One of our big projects this past weekend is getting started on a garden that we’ll be sharing as an extended family. We broke ground and busted sod on a 7’x20′ space. We all already believe in the benefits of organic foods {if you’re not sure – check out this article on Organic Gardening.com}.
So with costs of everything rising daily, and all of us having a quite a few hungry mouths to feed, we have finally made the move to get a garden going. I’ve wanted to do it for years, but since the space we’re using isn’t on our personal property, it had to be something that we all came together on! Plus, having extra hands to take care of things will be awesome.
I grew up gardening. We had various sized gardens in the homes that we lived in, but we always had a garden. My parents were both children of farmers. They were the first of their families to earn college degrees, but working the land is something that is deeply rooted in them, and now all of myself and my siblings as well! I can honestly say, that at some time in my lifetime, I have helped to raise and preserve just about any vegetable that you can think of: Various varieties of corn, tomatoes, beets, peppers, potatoes, string beans, peas, herbs, squash, cantelope, cucumbers, egg plant, zucchini, and on and on…
I count myself blessed to have been raised that way. It was hard work. But it was good. I’m so glad to be passing that tradition on to our children – one of the things that we’ve been talking about a lot lately, is that anything worth doing, takes hard work. As my husband and I turned the sod up, our sons pulled it aside and piled it up for us. We worked together to accomplish our goal. It was hard, hot work. But already worth it.
I think there’s some type of connection forged when you learn to work the land. Food isn’t just something that comes from the store. We come to better understand our connection to the earth, and out of that connection flows so many other beneficial things! No one has ever needed to teach me that we need to care for the earth. My parent’s have been enthusiastic supporters of recycling, energy efficiency and reducing and reusing as far back as I can remember – and yet, we’ve never been “hippies”. I think this goes back to our understanding of this connection. You understand that if you care for the earth in your garden, you plant and tend the seeds, she will yield you back far and above what will meet your needs as a family. God sends His blessings on your efforts with the sunlight and the rain…
And we also form a bond as a family. Caring for each other, helping each other.
I’m so looking forward to sharing our adventures in gardening! Both the progress that you can watch through the land, and the insights that I can share on our experiences! Happy Monday!
[…] So today, I thought I’d share some simple steps on starting seedlings. I’m no expert in the field, but I did grow up helping my parents with our family garden every year, so I’ve got lots of years of experience tucked under my belt. {You can read a few of my thoughts on that here.} […]