Why, you may ask? Because it’s
fun, rewarding, and puts idle time to good use. A gardener has a busy life, yet
he or she takes time out to nurture something tiny, a seed, an idea, a dream.
See where I’m going? Gardeners take the necessary steps to bring forth that
which is in the head into fruition. By the way, I love fruit.
It all begins with an idea, a
thought. You look at a piece of greeny grass and envision a garden in full
bloom. First, you lay the ground work. I have no tiller for my small garden so
I borrowed my neighbors to carve out a twelve by twelve area.
Next, comes the separation and
clarity of direction. I decide if the size is too big or small and make
adjustments. Then I rake out the grass, put it in a pile to burn, and smooth
out my fresh Earth.
Next, I imagine crops in full
bloom, though I haven’t planted a thing. How much space does each plant need to
grow? What kind of irrigation system will I use to water? What kind of
fertilizer to buy? What exactly to plant and what will it all cost?
Now that I have taken care of
the hard stuff, it is time to get going with the actual manual labor. A labor
of love. I make my rows, plant and water, then go inside under the cold air-conditioning.
It is time to kick back and marvel at the feat I have accomplished. Daily, I
venture out to the garden and water. Then weed and rake. Nurturing. When my
garden blooms, I notice too many plants in one area and not enough in another.
Time for adjustments, I thin and replant.
Now, I have nothing to do but
water and wait for the first blooms. I can go about my daily business, stopping
to check, ever so often until the next stage. After my garden has brought forth
its bounty and I partake of my Harvest (enjoying some now and putting up the remainder
for leaner times) comes the last stage, removing everything and preparing for
next year. I think back on what I did right and what I did wrong and note ways
of improving the next garden, next year. My mind is ablaze with scenarios. Here it is winter, and I can’t wait for
summer to get started. This garden will be ten times better than the last. Why?
I’ve done it once, it was a challenge, but I made it through and now no how to
do it better.
One of the pleasures of
gardening is the time I get to rest and relax. This is when I get ideas for my
stories. Rarely am I stuck, but if so, gardening offers the diversion and
environment I need to find my solution. Things just come to me while I’m
gardening. I love gardening. How about you?
When teenage girls enter the hidden vampire world to work, who will have the greatest influence on who? These human girls care for their children, fight in their wars, and become the hallmark for integrity and dedication as they help to shape the future of the vampire world.
