By Audra Otto
As the sun begins to warm the earth, I’m remembering how lovely it is to see plants emerge outside again. Whether leaf buds slowly appearing on trees or tulips pushing their way out of the ground, all of nature awakens in the spring. Seeing green things begin to sprout up, combined with the warm sunshine and exhilarating breezes, makes me excited to start our garden!
My family grows a vegetable garden along with a flower bed every spring, summer and fall. We’ve had our garden for as long as I can remember, and it’s had some additions and improvements made throughout the years. Our main garden is for plants that need cages (tomatoes and peppers), sweet corn, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Smaller plants that we grow from seed, like peas, beans, onions and carrots are grown in raised beds next to the main garden. Lastly, we have raspberry plants in a separate, smaller garden which is surrounded by a white picket fence to deter hungry wildlife.
I’ve always loved the garden. Planting a seed and nurturing it, and then eventually seeing it flourish and bear fruit, is one of the most satisfying processes someone can take part in. Plus, being outside and working in nature is a balm to the soul. Feeling soil on my hands as I plant seeds, brushing past silky corn leaves to harvest a cob of corn, or hearing bees happily buzz between tomato blossoms fills me with a sense of gratitude for the blessing of nature.
I think all people should have a garden, or at least those that have the space for one. As stated before, there are numerous health benefits to gardening and it can be a good source of exercise and fresh air. Secondly, gardening can provide you with a source of fresh, healthy produce which will benefit anyone’s diet and meal plans. The bonus is that as opposed to produce bought in a grocery store, you can be sure of the products and pesticides/herbicides (or lack thereof) which were used in growing the plants in question. Also, if a garden is maintained and taken care of, the produce can cost quite a bit less when homegrown versus bought in a store.
So, if you have the room, start planning those gardens! All that is needed is a plot of dirt, a rake or shovel, and a packet of seeds; then, nature will do the rest! Granted, maintaining a garden still takes hard work, and some tasks can be tedious, such as weeding. However, the benefits far outweigh the cons and I feel that a person’s health (mental and physical) is greatly improved with the addition of a garden!
Audra Otto is a student at Fillmore Central High School, and one of 15 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 26th year.
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