I found a lovely local and organic greenhouse in Theresa, NY today. It's called Five Cedars and is a short drive from my home. We spoke with one of the owners - it's run by a husband and wife - and he was just so nice and welcoming. He gave us a little tour, showed us all the products he uses, offered various advice, and made us feel like ...friends? Connected through community? Something like that. My husband also really liked him and the property.
I bought a couple tomato plants, some cucumbers, peppers, lemongrass, a strawberry basket, and marigolds for pest control. I need to get more containers - for those and the other seedlings inside.
Gardening is so much fun. It's stressful at times, and by that I mean that I genuinely care about the plants and feel sad if they seem sick or stressed. Every year I learn more about the plant kingdom and life in general through gardening. There are small annoyances but bigger victories (most of the time).
I still remember my first gardens - little veggie patches that my father helped my sister and I make. I remember harvesting tiny carrots. Oh how tiny they were - no bigger than the tips of my pinkies! Yet I was so proud and amazed that the seeds had transformed. Something about gardening is very spiritual and speaks to my Druidic spirit. Through gardening, I feel closer to the cycles of nature - the occasionally chaotic and destructive but beautiful and bountiful cycles of nature.
[ For my LJ friends, please visit me at: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ ]
I remember as a child that we'd grow cherry tomatoes and green beans against the wooden fence in the backyard. It was so much fun to stick a bean leaf on your shirt--nature's velcro! ^^
ReplyDeleteGardening is a great way to not only relax (ripping up weeds is a fantastic stress-reliever), but also to feel like you're doing something worth doing. It's really awesome to see all your hard work come up later in the summer as tall, green plants and ripening fruits and veggies that you can eat!
PS Bonus points for finding an organic gardening center :)
Thanks Lhinelle! I like what you say about "nature's velcro"!
ReplyDeleteIt is so worth doing, isn't it? Unless you have horrible luck or there's a disaster of sorts, you'll have something to show for it - even if it's only one tomato. And no matter what, you learn lessons to take with you next year and, hopefully, produce more.
and then if you're really lucky, you have enough food to warrant canning. Every August my parent's kitchen turns into a small factory--tomatoes love their soil, and it's so nice to open a jar in the middle of winter for that fresh summer taste.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we'll have enough for that this year... That is the ultimate goal though! We will have *knock on wood* some cukes to pickle. I've never done that before and I hope it works!
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