on the topic of gardening....

on the topic of gardening i could talk forever.

however, we can do that when we see each other face to face.

here are my quick and immediate thoughts...and it really has to do with life more than gardening but the two are suprisingly intertwined i have noticed.

any change we make needs to be sustainable.

wanting to change our impact on the world by gardening is probably one of the most rewarding and satisfying ways to do so if we do it slowly and properly.

otherwise, we get discouraged, give up, and hesitate to try to do something new the next time we are impassioned by a belief or cause.

start small.

really small.

grow what you eat.

in our house, that means lots of beans. owen loves garden beans. hannah loves garden beans. the rest of us eat them. they are good for us.

it's a daily thing, gardening is, during the growing season. make time for it in your schedule. every day!

kinda like taking care of ourselves, growing our faith, is a daily thing, everyday!

search out local farmer markets and farms

change one thing at a time for sustainablility

start by buying local, organic eggs. we can all do that right now. today.

then start buying organic milk

our budget is a reality

so it bears consideration when making decisions about changing our lifstyles and habits.

then buy organic meat

and once all of that feels normal, add something more in. Of course, these may not be the choices you make, but you get the idea.

my list looks like this:

grow lots of beans

don't drink cows milk at all

only eat meat 3x a week or so because we can't afford to buy organic meat yet

rejoice when owen goes away for 3 days to fish, filling the freezer with salmon

don't grow onions again this year...not worth the space

as for you starting a garden...yay!

plant equal amounts of flowers to encourage pollinators

and besides,

they are beautiful and abby can put them in little jars

plants need healthy soil, sunlight and regular watering

that's where the daily habit comes in...early morning is best, really early, like 6am

start a compost!

grow lots of beans and tomatoes as they are companion plants and like each other

beans can be frozen if you get a bumper crop\

tomatoes can be canned if you get a bumper crop

check your local frost dates

talk to the neighbours

seek out farming groups in your area....

but for now,

buy happy eggs from happy chickens!



on another note, i am concerned about your BP and would like to know that you are being diligent about taking care of yourself. I know from experience that we need to listen to our bodies and I think yours might be trying to tell you something.....?!?

i love you suzy!

be kind to yourself, there isn't another you!