I feel like I’m making a new discovery. As if I was an explorer – hearing the heavy scrape on the top of a long-lost treasure, yet knowing exactly what I’m looking for. Time after time my heavy digging fork hits the ground with a rock on metal “thunk.” Time after time I rock back and forth, pushing the tines deeper into the earth. And time after time the sod pulls up, breaking matted roots free from one another, leaving a disheveled mass of ground in my wake.
The excitement mounts as I set the large fork aside and switch to a smaller one, digging, digging. Then on my knees, I’m shaking the soil free from the sod, which I’m piling nearby. The rocks, of which there are a plenteous supply, I am putting in their own piles. Then there’s the soil. I can detect a sandy quality amid the stray chunks of clay. I run my fingers through it with delight. It’s loose. Beautiful. And I’m excited.
I go for the amendments – hoeing in compost, gypsum, and poultry litter. Then the rake glides over, smoothing everything. It’s ready for the rows, three of them, about 8 inches apart.
And now it’s time for the possibilities, who have been waiting in their own respective paper envelopes, to be sprinkled in. Each tiny dark “pebble” or curious gnarly brown bit, is a miracle, just waiting to find the soil and come to life. I sow them in thickly and press them shallowly, gently into the earth. And wait with anticipation.
I am establishing a garden. By God’s blessing, those tiny seeds of possibility are sprouting green leaves of promise. Baby collards and lettuce, daikon radishes and Swiss chard are poking their little leaves toward the sunshine and our fall garden is a reality. It may only be a 4’ by 24’ bed, but it’s a start, so full of potential and life. I’m so inspired, a second bed is already taking shape beside it.
I’ve been in a garden basically every summer of my life, from the time I was a little sprout myself! So, this is not my first experience with gardening… But, this garden is new. It’s new ground, in which I have never grown these familiar garden friends before. We’re discovering it together. I know there’s a lot to learn here and I’m excited!
Wherever you are in life, I encourage you to get out there and get your hands in some soil, even if it’s just a pot. God’s creation is full of surprises and even if you’ve been gardening for decades, there’s always something new to discover!
And now I’d love to know…what does your fall garden look like? What is your favorite fall crop?
Because of Jesus,
Maggie ♥
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