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by Arleen M. Kaptur
Wherever you live, whatever the climate or the amount of sunshine or
rain in a given season, it is possible to grow an abundant garden.
Envision a garden filled with flowers of every color you can dream of,
herbs that are both fragrant and hardy, and of course, a harvest that
would be a portrait of all that Nature can lay claim to. Bright berries,
and fruit that is succulent and just dripping with juice, vegetables
that glow in the sunlight with dew from the morning and lay heavy on
leaves that cradle and protect them until they are picked and become
part of a meal fit for royalty, this and so much more is possible. You
ask, "What do I do if I don't have a green thumb, or even a plot of
ground to call my own?"
Well, as for the plot of ground, there is great success with container
gardening on balconies, front stoops, porches, etc. As for the green
thumb, or if you are all "thumbs", trial and error can be a lot of fun.
Read, read, and order seed catalogs. Most are free and the pictures will
get your heart a'thumping. Save your scraps, and leftovers to feed
nutrients and "get growing" vitamins and minerals into your soil, and by
all means, call or write to extension agencies, gardening centers, and
see what grows in your area, during what season, and when is the best
time to plant.
Enough said about the "ground rules" so how about the "heart rules". We
all have gardening in our blood, everyone in different degrees and
directions. To watch life come from a seed or a small plant is a lesson
in life itself. In fact, it is life when you consider that billions of
these plants are needed to feed the world and to insure future
generations of sustenance. So what are these hard and fast rules that
are needed to unleash that gardener hiding in the recesses of your
heart? Go outdoors, and feel the sunshine on your face, or the snow
crunching under your boots, touch a leaf, or hold your hand under a
running stream. In other words, get in touch with nature that surrounds
you wherever you live. Read and learn about preservatives and chemicals
and want purity and goodness for all your meals and for those you love.
Then grab that shovel (or buy one if you happen not to have one) and
find some good old-fashioned dirt and plant "something." Invite a friend
or a child to watch its progress with you, and laugh, smile, and enjoy -
without a little growing in our lives, then we become stagnant and we
lose the magic - that pearl of feeling close to the earth, of having
accomplished what we set out to do, and of letting Nature teach us
patience and beauty not found on television or in the movies - but real,
can touch it, beauty right there at your fingertips.
Whether you crush some herbs for a special dish from plants on your
windowsills, or have enough zucchini to cure starvation in the world,
grab that seed packet and ENJOY.
©Arleen M. Kaptur 2004 February
Arleen Kaptur, author, has written books, articles, and columns. For
more information check out:
Arleen's Daily Journal
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