You know me well enough by now to not expect me to show tidy rows of perfectly weeded vegetables in my garden. In fact, I think I'm more likely to show you my weed patches and flaws than some embellished story that resembles perfection.
But down in the garden yesterday morning I was struck by this perfect thing that happens there.
We plant these small hard seeds in the earth, then watch them explode into an abundance of food for our family. Truly. It's perfect.
Take green beans.
We can pull a single seed from a single pod, then grow armloads of food from that one.
I like this math.
It makes me feel that despite my garden-shortcomings we'll have a harvest yet.
So in the garden this summer we have beans, peas, greens, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, and so much more - and each plant sprouted perfectly (against the odds) - from a single tiny seed.
My garden always takes off mid-summer and grow food in spite of me.
I'm thankful for that.
After three weeks with both arms covered in poison ivy I was finally able to get back into the garden for a harvest and a status check. And goodness! There's a lot happening in there.
This garden, I tell you. It's tenacious.
Fortunately we also eat weeds.
So many weeds! Oh, but there was one exception to the more-weeds-than-veggies in each row equation: the hugel bed.
Remember my crazy project this spring when I piled firewood and brush in my garden and covered it in compost? Yeah. It's the best part of the garden. Hands. Down.
I have halfheartedly pulled a few weeds in that bed, but otherwise it's an impenetrable wall of tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and beans. They are so happy, so productive, so not needing anything from me but some harvesting.
Yes! Now that's my kind of gardening.
Needless to say, I'm sold on the concept of hugelkultur, raised beds, and deep mulching. It has made at least this one row of the garden a painless, joyful adventure.
Meanwhile, in the next bed (despite frequent hours of sweaty work pulling weeds)...
Somewhere in there is my garlic.
Embracing the journey, planning more raised beds, and yes, wondering if smartweed is edible...
A person could get lost in there!
