The Wonders of Gardening

I love going to the garden to be with the plants. The sense of smell is said to be the most powerful memory inducer of all the senses. That is for certain. Perhaps why gardening is so relaxing, so calming. The Scent of the sun baked wood of the planters, takes me back to simpler times to my childhood, to playgrounds and barns. To a time with no responsibility. The aroma of this garden is amazing. Some herbs like peppermint, basil or sage all with distinctive scents. Reminds me of hiking in the woods, the clean fresh air, the scent of wild sage and mint. The silence.

Then the textures and colors touch your senses. Bright greens, dull greens, browns, vivid yellows of buds. Purple and violet blooms. Flowers and buds blossom into fruits. Green Cucumber and red and yellow tomato, black peppers and green beans, purple kale and lettuce. All with distinctive colors and textures. Bright red radishes and orange carrots. I loved rooting around in the soil searching for potatoes, not caring about gloves, just enjoying the sensation of earth on my fingers. A wise woman once said that we actually absorb nutrients from the soil through our skin. I believe it to be true.

Sharing in the joy of discovery is something to behold. Lifting a cluster of leaves to find tiny tomatoes, lined up on a branch like itty bitty balloons. A massive plant intertwining around in itself that was once a speck of a seed. Or the wee tiny new sprouts reaching out from the soil searching for the sun. With soil and sun, water and a bit of patience, anyone can grow a garden. We admire in the beauty and the magic of it all.

No matter what’s going on with my day, no matter what’s happening in my life, I enjoy visiting the garden. There I find peace and relaxation, a sense of wonder and the magical reminder that we are of this earth. The process is missed when shopping for the perfect fruits and veggies and a grocery store. We have become so far removed from the process of seed to plant to harvest in this fast paced society. I’m ever so grateful for the opportunity to relearn the simplest things that yield the greatest results.

Written by April, a community garden participant