Garden Therapy or Survival

I planted a garden in late May, early June. By late June this is what my little plots of intentional plant life looked like. I went out every day after first sowing the seeds and seedlings and found a spark of joy growing somewhere inside of me. A memory? Maybe. I just know it felt/feels good ... watching everything sprout to life.

I've planted a garden only two other times.

The first was the spring after fleeing Colorado from an abusive step dad to Mom's folks home in Paxton, NE. There was a small vacant lot next to the home my grandparents rented. Grandma helped me clear a small plot and gave me some seeds. I planted the most vibrant, full, crowded little plot with all kinds of flowers. I was 10 years old back then, with a completely broken spirit, and that little flower garden was my salvation ... along with a white cat I called Pepsi. A little garden, a loyal cat, and a Grandma, with unlimited hugs, bandaged my injured spirit, watered my soul and made me want to grow.

The second time I tried gardening was nearly 20 years later in the back yard of the only home I co-owned with my 1st husband. It was a much larger garden then my first one and much larger than this garden of 2011. I remember the most wonderful tomatoes that garden produced the first year. And I remember the tomato blight that ruined the crop the second year. Hm ... blight in the garden and it would be a type of 'blight' that would ruin that marriage and prevent a third planting of that garden in the city of Lincoln, NE.

One garden healed and one garden revealed.

Now, here it is, over another 20 years later, and my third garden has evolved from small test plots planted next to the porch of Ron's country home, to it's new location on what I call, 'Ron's back forty'. It took him near a month to finally pick a spot and till it. It took me even longer to figure out what would be planted.

Ron, my husband, is not fond of 'farming'. His passion is with Harley Davidson Motorcycle's.

Me? I've not wanted to have too many plants to care for because I tend to kill them more often then not. I wasn't sure I even wanted to plant this garden ... let alone watch it grow.

And grow it has.

I'm glad I planted this garden. It has already given me more then what was expected. There's an unexplained therapy in the preparation, planting and maintenance of a garden. In that and more, there is a spiritual experience in gardening. Before churches and temples ... there was the Garden of Eden. It wasn't a house, palace, or tent that God placed man and his partner in. It was a garden.

A garden is survival. By what we eat, is how we will stand or fall. 'Manufactured' food has become toxic for us. These reasons and feeling more alarmed about what the future may entail, influenced my desire to grow a garden this year. Survival may depend on how well one is prepared. If my garden survives me, a novice, and I grow to be a passionate gardener, then there's hope I'll stand more than I fall.

One garden healed, one garden revealed,
Each garden gives the gardener it's secrets,
One garden flowers, one garden sours,
Let this garden seal all regrets.
One garden small, one garden full of falls,
May God bless this garden where it sets.
One garden at 10, the other at 30 back then,
To this garden at 58 and in all hope begets,
One garden growing, one garden knowing,
If this gardener God will bless.