There's just something about gardening

There's just something about gardening....And this is the year I will find out what that something is. Sure, window planters and tomato vines have been small adventures of the past, but this year there is a garden plot with my name on it. Ok, half of it.

It was about a week and a half ago and the conversation went something like this:
"hmm, gardening, that could be fun," me
"yeah, let's go for it," friend
"wow, just think about all we could plant," me
"it will be good bonding time. let's go for it," friend.

Okay, really I don't remember the conversation and usually most of our conversations don't need sentences. So it was probably a few looks back and forth and word or two and then, "let's go for it."

Anyway, here we are. Tomorrow is day one of our planting adventure. Tonight the seed packets were dancing about and our appetites are growing from some fresh produce. 10' x 15' is really not that much space by the time you start reading all the packets and how far things have to be planted apart. Dreaming big of potatoes, tomatoes, asparagus, beans, corn, watermelon, pumpkin, zucchini, and more...I almost started using one of those free online garden planners (yes, they exist), I got about thirty seconds in and it was just too much. Tomorrow will come and we will figure it out.

We had to down size our list a bit, but it will still be a good adventure and as I think more about planting and gardening... and just what "that something is" about planting and gardening...

....I am reminded of summers on Grandpa's farm...when the berries in the garden were just right and we could have some in a cold bowl of milk! :) Or the homemade berry jelly and bread that Grandma made. Although, there wont be berries in this garden, there will be zucchini, which also reminds me of Grandpa. Somehow his garden always had a lot of those. And if we were really fortunate, sometimes when he would come to visit, there would also be a fresh baked loaf of zucchini bread, too. :) The good news is, about seven years ago after many failed attempts at replicating, I asked Grandpa for his recipe. It is one of those for which there is no substitute.

....I am also reminded of summers at G-pa and G-ma's house and tours of their backyard garden. It was always fun to listen to G-pa's wisdom about the thing he had planted. I can barely remember some days of honey harvesting, or rather watching it happening in the distance. I do remember a few years later spending a summer vacation week there and helping G-pa with the potatoes. It was very hot and a lot of work, that part I do remember. :) Now, as it's time for this planting adventure, of which I know will be a lot of work, I also asked G-pa for his wisdom in planting. I wrote him a letter first, so he'd have time to think about it. Then he called one night this week. And you know what?...he told me that he probably doesn't know too much more than what I already know about gardening ;) I somehow don't think that this is the case, as he has sixty-years-plus experience on me.

But maybe that's just it. Lesson one of the just-something-about-gardening: being humble.