Sunday, December 5, 2010

lessons in patience, then joy

I made some "row" markers

I'm learning that this whole growing your own food thing takes a lot of patience. And a lot of trust that what you plant in the ground will actually produce something edible! I've been checking on the mini-farm about every other day, and while there is progress it is slow going.


Pea 11/24
Pea 11/ 29
 

Pea 12/5
Pea Signage













I'm sure this impatience is a symptom of living in a fast-paced society where anything I want is fairly easily within reach. If I wanted peas I could just go to the store and buy some. Why plant them myself and wait for them to grow? I mean, really; if I wanted soup I could just go to a restaurant and buy some. Why make it myself?

Turnips 11/24
Turnips 11/29

Turnips 12/5

Why? Because the art of caring for oneself, of knowing how to nourish oneself from the ground up is becoming lost and I want to keep it alive. And I know that in learning to tend to the lives of the plants that will sustain us, I am learning how better to sustain myself.


Broccoli 11/24
Broccoli 11/29

Broccoli 12/5
Broccoli Signage

Besides being a place which will contribute to our physical sustenance, I am finding that the mini-farm is a restorative haven. I love visiting. My favorite part is listening to the ground absorb the water. It sort of snap-crackle-pops its way down to the roots of the little baby veggies.


Radish + Beet 11/24
 
Beet + Radish 11/29









Radish 12/5
Beet 12/5













As a nurse, I work three twelve-hour shifts a week. Sometimes I have to stop by and water on my way to work at about six am. On Friday I did just that, and knowing that I would be taking care of a patient who is dying I took an extra moment to thank the earth for giving life even when life is being lost. That act helped give me the perspective I needed to keep my attitude positive throughout the shift.

Carrot 11/24

Carrot 12/5
Carrots 11/29




Another joy I've discovered is in sharing the garden with others. Today J and I watered the garden after church, and in doing so attracted some of the children. We showed them what plants we were growing, and they giggled with delight when the water "accidentally" squirted them. As we were about to leave, a couple of our friends asked how the garden was growing, and we eagerly led them back to the garden to show off its progress. It is fun to share the joy of new growth, a foretaste of the joy that will come in sharing the harvest.
 

Leek 11/29
Leek 12/5





















Except for the parsnips, everything we have planted has begun to sprout! The chard and kale look a lot like the beets and broccoli, respectively.

Chard 11/24
Chard 11/29


Chard 12/5
Kale 11/24

Kale 12/5













I've saved the best for last; my favorite are the fava beans!


Fava 11/29
Fava 12/5














Waiting for the crops to grow is an exercise in patience, but there is joy to be found within the process.

What are you waiting for? How can you find joy in the space that is created by waiting?

Blessings,

M

5 comments:

Megan said...

Ok, Meghan - your blog is just awesome. This is my first time here, and I LOVED reading your post. I'm hooked! Yay for your garden, for growth, and for life!
-Megan Lundgren

Megan said...

Meghan, I loved reading this blog post. Thank you for sharing.

Megan Lundgren

Meg said...

Thanks for your lovely comments, Megan :) And thanks for helping to get the community garden up and running!

Nate said...

Hi Meghan, wonderful blog and great pics. So glad your crops are growing! Looks like they're doing super well, despite all the frost and cold weather. Can't wait to see them keep producing.

Nate Ritzau

Meg said...

Thanks, Nate! It's really been fun. The real excitement will be when we can make a meal out of what they produce :)

How is your winter garden coming in?