Spring Gardens

2017 Garden

When I was growing up our main activity in spring was planting and caring for the acre-sized garden. Daddy would till up the beautiful dark soil that smelled so rich and moist. Then he would make rows with an antique hand plow, leaving a path down the middle of the garden for walking. Then my sister, closest in age, and I would plant the seeds as Mama assigned the rows. 

The front rows were usually radishes, lettuce, and peas - the early producers. Then when they were all picked, the area was plowed up and used for something else like more peas that would produce in the cooler weather of early fall. There were carrots and beets, then rows and rows of green beans. The potatoes were already planted on Good Friday, when the weather cooperated. 

Next in the garden came tomatoes, lots of tomato plants. The hills of cucumbers, zucchini, winter squash, and a maybe a try at watermelons or pumpkins were in the huge area at the back of the garden. The areas rotated each year using soil conservation methods, of course, since that was my Dad's job for many years. 

"Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it," (Genesis 2:8-9, 15 NIV). 

I love gardening, though since 2017 we have been using a small raised bed and a pot or two of tomatoes. This year we have one cucumber, one zucchini and one tomato. So far they are doing great, thanks to John's daily attention. There is something so healing about putting your hands in the rich, dark soil. Unfortunately, the only soil in our current yard is hard clumps of clay. Thus, the raised bed filled with bags of top soil.

Lord God, thank You for making us gardeners. Gardening teaches us to love and care for Your earth. It connects us to Your Creation. Lord, bless all the gardeners with bountiful production this spring and summer. Thank You for all the beauty that comes from Your ground. In Jesus' Name, Amen.