Tucking the Garden in for Winter & Other Life Lessons!
Tucking the Garden in for Winter & Other Life Lessons! Read More »
A vegetable garden is so good for the body, mind, and spirit. Learn easy ways to add a vegetable garden into your life for improved well-being.
The garden and a gardener. Such an interwoven relationship of trust, loyalty, and, above all, love. Let the love story begin…
My first love affair began in my early 20’s with several basil plants I planted in a pot on a deck railing. At the time, I wasn’t even sure if I liked basil. In fact, the only reason I planted basil was because they were in the clearance section and would only set me back a dollar each. Nonetheless, I scooped up five dollars worth and took them home with the hopes they would know what they needed to survive.
Those sweet basil plants, which I planted very closely in a small pot , thrived. Looking back, I had very little to do with their success. After all, I was a busy mom with a marriage, small children, and a job. Ironically, the clearance aisle plants quadrupled in size in no time. For this reason, those five basil plants introduced our family to homemade pesto, which quickly became a summer staple. As a result, I became wooed by the idea of growing something lovely as well as nourishing. Subsequently, I have tended a garden to varying degrees ever since.
In this article, I hope to explore the many benefits associated with the connection between the garden and the gardener.
The old potager or kitchen gardens of the 16th century originated in France. Essentially, the idea is to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers in the same space. This garden design is not the rows of vegetables we now see in production gardens. In contrast, these gardens are loaded with diverse plants that physically, mentally, and emotionally feed the gardener. Each plant type serves a purpose and offers support to the other plants. For instance, planting basil near your tomatoes is wonderful for fending off pests. In addition, planting calendula or borage in your beds will call in the pollinators which support blooming. Learn more about my kitchen garden or growing calendula with the attached links.