Green with Children

The Fruits of My Labor

It's time for me to proudly report on the progress of my backyard organic garden. Homegrown tomatoes are a feature at every dinner now, and I eat them with a little salt throughout the day. I have more peppers than I know what to do with, the cucumbers are on their way, and every visit to the garden rewards me with a small handful of green beans to crunch as well.

My "organic pest-repellent"--namely, the way my sons peed in the garden--seems to have been successful. I've yet to be looted by woodland vandals. My zucchinis are a total flop, perhaps due to the soggy humidity of this summer, but that's okay. As long as I have homegrown tomatoes, I don't mind.

It's hard to blog about your garden without predictably waxing on about the joys of being out there, the flavor of pride, the connection to "the land." It's all true. What surprised me was how everyone else responded to the garden. It's like a new baby. People express a measure of wonder at the plants and their products. It's like a little six-foot square of good in the backyard.

The way the boys marvel is the best part for me. Dex and Julius are transfixed by the wee little cucumbers spiking their way into being. They shout whenever they spot a reddening tomato. They love to hunt for the camouflaged green beans on the vine.

Understand, when these guys are outside, it's usually to noisily crash scooters into the curb or engage in some other vaguely Mad Max-like play. The way they slow down and focus when presented with the garden is revealing. It's the same when they encounter a spider or a caterpillar, to be honest.

When my nephew visited, the three of them would delicately step onto the wooden plank inside my garden, tussling over space. Their little bodies tucked beneath the tomato vines, the wire fence of cucumbers, the pepper plants--it looked like a painting.

Dexter starts kindergarten in September, and one reason I chose to send him to Seth Boyden Elementary was the teaching gardens each classroom tends. I can see that these kids are going to learn more out there than can possibly be evaluated on a statewide test.

Modern society has done its best to muffle our connection to nature, but this summer's garden has proven to me that nature is like a part of the family--the connection is impossible to deny.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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