Silver Bells and Cockle Shells

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow you ask?

I get to pick the what goes in the garden and Andrew does the manual labor. (I would, but it tends to give me contractions these days. Besides, Andrew is totally in his element working outside so we make a great team.)

We both have no idea what we are doing...but are very proud of our humble little vegetable garden. This is our second year.

How human and real is the experience of dirt between your fingers. I'm sure this has to sound like I'm romanticising gardening, but it is wonderfully therapeutic.

I've always loved to garden and plant flowers. It's my excuse for "working" and feeling like I am accomplishing something so I can justify being outside all day.

I've been musing about gardening. Such a day dreamer. Anyways, I think I can honestly relate a little more the gospel passages with planting analogies. You start to take a vested interest in how your plants are growing. You spend money buying them, tons of time tilling the ground, compost piling, planting, watering...keeping rabbits away, hoping the storms or hail will not ruin them. You truly want them to grow and prosper because you have spent so much caring for them. It is like parenting to a small degree.

Behold...tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, corn, and watermelon. I think I'm going to try strawberries next year.

I used to watch and help my dad every spring. I remember what his favorite flowers and trees were, he did such a good job of telling us what he was planting and letting us be around him while he did so. I've remembered a few things of what he unconsciously taught me.

Nicholas loves being outside as well and at loves to "work hard".

He will always ask, "Do you need help Mom?"

"Of course I do," I always say.

He gets his five-sizes-too-big garden gloves and starts to dig something. He tells me plants need water, sun, and soil to grow and that I should look at his pretend onions growing really big now.

Pudding finds pretend worms (which are small piles of dirt in her hands) and shows them to me and says, "They so cute mom".

[This is due to Andrew giving them worms to hold when he finds them, and I, in my attempts to not make them afraid of bugs because I am, say, "Oh, they are sooo cute."]

So here's to our garden - hope it grows!!