Before we continue this new series, Nutrients in the Garden, I’d like to take a moment to explain why I am so passionate about gardening. Through this series, I hope to “garden it forward” and share basic how-to knowledge so that you, too, can grow to enjoy gardening as much as I do.
I garden because…
– It brings my family together; talking, pulling, digging, singing, yelling, eating, laughing, working, planning, complaining, problem solving, crying, giggling. When we are in the garden together we are bonding and creating lasting memories. Sure, there are times I am the only one in the garden, but if my girls and husband are home, they want to be there, too. In fact, sometimes I find them out there enjoying the garden without me!
– Growing our own food is part of a healthy active lifestyle. How many overweight gardeners do you know? By instilling a sense of pride for our garden in my girls, I am hoping to also inspire a love of fresh air and healthy eating.
– Connecting with nature fills my soul and rejuvenates my spirit. There is something miraculous about watching a seed germinate and grow.
– The taste of garden fresh vegetables and fruit is mouthwatering delicious! Nothing compares! I never have to repeat, “eat your vegetables,” because they love them.
– It’s my way of farming. Growing up on a farm has never left me. Having my own little patch of cultivated soil brings me back to the rich memories of being a farm kid. I am proud to be the farmer’s daughter and can speak truth to the character of today’s farmers. I want my kids to know how lucky we are to have farmers feeding us when we don’t have the time or space to grow our own food.
– I want to pass this knowledge to another generation. I can’t remember the first time I planted a seed in the soil, but I do know that as a toddler my mom was planting a garden and I am sure I was there to “help.” I pass on her legacy every time I plant a seed with my girls.
– Gardening is historical. I leave you with an excerpt from “Why Do People Garden?” written by Richardson Wright, Editor of House and Garden, May 1918.
A simple question, perhaps, on the face of it, and one to which a dozen answers spring to mind. They garden because they want to make their bit of earth beautiful with flowers, you say; or because they seek an excuse for useful occupation out in the spring sunshine; or because they enjoy the fresh corn and peas and beets which are the fruits of their labors.
Excellent reasons, all, and true so far as they go. But are they sufficient to explain the unbounded enthusiasm and the deep, quiet joy in his work which grow outward from the heart of the true gardener? These emotions are characteristic of tens of thousands the world over— men and women, rich and poor. Their cosmopolitan quality hints at more than merely practical, obvious causes.
Whatever your reason for gardening, I look forward to gardening with you.
great article….Jana would be so very proud! the girls look great….we miss you all so much.