Joyful Gardening

To pick a sun-warmed pea pod directly from the vine and crunch into it is a delight. What's not so fun is avoiding the clouds of mosquitoes that search for any bit of flesh to bite and the nasty flies that swarm my head. To get this bowl of vegetables, I've had to prepare the soil (sometimes in spring, sometimes in fall), plant the seeds, water the seeds and plants, weed as consistently as I can, and maintain the tricks that keep the critters away. Since I garden organically, I make homemade potions and I compost year round. This is a lot of work for some vegetables. And some pain (I have a fly bite on my hand). I'm not telling you this to discourage you from gardening. Despite all these difficulties, gardening is worth it--being outside, eating fresh veggies, getting my hands in the dirt, and, with nature's help, creating something good. It's joyful gardening.