The Garden

The first box I planted out of 6 in our garden

The dirty work

Some of the herbs and some flowers went on the patio in planters

Here is the basil; it is just starting to really come up

These are the peas, I love how fast they have grown

This is spinach and it was also one of the first to sprout which is a miracle because I planted them a little late in the season and didn't think they would make it

Here is my little bean sprout. It is pushing itself up through the dirt as I write. It is such a phenomenal feeling to work so hard each day and see no progress and then to see a little shoot or sprout and have such feelings of joy and accomplishment! I grew up having a garden and taking it for granted that it always grew and turned out. My Dad is an expert gardener and has always kept us eating peas, corn, carrot, cukes (cucumbers), radishes, tomatoes and so many other fruits and vegetables straight from the garden. My Mom would always yell from the kitchen that we needed to wash them, and my Dad would answer that a little dirt never hurt anyone and it was minerals. I used to sit on the back porch and eat a sun kissed tomato with salt. We would pick our raspberries right off of the vine. I watched as my Dad transplanted a black berry bush from my Grandparents house and nurtured it for at least 10 years until it is now growing plenty of juicy, lush berries. We have had a whole separate garden just for potatoes and grown wacky rhubarb, dark delicious beets, tangy cantaloupe and once a white pumpkin that glowed in the dark. We always just had a garden. My Mom would can things and we would eat them year round. I didn't realize how much I missed all of that until we were advised by our Stake Presidency to follow the teachings of the Prophet and plant a garden now. There is a cute primary song that says:

The Prophet says to plant a garden, so that's what we'll do,

For God has given rich, brown soil, the rain and sunshine too.

And if we plant the seeds just right, and tend them carefully,

Before we know, good things will grow, to feed our family.

I am so happy that we received the revelation to plant a garden so that I could honor the memories that I have and also to make memories with my children as they watch our garden grow and learn to follow the teachings of the Prophet. I love going out every morning in the sunshine and watering the tiny little green sprouts. I hope that they all grow! Even if I lose some, I am learning something new that I can pass on to my kids and hopefully it will mean as much to them as it has to me.