The Not-So-Constant Gardener

I really like the idea of gardening fresh, organic produce.  However, as much as I try to enjoy the process, it is a struggle.  I usually start out strong with the physical one-time actions (like rototilling and planting), but then my motivation, patience, and excitement somehow disappear.  I end up haphazardly attending to my poor plants and spending my time thinking about the many other things I’d rather be doing than gardening.  In short, I’d like to leave it to the professionals. 

It has also been a bit traumatic.  Last year, some crazy bug laid its eggs in my snow peas, causing me to bite into little green larvae crawling around in the pods (and I call myself a vegetarian!).  These insects were soon replaced by slugs in the rainy months.   In fact, most people I know refused to eat any product that came from my garden-- treating it all with great skepticism and distrust. 

Yesterday, I decided that I am going to overcome my gardening shortcomings.   I felt a bit guilty as I looked at my overgrown, flowering kale that had been abandoned for several months. But I was happy to see that they were still alive and had not given up on their negligent caretaker.  Perhaps there’s some symbolism there.

Furthermore, I discovered that “overwintered” kale flowers are edible and was able to sauté them into a nice stir-fry.  I also had enough bug-free kale to make a couple bags of kale chips.  It’s always nice to realize that I’m not a complete failure! 

I am hopeful that I will keep building momentum as I attempt to hone my gardening skills.  I could be a bit too optimistic, but maybe I’ll even learn to enjoy/appreciate the wonders of gardening.