Peace and Satisfaction on a Warm Spring Day

On the wings of warmer spring days planting season has once again arrived. Although it seemed like it might never get here, almost overnight we turned the corner.

This year he dug out the old soil in the raised bed garden, and then we spent hours refilling and spreading new garden mix. In the midst of this back breaking job, I let him know that next time he thinks of doing this…please forget about it. We are getting older and old soil will work just fine.

In a small garden we have to be selective as to what we really want to plant. After many years we have come down to our favorites; tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, green beans, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, potatoes and of course the herbs. We have tried corn and carrots, but there was not a big enough harvest to plant them again. Plus, a big wind storm wiped out half of our corn stalks.

For the most part, I am left to plant the vegetable garden in peace. I have my audience of one who occasionally speaks up to tell me that I am planting things too close together. I remind him that I have been gardening for years, and he tells me that he helped his mother when he was growing up. Of course in the end I let him know that he is not helping now – he is just an observer. His task will come when it is time to clear out the weeds, and believe me, I won't be there to tell him he is doing it wrong.

I find great satisfaction each year in planning how we want to layout our garden. I’m a firm believer in moving things around to see if they will grow better in one area than another. Planting items in the same part of the garden each year seems so boring an unimaginative. Like life, it is always good to mix things up.

Even in a twelve by twelve garden it takes time to plant properly. Once the decision is made as to where things will go, they need to be carefully placed to ensure the right spacing between plants. After everything is gently settled into their new environment, and generously watered, all the back breaking work seems worth it.

There is nothing better on a warm spring day than the peace and satisfaction received from a freshly planted garden. It is truly what I call soul food.