Inside the Spring 2019 Issue!
As we spring into the season with our trowels and seed packets in hand, I’d like to ask you to think about how gardening helps you be in relationship. “In relationship to what?” you ask. But really, that is part of the question. How many ways does gardening help you build relationships, and in how many directions?
There is our relationship with the weather. We may not want to admit that we mutter at ice crystals or storm clouds when we’re eager to get out and start prepping the soil or planting, but there is definitely a constant conversation in the gardener’s mind (or out loud, in my case) about the state of the weather and how we need to respond to it.
There is our relationship with the soil, and all the elements that interact with the soil—insects, moisture, compost, inoculants. Gardeners must take stock of all these aspects and more, working with what’s there and introducing new elements when needed.
There is our relationship with our neighbours. Most of us live close enough to other humans that our gardens have an impact on them. When you’re out puttering in your front yard, you’re more likely to engage with the people who share your space. And if you participate in a community garden, your activities bump right up against others. A give and take of help and sharing of abundance often takes place.
And there is our relationship with creative forces and how we direct them in our garden. Are you creating sustenance for yourself and your family by growing food? Are you creating beauty? Are you creating habitat? Are you breeding new, exciting life forms? Are you committed to heritage breeds to maintain biodiversity over the long term?
These are all part of the gardeners’ prerogative. I, for one, am glad to be in a community of people who willingly enter into relationship with the natural world and spend their energy bringing more life into the world.
Happy spring planting!
Plant Picks, Lettuce, Annual Vines, Aquatic Plants, Colour Theory & more!
