Ag Lit BitA Fresh Start
The backhoes arrived and out it all came. After years of digging through rocks to plant flowers and bushes, I decided enough was enough. Like all home improvement projects, I always think everything looks easy and can be done by me or my husband (just ask him). We first began trying to remove the rocks by hand, shovel by shovel, and progressed to wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow. After a few weeks and him finally quitting on me, I purchased endless bags of mulch and covered all the rocks up thinking it would make my misery disappear. Unfortunately, it did not.
With April upon us and ironically, National Gardening Month I was ready for a fresh start. If there was any year for a fresh start it was 2021. While the year has not turned out to be a bed of roses so far, it has provided new hope and new possibilities which was exactly what I was looking for in my garden!
The origin of National Gardening Month can be traced back to 1986 when President Reagan declared April 12-18 as National Gardening Week. The week was observed yearly in April until 2002 when the entire month of April was dedicated to "all things gardening". The benefits of gardening are numerous including reducing stress, promoting healthy eating, providing exercise, producing food, and helping the environment. What a wonderful way to connect with neighbors, celebrate family time and meet others who share your passion. I am excited to welcome warmer weather and to start digging in the garden and filling pots with soil. Feel free to reach out to us here at the farm bureau for soil test kits, school garden resources, lessons, books and activities and local greenhouse referrals. We hope you will join our Wacky, Wonderful World of Plants ZOOM session on Tuesday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. Diane can be reached at [email protected].
A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust. — Gertrude Jekyll