My favorite lesson from gardening was about the unexpected beauties it can offer. The yard had never had any attempted garden--at least any living remnants of such. So, the wheels started turning as to how, exactly, I would pull off tearing up the grass, its plentiful roots and enough dirt to actually plant anything with a chance at a root system. My dad, who is Johnny on the Spot for all handyman jobs that pop up at my house, was rightfully enjoying retirement at the shore. Those crazy kids (aka my parents) never make it home by any definitive date these days, so the growing season was liable to come and go before they rambled their way home. In a random act of kindness, an old friend from school and his beautiful little family came to the rescue and prepared the ground with a tiller.
Gardening also taught me how to appreciate the earth and what it will provide--given a commitment to assisting it. And what fantastic gifts it will give if just a consistent and solid amount of work is done! It really takes the weekly trip to the produce section at the grocery store and tosses it on its head. The flavor, alone, makes growing as much food as possible at home well worth it; but, add to that, the sense of accomplishment and amazing feeling attached to growing, nurturing, harvesting and then eating your own food. It's such a simple concept and yet so lost in the buzz of today's world. As I stood at my kitchen sink tonight, blanching and skinning a load of heirloom tomatoes, I was pleased to think that the cold months will be a little bit warmer and tasty this year as a result of what has turned out to be one of my favorite experiences in life. Thank you, Earth and Mother Nature, for one heck of a run in 2013. Looking forward to next year's growing season!
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