Report From An Opinionated Gardener – Part 5
I was speaking with someone the other day about the current interest in growing organic food. Local produce and healthy, fresh vegetables are hot, and we gardeners applaud this trend. “Something else will be trendy next year, and people will forget about gardening,” was this person’s take on the current scene.
Hopefully not. I pointed out that I was one of the people who came of age in the ‘60’s when “back to the land” and “grow your own” were fashionable. Although not all members of my generation stuck with gardening, I know that many still take great pleasure in growing their own.
In order to move from what’s currently popular to a life-long pursuit, an activity needs to resonate on a deep level. We need to feel that what we’re doing has meaning beyond what the population thinks is cool at the moment.
Gardening by heart recognizes that growing your own feeds us on many levels. We’re raising fresh, healthy food that tastes better than anything you could buy. We’re getting exercise, connecting with the natural world, and feeding our spirits and souls along with our bodies. We’re experiencing our environment with all of our senses as we nourish our bodies.
When we’re gardening by heart we’re transcending trends.
Beyond the yellowing Kiwi vine is a bed of garlic, newly planted for the crop of 2011. Growing your own still resonates with us.
