My first new found hobby, gardening, has gone really well. Since sowing our first seeds of carrots, green beans and lettuce, its been a great time of learning about seasons and how to prepare the soil, plant nursery and transplanting. Great!
At the end of September we had our second harvest, a lot bigger than the first one. This time, the carrots came through, and more lettuce. For someone who had never grown a bean stalk for more than 4 days in the past, I think I’ve done very well. Of course, I mustn’t forget all my helpers, the kids for telling me when there was a slug feeding on our green leaves, Cristina for all the lessons on gardening, learned from precious grandma, for watering the plants and all the lovely pictures.
A few weeks ago, I harvested the bean seeds from their dry pods which had been saved for sowing next season…..and yesterday, my first lettuce seeds were picked, ready for planting next March. It’s been an amazing vegetable planting journey. A journey whose reward has not been measured by how much food was produced, I got just a bowl full of carrots and beans and a handful of lettuce, but by how much fulfilment gained from growing food.
I recommend gardening for relaxation after a stressful day, for winding down from work, for bonding with family, for learning something new, for getting a bit of fulfilment and getting to say to oneself, ‘hey, I done real good’.
