of gardening much less maintain it. Truly it starts with making time. It’s always good to start out with a few plants that have similar needs. You can always grow from there…pun intended. When you start small it only takes ten minutes to get a few things settled in to some planters and two minutes in the morning/and or evening to water them. When you take this time out of your day those are your moments. There is something about those moments that brings a sense of peace and slowness that we have been so accustomed to not having. These moments remind me of the good ol’ days, or atleast what I envision the good ol’ days would have been like. Sitting in my rocking chair on the front porch sipping sweet tea. Its a warm summer day and I just finished tending to the crops. While these crops grow, especially from seed, you get to see how amazing His design is.
Gardening has so many precious moments. His design is so awesome! The way corn twists and before you know it, “BAM!” there is an ear of corn. Cucumbers be creepin’ with their finger like vines crawling up your trellis. Then suddenly what you thought was a cucumber plant has beautiful yellow blossoms, and you’re like “Well at least it’s pretty.”. You check it later to have your mind blown again when you see there are little, tiny, adorable cucumbers appearing! The peacefulness of oats swaying back and forth in the summer breeze plants thoughts of “This is how life is supposed to be!”.
You hit a moment of bliss and accomplishment looking at the fruits of labor your labor and there you see it, the destruction of one of your plants. Gardening is also full of humbling moments that can at first be frustrating. You put so much time and care in your garden, so you feel you are owed a reward. You find out what squash bugs are after your pumpkins and squash are just about ready to harvest. You are entering rage mode on these freeloaders! However, this humbling moment does bring reward and that reward is knowledge.
Having a garden also creates special moments that you will always be able to hold on to. Watering the squash in the morning is always such a treat! I don’t know if y’all know this, but squash blossoms open in the early morning and close throughout the day. Bumble bees would come to collect pollen and often fall asleep in the squash blossoms with their little bumble butts sticking out. This would make me visualize the story of when Pooh got his bottom stuck in Rabbit’s door in Winnie the Pooh. Hehe!
I recently spoke with my friend Courtney Charles, owner of Joyful Farms, about gardening and her experiences with it. She named a few reasons why she wanted to start gardening. When going to the grocery store, Courtney liked to buy organic produce but realized she could save so much money by growing it herself. Growing her produce she also would know for sure that its organic. Gardening gives her exercise, Vitamin D, fresh air, and a moment to feel grounded. It also gives her the opportunity to teach her children science and gives a skill that will serve them for life. Courtney has also experienced humbling moments with her broccoli crops. Her broccoli leaves were being eaten by worms and bugs so she planted marigolds around them. It helped her broccoli crops and she gained that knowledge for future gardens. Her and her husband have been gardening together for nineteen years and are still learning.
Whether big or small, nineteen years of experience or no experience, gardening can help your life blossom!
