All during my childhood my grandfather tended annually at least five backyard gardens he'd started from seed. Beth says she has only a vague memory of this. I, on the other hand, remember it in stark detail.
Because with all these gardens that occupied the plots of land behind his rent houses, my older sisters and I were recruited for the seed planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting.
Beth obviously played the “baby of the family” card to get out of this daily slog.
Of course, I have memory of walking with my grandfather (AKA: Papa) to these houses, closely clustered in the same neighborhood. We’d complain about the oppressive sun, dying of thirst, or newly forming mosquito bites as we worked the land. He’d respond to all this complaining with a simple phrase. He’d say, “hush!” and continued by saying, “The work’s not hard, it’s just steady.”
The work’s not hard, it’s just steady. Sixty years later and I still remember this line. And I’ve used it with my own kids a time or two.
Anyway, these gardens were lush, pregnant with a yearly harvest of colorful vegetables he’d share with his tenants.
Over the years I’ve put in gardens. Never at the scale of Papa’s gardens but enough to yield a modest harvest.
Beth may have gotten out of helping Papa, but she’s certainly done her fair share of gardening as an adult. She even started an annual garden from seed at the homeless shelter where she worked as the Volunteer Coordinator.
Getting her starter plants from the local food bank, she recruited the guests and a team of volunteers to tend the garden. Their hard work was rewarded with both a wonderful sense of accomplishment and fresh veggies for the shelter, transitional houses, volunteer food providers and the neighbors.
This year I plan to put in a small garden. Maybe just a few veggies, herbs, and flowers. Beth’s plan this year is to surely plant something, but she has time. Remember she’s in Michigan.
I saw an article on WebMD about the benefits of gardening. The article reminds us that gardening naturally improves many aspects of our mental health. The activity improves our mood, our state of mind. It allows us to focus our attention on the immediate tasks and details of the work and can reduce negative thoughts and feelings.
If you’ve not gardened for a while, I encourage you to plant something along with Beth and me. If you’ve never gardened, give it a try. Start small and give your plant(s) love and attention. . .and water!
And for all you veteran gardeners, give us your tips, your stories, your experiences. We’d love to hear it all.
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