Why Do You Garden

[DapsSeeds]

Gardening keeps me sane. My garden is one of the places where I don't feel stressed about anything. I can really enjoy seeing bees coming into my garden and land on flowers and plants I placed there for them. You get so much back from a garden.

[guruofgardens]

"I garden because it's in my blood.

I resisted it for many years, but finally gave in, planted those first plants, and discovered a missing part of my life."

I'm like Farmer's Daughter - it's in my blood, and I'd be lost without it.

I've learned so much that my parents never told me about gardening, etc. "Just do it this way" they always told me, but not why. So now that they're long gone I can only ask the experts here about the what and why. That's why I love reading so many posts here!

I love being with just the weeds and the plants, hearing the birds chirp, watching a Cooper's Hawk pounce upon that field mouse that had been munching on the tomatoes, and just being alone with nature and the sunshine. I'd really be lost if I had no place to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

[Marcus1]

Born and raised on a farm, I have always had a garden. I love the challenges and the rewards. Nothing can replace that feeling I get when I pick a perfect fruit or vegetable. Plus, there is always a new way to do things so I never run out of ideas for new techniques. If I had a 1000 years to garden I would still be learning. I've been operating a farm and stand for the past 20 years and anymore I continue as much for my customers as myself. I've been blessed to meet 100's of people, I've watched children grow up that now bring their kids out to the stand. And then there's the hard part, losing customers. We have many clients that are in their 90's so every start of the season is filled with a little apprehension. We have a sign in our stand that simply reads, The secret of my garden is but one word, Love. That is how our family feels about our customers and the land we tend.
Marcus

[Marcus1]

Born and raised on a farm, I have always had a garden. I love the challenges and the rewards. Nothing can replace that feeling I get when I pick a perfect fruit or vegetable. Plus, there is always a new way to do things so I never run out of ideas for new techniques. If I had a 1000 years to garden I would still be learning. I've been operating a farm and stand for the past 20 years and anymore I continue as much for my customers as myself. I've been blessed to meet 100's of people, I've watched children grow up that now bring their kids out to the stand. And then there's the hard part, losing customers. We have many clients that are in their 90's so every start of the season is filled with a little apprehension. We have a sign in our stand that simply reads, The secret of my garden is but one word, Love. That is how our family feels about our customers and the land we tend.
Marcus

[Starlight]

When we were younger, dad had a garden plot he rented and us kids planted and harvested the crops. We would go round the neighborhood or stand on a street corner selling little baskets of veggies. Back then we got a nickel for every basket of veggies we sold. You don't realize it at the time being little, but that income helped to keep us a float, plus we had fresh veggies to eat and it was a way for us kids to try and buy things we wanted as there no extra cash for luxuries.

I grow for so many of the reasons above. Maybe that is because as gardeners we are all kindered spirits in one way or another.

I also grow for the joy of sharing. I grow for me and the markets. I enjoy spending time talking with folks and learning their methods and trying to help them to learn to grow too. There is nothing like the feeling when you have someone say I have a brown thumb, I can't grow anything and you spend time talking with them, writing down directions, sending them off with a plant and watching them come back months later all excited because the plant not only lived, but they got to see flowers or have fresh veggies. You just can't help but smile and the smile gets even bigger when they say ok, help me to do another plant and you watch them walk away full of confidence.

I grow for the joy and pleasure I receive, but I also grow to help feed folks around my community. So many folks and children that need our skills taught to them besides giving them food.


Happiness held is the seed;
Happiness shared is the flower.
Author Unknown

[macmex]

Gardening is a link to my past and a bridge to my future. My parents gardened when I was a child. Gardening was our family activity. Everyone helped and everyone enjoyed the bounty. When Dad would come home from work he and I would go out to the garden and "debrief" while we pulled weeds or planted things. Those are some of my favorite memories.

My parents are now in their 80s and haven't grown much of a garden for some years. Yet I call almost every day and it's interesting how much they want to hear about my garden! They are moving in with one of my brothers and Dad is really excited because he will be able to garden again.

I got into seed saving, when, at the age of 23, my father sent me seed for the tomato he had grown for over 10 years. It was Tomato Rocky, which he had received from Rocky Mastro, our family friend. Over the years I've collected more varieties, each with its own story. They are my friends. I miss them when I don't grow them. I even grow beans which we inherited from my wife's family, back in the early 80s. Those beloved family members are now gone. Yet we remember them, every year, as we grow and eat from the seeds they gave us.

Finally, through this whole process we have come to eat REALLY WELL. We could never turn back. We'd feel like we were dying of malnutrition!

George
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

[lexusnexus]

I love the taste of something right out of the garden, and the satisfaction that I actually grew it. And the most fun reason of all: I've always loved playing in the dirt.

Dan