Lessons from my garden

I have a small garden, well its actually two flower beds and container pots. I grow herbs, tomatoes, potatoes, leafy greens, onions, pumpkin leaves, cucumbers, beans, peas, peppers and corn. Its a bit of everything and most times its trial and error. the good thing is I don’t have to buy the leafy greens any more and I have access to vegetables that are otherwise not sold in the local shops like mustard greens and pumpkin leaves. Another plus is that I know exactly what fertilizers and pesticides go into the food I eat.

Growing vegetables is in my blood, my parents do the exact same thing. Actually my parents make their living selling vegetables and grains. However, this has been my first time being fully responsible for a garden. When you live with your parents even if you contribute, you always feel like that if anything goes wrong they will fix it. You are in a supporting role. I know that on their farm there is always the risk that a herd of cattle will come and feed in the fields or someone will start a fire close to your field of wheat or rice the day before you harvest it. In my head my parents are all knowing and will know what to do. I have since realized that when disaster strikes they have to keep it together otherwise everyone falls apart.

My garden is small in comparison to what my parents have but I have realized it is big enough to make me want to quit. Last year when we moved it was mid July and in Bermuda that means unbearable heat. I was so eager to have a garden that after two days i had prepped and planted my garden. Only a few of the plants germinated and those that did died. I gave up and that was the time I had to go to the UK for a wedding. After my month long trip, it was cooler so I gave it another go. This time the heat wasn’t the problem now enter the cats, frogs and slugs. It was as if something was starting to grow, the cats would come and use my garden as a sand box or it was warm enough for the frogs to burrow in the containers or the slugs would eat all the leaves. Good thing I don’t give up easy so each I would start over and eventually I made it. First lesson, no matter what you are faced with, do not give up!

Everything was going well until last weekend, some kids who live in the same complex as us decided to prune my green pepper. They removed the plants that were flowering and plucked some of the peppers that were not yet ripe. I was mad and hurt and I cried. The frogs and the cats, I can understand but why would humans do this to me. I know I am silly for crying for something so trivial when there are wars going on but I have worked so hard for those peppers for someone to just do that.

You know what, I learnt that no matter what I do I am not really in control of what happens in my garden. Save for me sitting outside 24/7 protecting my garden there is really nothing I can do. I have planted many seeds that did not germinate and I have no idea why. I did all that you are supposed to do and some seeds germinated and others don’t. There are many situations in life when things happen for no reason at all and you are not to blame. I know for certain that it is because I am not in control of anything in my life except for God. There are many situations that that I have found myself in that require me to acknowledge that GOD is in control. I am human and I want that control but you get to a point where you have done all you can do physically and let Him take control of the situation. Some people think its trivial but I pray for God to help me in everything I do even my small garden and every night I have the faith that when I wake up everything in my garden will be ok and growing. No-matter what you do, you can not control what other people will do or think. Often we put our trust in other people and they let us down and you can not control that which is why it is better to trust in God because He does not change.