An ode to gardening, harvesting vegetables fresh from the ground, & the feeling of contentment it brings When I'm in the garden, I both forget and remember who I am. I forget the more superficial and temporary aspects of myself and remember what it is to be a human being- alive an aware- observing and interacting with the world that was born from the earth instead of the one we've built up within ourselves. My senses are swarmed with stimulation. The smell of jasmine, rosemary, lavender, and sweet asylum. The sound of hummingbirds, bees, gnats, and crows. Newly sprouted leaves, the first sign of peach blossoms, pockets of brightly colored flowers coming into full bloom... It's hard to express how it feels when you've spent hours with dirt between your fingers and sweat dripping down your back. When the sun starts to set and the air begins to cool and you look over this land that you feel such a partnership with... I've been working with this yard for nearly five years. I've struggled and I've failed- I've made innumerable mistakes- but I've also had my fair share of triumphs and well-thought, well-executed choices. And for as much reading and research that I do about gardening, nothing has been a better teacher than observation (and a fair share of trail-and-error, of course). I go out and walk around my yard every day and I observe. What's happening to what and why? If I do (a), how does it respond? And over time, all this observing has propelled me into this really lovely synchronicity with my little garden ecosystem. I am a part of it and it is a part of me.
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AuthorHi there! I'm Cara- plant ecologist, gardening addict, and whole foods enthusiast. My whole life revolves around plants, including my kitchen. Join me here at LWM each week as I post local, seasonal, plant-based recipes and write about my never ending quest to find balance and tranquility in this crazy little world. Archives
June 2015
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