A Country Rag Whole Woman

This is the season for gardening, and statistics tell us more people are making plans to plant vegetables in 2011 than ever before. The reason is twofold, the cost of food consumes a huge part of the family budget and we have discovered the fun and simplicity of growing and preserving our food. We are pleased with the beauty created using personal preferences expressed in gardening. Gardening is a freedom we can all choose to enjoy.

Into this atmosphere comes the question of “how do I grow a few vegetables for the table?” Many plants and seeds are shown in catalogs, and this is the time to plan the garden. In order to grow a few vegetables it is important to decide where and what to grow, how many of each will be grown, and how much time and energy are available for the effort. Then, after involving the entire family, prepare the ground, to mellow until spring planting.

Why do some folks garden? Possibly many, like me, grew up with a Mother who loved her garden. From watching her and helping, I learned the joy of a flower blooming in the garden and the fun of planting seeds to see what comes up. We learn many valuable lessons gardening with our Father and Mother. One of the most important was to identify the first true leaves of the little seedlings; this avoids the sad mistake of pulling the seedlings, thinking they are weeds! This was a horrid lesson that took but one packet of seeds to learn. My Mother taught me that when a plant looks dead, leave it alone for a while, it may come out again, and this is true for many trees and shrubs. The hardest thing to do is nothing. This is called patience.

As a lifelong gardener and student of many things about growing plants, Entomology, (insects), Biology, Botany and Geology, I learned the satisfaction that comes from being curious and finding answers. I discovered the fun of becoming a Master Gardener and the joy of assisting others with their gardens. One special learning experience that comes with Master Gardener Classes is how little one knows about a given aspect of growing. So with the Master Gardener Classes, there is a huge class, unspoken, which keeps gardeners humble. This is called humility.

Gardening is a symbiotic relationship with the earth and all who live on it. Gardeners share information, plants, seeds and ideas as a routine way of life. There is something sacred about a garden. It gives back to us in direct relationship to the energy and talent we put into it. Gardening is the story of living life to the fullest. We get back much more than we give. This is called enlightenment.

Hardly a day goes by without a phone call or E-mail with happy information coming to me, a plant to share or find, a leaf looking peculiar or an invitation to speak to a group about their topic of interest. A Pastor once said, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” Therefore, if we are to have a family that gardens together, then there must be a designated leader. Are you the Leader? Happy Holidays Everyone.