Spring has just about sprung here in the Deep South, and I'm so excited to get my garden going! Last year, my sister and I started out first garden. My father tilled up an area next to his gardens in his *big* field and was our expert "go to man" for gardening. At first he acted all cool about it, like it was just my sister and I's garden- he'd call and tell us we needed to come water it or weed it or whatnot. But as the season progressed, he got as excited as we did. He called it "our" garden (as in ALL of us ;)) and rode his lawnmower down EVERY day to look things over, pull any random weeds, and when it came time for harvest, to pick ripe vegetables. Our cup runneth over in yellow squash, zucchini, and tomatoes.
But my father's passion was the Green Beans. He made a HUGE production every year when his beans were ready and canned thousands of cans of them over the years. "PawPaw's Green Beans" were always a family favorite. Last year, it was our year for him to teach us the ins out outs of canning.
Just before the big bean harvest and canning, my father died.
So my garden this year is very important to me in so many ways. I believe in sustainability, and I've been working towards it as much as I can with my family. Growing our own food is a huge part of that. I believe in organics, but the price makes it somewhat difficult for my tiny budget. I think a garden is an excellent learning tool for children. But this year, most of all, I want to honor my Dad.
Last weekend, my sister tilled up one of his little beds, and we planted spinach, onions, and lettuce.
I'm going to get a little philosophical here, but here goes.... I believe that when you die your spirit joins the great everything. The everything in all of us. And because my father was so into his gardening, I think a lot of his energy is still in that soil. So for me, it HAS to be cultivated.