Today I overslept and took my shower late in the afternoon since I have a few days off for spring break. Even though I am recovering from a cold I did not want the sun to rise and shine without enjoying a few moments outside. Today I drove to the Monroe County Saddle Club in Bloomington, IN, and I shoveled three large bins full of composted horse manure for the garden. I swear one of these years I’ll either rent a truck, or ask a buddy who owns one, to carry the compost in a larger amount. I’ve labeled this blog as “Where to Buy” because I feel it is important to show that many potential gardening supplies are free.
While I don’t like the idea of using gas to transport compost I hope that this choice balances out the good I think I am contributing to the wildlife and love of gardening. I do compost all our food scraps and yard waste, but the compost is slightly frozen and not enough to start all the beds I am creating.
On my way home I stopped at Bloomingfoods, our local food co-op. This is where we buy most of our local and organic food (minus what we grow and/or purchase at the local farmer’s market). I could not help but to chuckle at the thought of my car having bins of horse poop in it. (Aside: I hope that someday I can continue to practice worm composting, but last winter all my worms died because the garage was too cold, and since then I have not been able to bring new worms into the picture since we don’t have anywhere else for the worms to survive year-round.)
I came home and spread the compost into our two 8′ x 4′ raised cedar beds (that have no bottom/just layers of newspapers and Mel’s Mix), and the rest on the side of our driveway where I started lasagna gardening last fall. This garden by the driveway is where I plan to plant a native flower garden.
Soon I’ll take pictures so we may watch this progress.
After all this work I was a little out of breath, and I rested my chin atop my hand, which firmly grasped the shovel’s handle. As the shovel and I leaned into one another I felt the stillness of the air and listened to the birds sing. This meditation lasted a few precious moments until my mind started to clang and bang. “I bought the seeds,” “I’m planning the timeline,” “I’m growing the plants in an orderly Square Foot Method….”
Looking back at these thoughts I realize that my ego is in the way of this experience with nature. When I was in the Grow Organic Educator Series (GOES) with Bloomington Parks and Recreation one of the instructors stated, “seeds and plants already know how to grow.” It’s very humbling to remember that plants have been growing longer than there were humans on this planet! We’re just another species, that, of course, has the responsibility to protect the environment since it is mostly because of us that we’ve put the danger in endangered. But, plants know how to grow their own food, procreate, grow and die all on their own. So, all I’m saying is that I need to shrink the ego a bit, and define my role differently. The lettuce, sunflowers, and trees are not my subjects, and I am certainly not the “President-All-Powerful-Dictator of the Garden.”
Maybe I’m more of a Conductor? Perhaps I am organizing and helping the plants to blossom throughout the seasons, like a conductor guides the musicians through scores of music? Somehow that still ties the center of everything to me, and I do not like that. Plants do all of the work, as does the sun, insects, and rain.
Maybe I’m a Servant to the garden? I’m tied to it and just a part of its cycle. I help gather resources, like water, and distribute seeds as the sun and temperature directs me. I pick the vegetables and fruit only to help the plant become sexually frustrated so the plants will continue to flower and ripen. My family may eat from the bounty, but we must remember to compost all leftovers, and learn to save any seed that I can for next year’s garden. I am here to serve the soil and seed.
I like this humble perspective much better. I believe that when give more power to our wildlife and vegetation-in our words, actions, and policies-that we will become better at honoring the environment. Gardening encourages that spiritual side of me that is often hidden. Does this ever happen to you?
