I Am My Own Person

I was talking to someone about my garden this evening. I told this person that I planned on letting the front of the garden go to weeds for the remainder of the summer, now that the onions and the lettuce were done. I am going to just focus on hoeing and weeding the back of the garden, where my tomatoes and the watermelon plant are growing. I also told this person I planned on planting garlic this fall. I love garlic, so I'm excited to have it ready for use in the spring!

After I finish telling this person all of this, she says that since the garden is so much work, I should just plant grass in that area of my yard and be done with it. When I told her I intended to plant my garden again next year, she made some comment about how I wasn't really serious about gardening and that I shouldn't bother.

I AM 1,000 PERCENT SERIOUS ABOUT MY GARDEN!!!!!

I have found gardening to be a great way to relieve stress. I get great joy out of using my own two hands to grown my own food. I get great satisfaction from eating the veggies from my garden.

I can't understand why this person can't just be supportive of my gardening endeavors. This is not an altogether new thing for me. When I was in 5th grade, I somehow got a packet of carrot seeds. I planted the carrot seeds at the edge of our backyard, near the creek that ran behind our house. Needless to say, the carrots did not grow. When I lived in my apartment, I grew tomatoes in a pot. I have always wanted to grow my own food (and make my own cheese, but alas I need a cow for that).

This has become a passion for me. Its a lot of work, but it is very rewarding to me. I am already trying to figure out how to cut down on the weeds for next year. I'm also trying to plan exactly what I want to plant (I'm thinking cucumbers and zucchinis in addition to the tomatoes and onions). And I'm planning on planting my basil and other fresh herbs in small pots that I can keep in the kitchen during the winter. I just love fresh basil and can't imagine going back!

The best thing about every person on this planet is that we are all individuals. I am my own person. I happen to enjoy gardening.