The most surprising thing about gardening, for me, is that it has become the place where I can get a brutal workout, have therapy, find alone time with God, spend quality time with my family, and a platform for connecting with community, whether it be over a shared meal or simply talking about growing beans. I did not expect to find such grounding in that space. The food is just an added bonus. I am convinced that gardening is sacred.
We are the proud caretakers of many small garden beds left at our house by the previous owners, which we try to do justice to. The rest of our backyard is filled by a long cedar picnic table atop a stone patio along with a littering of grills, a smoker, a pizza oven, and a big stir fry burner. All of this is to accommodate more guests for when we play host to a big dinner party, as we do a few times per year. Tying the “farm to table” rhetoric together is easy when most of the food never leaves a few square yards!
Overall, gardening is a very beautiful experience. I love that this has caused me to get outside more. Also, my fear of bugs has decreased quite a bit. It was amazing to realize I can get in the garden and work next to bees and wasps without being harmed. I am more able to recognize which insects are helpers and are working in harmony with my garden. Gardening has been a great bonding moment as well. Getting to share my harvest with friends and family members, and working on the garden with my parents has been a memorable experience.
Participants get everything they need just handed to them, they provide instruction on planting at harvesting, all organic products including pest control. To begin BIU analyzes your soil, then we amend, correct, and they send Buddy out to plow.
Of all the necessary components for a successful garden, the most important one can’t be bought or measured. You can’t borrow it, steal it, barter for it, or have it delivered. Yet without it, no garden would ever be planted. The most essential element every gardener must have is hope.
When the gray of winter is interrupted by 4-color seed catalogs, hope spurs us to dream of golden sunny days filled with juicy red tomatoes and crisp green lettuce. Hope spurs us to grab a hoe and a pair of gloves and work up the first sweat of spring.
In addition to setting up an irrigation system for the first time, I am also learning to can this year. A friend came over to help me with the first round of canning. The shelves are gradually filling up as I practice this new found skill.
Through this program, I’ve learned the importance of patience and the joy of nurturing life from seed to harvest. Gardening has taught me about the intricate balance of nature, the importance of soil health, and the role of different plants in an ecosystem. Additionally, I’ve gained hands-on experience with sustainable farming practices and learning how to manage pests organically. The sense of community among fellow gardeners has also been incredibly rewarding, as we share tips, successes, and the occasional challenges. One of the most rewarding aspects has been the bonding experience with my mother-in-law. We’ve spent many days together in the garden and in class, and then sharing meals together from the veggies that we’ve grown.
This program taught us the importance of intentionality. These days our gardening looks much different. Our days are filled with our youngest son picking tomatoes off the vine. Our middle son in the kitchen frying up okra or cutting up vegetables from the garden for his salad with his dad. Our oldest cramming cucumbers in jars so he can make pickles. We are so thankful for this program for not only teaching us how to grow more food but also for instilling a love of gardening in our kids and helping us find something to bring us all together. I think it’s safe to say more than just vegetables grew this season at our home.
Growing up we never had a garden so I kinda felt like I was “winging it” because I didn’t really have any gardening knowledge. I had no idea about fertilizer, soil types, or pest control.
Now I proudly look out at our 400 square feet of garden space and everything is green and healthy looking. Our yard isn’t flat, so that space is broken up into an in ground garden area, 2 raised beds, and 3 more garden “patches” for lack of a better term. My kids helped my mom and I plant almost everything and they are so excited now that it’s time to pick it all.
Our family has started this adventure as an opportunity for our oldest to grow his interest in and knowledge about gardening. The greatest thing is that we can do this together and learn together. He has really done a great job with caring for the garden, even the hard parts. We love having healthy food available and learning to be more self-sustaining with our food sources. It’s great to know where your food has come from! We have also been able to share and trade items with neighbors and friends which has extended our access to our favorite garden goodies since our foods are ripening at different times.