5 reasons I love my garden this year
It's 5 things Tuesday again! My garden has been my therapy and has taught me a lot this year.
The following are 5 reasons I love my garden.
- Sharing the produce that comes out of my garden with my friends and family makes me feel good. Most people love a fresh home grown tomato and cucumber, and I've been able to give lots of those away this year.
- Pulling weeds is therapeutic, especially if the ground is dry. You really have to use your muscle to rip them, and it feels really good to get dirty and sweat a little.
- Putting up vegetables is a great way to spend time with family and friends, doing something fun and productive. We spent an evening with friends freezing 134 cups of corn, and a Saturday canning green beans with Dave's sister and family. I had some girlfriends over to make refrigerator pickles. Putting up vegetables is better with more hands to help in the process.
- Being in my garden quiets my mind. I'm only thinking of one thing, finding the ripe vegetables. It's so much fun to lift up the leaves of a pepper plant and see all the colorful veggies ready to be picked and enjoyed. I feel more connected to the earth and my food when I'm picking from my garden.
- Preparing and preserving the vegetables is a form of meditation for me. The mindless job of snapping all the green beans, dicing up the prethora of peppers, shucking the corn, and blanching the tomatoes are all jobs that don't take a lot of thought, but a lot of repetition. Its a great time to not think at all and just tune into the moment.
I'm looking forward to what my Garden 2016 will bring me.
What do you love most about your garden?