Working the Soil

I have always planted a vegetable garden.  In my teenage California "hippy" days, I would put on my overalls and work a plot of land in my parents backyard.  I made manure tea to fertilize my garden and I put out tins of beer to attract the snails.  I read my grandmothers book on Victory Gardening. I grew enormous sunflowers to attract the birds and lovingly tended my little patch of earth. 

I think this connection to the earth was somehow passed down to me through my parents who in their 80's, still love to garden.  My grandfather also loved to garden and he grew onions and lettuce beneath his rose bushes.  From him I learned how to propagate new roses and how to intertwine veggies and flowers. 




Whenever I am struggling with big life issues, my first instinct is to put on my gardening gloves and work in the warm soil.  There is something that renews my spirit in seeing plants grow. It also gives me some quite time to "chew" on these problems and to settle them within my body.

 

Today I started my 2011 veggie garden with tomatoes, zucchini, beans, herbs, sunflowers and zinnias. The veggies are going in a little late due to my recent travels and some cold weather.  But last weekend Mr. B. tilled the soil and added some compost to wake it up a little!  Tomorrow I will have to add a little fence around the plot as my two doggies have decided they love my carrots, beans, tomatoes and especially the strawberries! 


All photos are from last years crop!  Mmmm.....



 

"When the deepest part of you becomes engaged in what you are doing, when your activities and actions become gratifying and purposeful, when what you do serves both yourself and others, when you do not tire within but seek the sweet satisfaction of your life and your work, you are doing what you were meant to be doing." — Gary Zukav