Today is a great day to plant my little pots of winter vegetables and herbs.  The winds and rains have died down and the sun is smiling on my newly cleaned up garden beds.  Thanks to my husband, the old strawberry, basil, tomato, eggplant, pepper, blackberry and zinnia plants are tossed in today’s garbage bins and a freshly laid drip irrigation system is in place.  Now, all I have to do is sow some wildflower seeds and plant my newly acquired cilantro, rhubarb, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, Brussels sprouts, kale and sweet pea newborn seedlings into the heavily composted soil.  I also need to get some bulbs I picked up dug into the front lawn flower beds.

Gardening is a renewing and hopeful activity.  It’s a great time of year for cleaning up debris and yanking out old tired roots/habits and weeds.  Pruning, cutting back and preparing the soil/soul for regrowth. Designing, imagining and sowing seeds/thoughts and young plants/ideas and projects.  The beginning of the year, is a perfect time to hope for an incredible increase in yield and harvest, patiently watch, accept and nurture crops/deeds and be one with nature.  I am in the garden where I lose time and I nourish my soul via my senses and bones.  I have a plaque with the following quote at the entry of my vegetable garden steps.

The kiss of the sun for pardon.

The song of the birds for mirth.

You are nearer God’s heart in a garden,

Than anywhere else on earth.