If you have watched SJ Mag’s gardening series on Facebook and Instagram, you may know that I started gardening during Covid. I had been seeing Toni Farmer post about gardening, and I asked her if she would teach me…and could we record it to post on social media.
That began what has now been 7 seasons of “The Goal is to Become a Gardener.” It also began my garden, which is now fairly big and fairly plentiful, but also difficult and sometimes heartbreaking.
While Toni has taught me so much about how to garden (you should see my tomatoes!), the garden has taught me even more – about life:
You need water every day.
Getting your hands dirty can be a good thing. I have a really hard time with this.
Sometimes everything will be going really well, and then from out of nowhere, some outside force – say, a chipmunk – will come along and ruin everything. It will be a setback, but you have to research and figure out a solution.
And sometimes that solution may not work. Neither will the second or third solution you try. So you just adapt. You might decide to give up what you’re doing altogether, like stop trying to grow blueberries. You have to accept that there are other plants to grow.
What’s deep down, what you might not be able to see, that’s what really matters.
Pretty doesn’t always equal good. (And not looking good can be better than you think.)
Disease can destroy everything.
A solid plan is always a good idea.
Every year is different.
Growth makes you feel good.
Just when you think you have it all figured out, you realize you don’t. So you start over.
Pests are pests.
Extreme heat can cause damage. But so can too much rain.
The right tools make any job easier. (When Joe reads this, he is totally going to say to me, “I’ve told you that a million times before.” And that is true, but he usually tells me that when he’s explaining why he’s heading out to buy a new tool.)
Farmers should be respected and admired. And helped. Don’t just go to a Farmers’ Market for the vibe. Buy something.
There’s no better gift than a homemade gift – like raspberry jam.
Gardeners are special people. Gardeners who teach others how to garden, like Toni Farmer, are special, special people.
Worms…just no.
Early mornings and early evenings are the best times of the day. Especially in the summer.
There may be something you never liked – say, bees – and then suddenly you discover it’s super important that those things are part of your life.
Beginners can become what they are trying to be.
You can find a community if you look for people who share your interests. And you might find that your new community is open to sharing and teaching and helping. It can be truly wonderful.
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