Gardening

As a kid, the garden to me was a big awesome place where we got potatoes and corn, and where in the early summer mornings I could see my mother weeding, weeding, weeding.  When I grew up and got married, I figured we would have a garden, I just didn't know I'd have to be involved.  When we lived in our little house in Smithfield, there was a large area for a garden.  However, I was in my first year of teaching and John was in his senior year of a demanding degree at Utah State.  Our neighbors took care of us and we had plenty of fresh vegies.  

Next came our move to California and, when we bought our home, we had a little patch of soil for a garden.  I had NO IDEA what to do with it, and once I heard there was a rat (EWWW!) I wouldn't go anywhere near that place.  

So we moved to Ridgecrest after that.  We didn't really have anywhere to put a garden, and most of all, we figured nothing would grow there.  We were right about part of that...nothing would grow at our house.  Thankfully, people we knew were able to grow stuff, so we ate their fresh delicious tomatoes.

And now we're here.  When we planned the yard we discussed where to put the garden.  I was certain we needed and wanted one, but could we possibly get anything to grow?  How were we supposed to know how to do it and when to plant it and how to water it and on and on.  Well, this year we got it going.  I was certain, though I didn't voice it, that every seed I planted was a waste of money.  That we wouldn't be able to get anything to grow.  That we'd be the laughing stock of a garden oriented neighborhood.  Well, take a look at this:

I think we did just all right!  I am so addicted to going out there.  We have eaten a ton of lettuce, and I feel like Weeza (minus the hat...)

Especially will feel like her when the zucchini gets going.  We might have planted just a few too many plants and will soon have a gazillion zucchinis coming out of our ears.  Picked on already, one is on deck to pick tomorrow, and there are more growing on each of the 24 plants.  Most people do 2 plants, at the most.  Oh well, live and learn.  

I have not been blind to the analogies surrounding gardening and life.  I am aware that weeds are abundant and some make it their life ambition to strangle out the good and nourishing plants.  I can see that when weeds are not controlled and taken care of for say, the length of a vacation, that there will be so many it might seem absolutely overwhelming to pull them all.  But, one at a time, and soon it is done, and everything looks so much better.  We also had to untangle all of the beans and train them up the newly added strings so that they might grow properly.  Hours later all I could think was, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6).  The beans, interestingly enough, always go in a counter clockwise direction.  If you try to wind it another way, it will unwind itself!  You can train the bean, but you must do it in it's own way or you will do more damage than good.  Yes, I am learning a lot about gardening, but more about myself and my current responsibilities.  

The funnest part of the garden is how excited WE ALL are to grow and harvest our own food.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not going all naturale, but this is good, clean (sorta) fun!  Here's Jeffrey before and after our trip...a time span of just 2 weeks...