July is my favourite month. It's my birthday on Saturday, so I guess you could say, my garden is growing and so am I.
How do I feel about my life? Grateful would be a gross understatement. My family means the world to me, I have the best friends ever, a fertile yard and weird little angels for pets. I am grateful for the people who pass by every day, including those who trample my flower beds, because I've grown, indeed, from the first time it happened to the most recent time. I am glad to have the best job for me and to work with the best ladies too.
I love Weyburn. We made the decision to move back because it is a great place to raise a family and to have a garden. To that, my dad said, 'what else is there?' (of course, for him, there is also motorsports and other sports). But it's true: it is an electro-magnetic necessity for the human body to make direct contact with planet Earth. I craved it.
The most profound aspect of gardening, for me, is the fact that those beautiful plants will one day produce our food. I give them love and attention and they nourish me far better than anything else on the entire face of the Earth. It satisfies my soul to behold my garden. Every day, everything is bigger. There are blossoms on everything! My son's cherry tree is a few feet taller this year, as it seems he is also!
Berries are the most natural food for human consumption, which is why I'm grateful that our berry patch is well established. We have strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries, currants and even a goji berry bush. Did you know that gojis can grow anywhere in the world? Just like hemp plants, their fruit is a super-food that can sustain anyone, anywhere. My dog, Princess Goji Berry, has decided she likes goji berries, which is just great because they are so good for any being that eats.
I have planted tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, a variety of peppers, five kinds of beans, a variety of herbs, beets, carrots, turnips, kale, garlic, three kinds of chard, with a zucchini afterthought. But this year, I also have surprise mystery squashes in excess of fifty, as well as a few dozen bonus tomatoes. They came up from the excellent soil in my new garden, which contained the tilled-in compost. A number have remained, but it's a smaller garden I created to 'simplify' things. HA! Some I transplanted throughout the yard and into the old garden. The thing about squash plants of any kind is that until they fruit, you can't tell what they are. It's exciting, because no matter what, they will produce a fruit of some sort and we'll eat it or give it away!
I love growing food, but my favourite part of my garden will always be my flowers. I have been known to get pretty carried away with the sheer volume of specimens in my perennial beds. This year, I drastically reduced the number of potted flowers, since I have the perennials. However, I'm a big fan of the annuals that drop seeds once they're done blooming and then harvesting those seeds, planting them the next spring. Pansies are my personal favourite.
I also love growing my own sprouts. They are so good for us to eat! Especially ones we grew ourselves. When children get involved, the excitement escalates, because not only do they love how easy it is, they love how yummy the sprouts are. The entire family can become healthier while having fun. Sprouts inspire me because they grow exponentially in a short amount of time, going from a dormant and indigestible state to super-food status.
If my amazing ancestors (many of whom are still living) have taught me anything, it's that we keep growing and having fun throughout life.
At 35, I still feel like I am growing, from within. Of course, I will never stop. I am so grateful to still feel like a teenager, even though I am old enough to have my own teenager! I hope I can still say the same when I could have my own grandchildren.
I'm embarking on an adventure next weekend, heading to the Gateway Festival, where I get to meet one of my favourite Canadian musicians. I will even be sleeping somewhere other than my own bed and, if you know me the cave bear, you know I must be growing!
