Gardening

Growing up, I was constantly around gardening. My grandfather taught me to appreciate the delicious vegetables grown from his two hands. Year after year, I grew up eating the best vegetables anyone could ever find and they were right from my grandfather's garden. I became spoiled, not realizing how incredible the fruits of his labor were until I no longer had them. I remember growing up, spending summer after summer helping Pop-pop dig up potatoes from the ground, picking the largest and most beautiful tomatoes anyone could ever find, snapping the ends of beans, and shucking corn. Oh how I loved sitting on the screen porch with my hands deep in a bowl of freshly picked green beans or running my hands up and down fresh stalks of corn. Those days with my grandfather will always be kept close to my heart.

Now that I am grown and have my own house and yard, I have started to plant my own garden. Oh how I wish I had the wisdom and advice from Pop-pop to help me plant and sow the seeds. Every spring when Shawn and I begin to plan and plant our garden, thoughts of Pop-pop come running through my head. I always stop and think, how would Pop-pop have done this? Where would he have put the tomato plants, how did he keeps the bugs from eating the leaves, how did he get the soil so rich and pure, which plants are the easiest to grow, what are the tricks to gardening, etc. I wish that I could have known Pop-pop as an adult. I wish I had time with him again, to soak up all of his knowledge about life and especially gardening. Or how much would I give to have his hands run alongside of mine as we plant the seeds in the earth. Unfortunately, I only have memories to keep alive and hopefully the blood line of Halfacre gardeners.

I am fortunate though that Pop-pop gave me hours upon hours of memories digging around in his garden that I continue to keep in my mind today. I am always asking myself, how would Pop-pop do this? I am also blessed to still have my dad who also has taught me to love gardening. Every year, my dad continues to grow an unbelievable garden and I am so blessed that I too have a love and passion for fresh veggies. I am thankful that I am able to call my dad when I have questions or want to know more about something I am planting. He has so much wisdom that Pop-pop passed down to him and I am eager to learn everything I can.

Shawn and I planted our garden this weekend. We were off to a great start a few weeks ago but our cat got a hold of some of our plants so we are having to start seeds from scratch again. We were able to get a few things in the ground before the rain came. So far we have peppers, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, onions, broccoli, and blackberries. I can't wait to plant the others in a few weeks when they are ready. I just love the smell of freshly tilled dirt, dark soil on my hands, and the memories of gardening that always come back to me when I am working outside. I do hope that our garden will produce wonderful, fresh veggies and fruit this summer and I look forward to the many recipes I will make with them.



Go out and buy a few veggies to start a garden this week. It doesn't take much to start at all! If you don't have a back yard or don't have a lot of room, try planting in pots around a patio or on a porch. There is nothing better than eating the fruits of your labor. :)

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~Hanna Rion

Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. ~Lindley Karstens

As a gardener, I'm among those who believe that much of the evidence of God's existence has been planted. ~Robert Brault