Kinder’gardener’ – How the Passion Began
It all began with an old pickle jar, a strip of orange construction paper, and one dried lima bean. The paper was cut to fit snugly against the inside of the jar. The seed was slipped between the jar and the paper so it could be seen from the outside, and a sprinkle of water was added. It was a simple formula for a miracle.
Miss Anne, my kindergarten teacher, patiently equipped each 5 year old classmate with all the ingredients to create this everyday miracle. I was fascinated watching the tender white root split its shell into perfect halves and make daily progress downward, seeking non-existent soil. Fragile pale green leaves revealed themselves a bit more each day, drawn irresistibly toward the sunlight that angled across the wooden bookcase. I was enchanted. That humble seed knew just what to do.
Buried deep in every soul is a seed that knows just what to do. Too often it lies stunted under thick, moldy layers of ‘shoulds’, ‘musts’, unrealistic expectations and undeserved rejections. Yet it patiently waits to be summoned.
As a gardener of the soul as well as the soil, I dig each day, seeking the mystical pod that holds such perfect instinct. Gardening is a fine tool for this discovery. I find peace in the garden and am grateful for the occasional flutter of insight that comes when I slip into nature’s warm, easy rhythm
I humbly offer these musings to you. They are a peek into my journey and observations. Welcome. Feel free to pick a flower or two as you stroll through. And, take all the zucchini you want.