A Student Gardener

I get asked a lot, always by non gardeners, how I find the time to grow so much yummy food. In a world that seems to gobble up one's day before it begins, gardening is my ultimate defense. Once your healthy soil is in place--compost being key in creating healthy soil--gardening is truly about planting seeds and waiting for the magic; with very minimal effort.
Gardening gives back. Simply it is one of the greatest changes that you can make for your health, sanity and family. Every minute that I put into my garden, creates an opportunity for nourishment. Whether it's watching two hummingbirds playfully swoop through the air; pinching a crisp, sweet bean off at the end of a long day of work; or witnessing my children creating a secret world of dirt, sticks, waterways and dried flowers--gardening restores my weary self and brings a sense of wonder and purpose to each and everyday. Sure there are days where we just don't get down to the garden, and I am not always the best person to tend to my crops, but right as rain, my garden just goes on growing and even in neglect, the tomatoes keep on ripening.

So the question that I now always ask is, how can you not garden? Even a small patch of fresh herbs can be life-changing! Start the journey, dive in, make the mistakes and become a student gardener! Long may I be a wonderful work in progress, and master of nothing indeed.

~Amy McKelvey