Maybe it’s because I love to putter in the garden and I have realized over the past few years that it is quite therapeutic. But it really got me thinking about what gardening has really taught me.
I am relatively new at this and I am always amazed at what comes from persistence and patience and old fashioned hard work. But while I plan and dig and pray, I realized that the most important thing I have learned is that there is always a way.
If something doesn’t grow in a certain spot, maybe it needs more sun (so move it). Or, maybe it doesn’t like the soil (so enhance it). Or maybe the variety is too delicate to withstand our winters (so research it and either find a hardier variety or venture into cold framing). There truly is always a way.
So I thought if I documented everything I tried to grow, it would help me move forward into the next season and become a better gardener.
I bought a farm journal. It’s actually just a notebook with a cute picture on the front of it but, when I opened it, this is what was written:
I suck at knitting but everything else is true…a farmgirl at heart. Like, I wanna be that little girl with the chicks in her lap…
I drew out my garden plot and made notes about what I planted in each section.
Then I kept track of varieties and what grew well and what didn’t. The bad part was that all of my garden tags flew away during a wind storm and I couldn’t tell which tomatoes were successful and which ones sucked…
Then I thought that if I looked like a gardener, I would act like a gardener. I even bought a pair of fancy garden gloves (yes, most women buy shoes…I buy garden gloves). I realized that “looking the part” isn’t going to help me at all (plus they were too pretty to get dirty).
So, what I learned in the end was what I knew in the beginning…if you are persistent, patient and willing to get down and dirty, you will figure it all out eventually. It will take a few seasons to learn the basics and you will find out that talking to an old farmer at the farmers market is worth 100 times more than picking up a book at Chapters…
And like friendship and marriage and business, if you are persistent, patient and willing to work hard, there is always a way…
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.