Adventures in Gardening!

It’s the end of June and my summertime dreams are staring back at me, as I work fervently each day from the comfort of my computer desk: blue skies, the warm harbor breeze, and a bustle from tourists on the street below – all sandwiched between breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. The sun is up, sometimes before me, and she decides to sink slowly into the horizon just as time stands still, while there is a moment to reflect on the day and find promise in tomorrow.

It’s during these moments that my mind is most alive dreaming about what could be. For years, I’ve imagined waking up (while most of the world around me rests), to my own garden patch. To some, this seems simple, but for me, I live in an urban setting – a condominium. Condo life has numerous pros, like, I don’t have to cut the grass, or be personally responsible for outdoor maintenance. However, there is something special about having a garden, to me.

A Place to “be”

Last week I visited my family in Ontario, Canada. It was wonderful to be home, having a nice backyard to enjoy – and to just “be.” Unlike urban life, this backyard is special — it isn’t an outdoor scene meant only for passing through, to get me someplace. The backyard was simply a place to “be.” This sort of place is something that I miss in an urban setting and something I feel everyone (ahem, me) needs.

While home, I shared with my parents that I had my name in for a couple of garden plots in my community. In one garden, I’d had my name on a plot since 2019, while the other is brand new. I was excited to share that maybe, within the next year, I’d finally have my own garden plot in a nearby community garden.

We have a garden plot for you

I returned to Boston on Tuesday. Two days later, amidst some other incredible news from my niece and personal life happenings, I decided to check the mail.

There was a post card from the new garden community. It read, “We have a gardening plot for you…” What??!!

For a moment, time stood still. I remembered myself as a young child, helping mom weed the garden. I reminded myself of the taste of fresh tomatoes and how the peas never made it as far as the house because my sister and I would eat them. I suddenly felt my face flush when I realized that there was a meeting in a couple of hours, where I could choose my plot. Oh my gosh. I was like a deer in the headlights knowing that I’d have a lot to learn, quickly about all things, “gardening.”

That night, after selecting my garden plot, I crawled into bed and said to Rob, “I am completely happy” seconded by the fact that whenever we have a good moment, something dark happens. Life has a strange Ying and Yang about it. Though — for this moment, I was sincerely happy. Actually, I think Rob was too.

UPDATED: July 17-2020
Garden pot – check! Everything else – hm!?

Well, it is now mid-July. I have successfully weeded the plot, planted plants and also seeds!! My seeds have started to grow AND I even found flea beetles on Friday. Wowza – what a whirl wind. I’ll catch up next time with our newbie gardener experiences and what it is like to be a part of a community garden. My heart is full and I am happy. Good things are definitely worth waiting for.

Monty Don, wisely said, that “A garden is not a place, it’s a journey.” Though I agree with Monty’s statement, my garden is my place… it’s my place to just “be.” Though, I agree that a garden is a journey (so much to learn), it’s where I am myself.

A garden is not a place, it’s a journey.

Monty Don

Check back for some notes about my first few weeks gardening and what I’ve learned along the way. It’s peaceful to realize that instead of my summertime dreams staring back at me, as I work fervently from the comfort of my computer desk… I am within them.