Gardening is something that has always fascinated me since childhood. While I am yet far from being a pro in gardening, I have learned some of it by growing flowers, fruits (tomatoes), herbs (mint, lemon grass, curry leaves), veggies (eggplant, green chillies). I succeeded sometimes, while attimes failed badly. For my failures, I partially give credit to the most unpredictable climate of Chicago but it is also because I am yet to learn more about gardening. But I don’t feel like a failure when my plants don’t grow the way they should. You know why? Because I learn what I should not do to keep my next plant alive. Haha. That’s the beauty of gardening.
Different people pursue gardening for different reasons. Some do it as a hobby project, some to grow their own veggies while some as a profession. I do it because it brings me immense amounts of positivity and gratification. These are the two things I feel we need the most in current times. It is calming and almost zen for me to see plants grow inch by inch, bloom flowers, shed leaves and then grow again next season. A beautiful circle of life that we get to observe and experience. It also brings in hope for the future.
Gardening not just brings positivity to me but I feel it also taught me important life skills of dedication and patience. Yes, more than hard work gardening requires dedication and patience. No plant grows overnight but takes weeks to months just like most other living creatures. It needs love and care similar to nurturing a child. And so gardening is more than just a hobby or calming activity for me. It helped me maintain my poise and get the patience that was especially needed during this pandemic when we were all put into uncertain situations without a warning sign.
As a mother of a toddler, I see gardening as an activity to teach these life skills to my kiddo. In today’s world where we are constantly seeking instant gratification, I used to worry about teaching the virtues of patience and dedication to my kiddo. But with the help of gardening I know now how to teach my child about these life virtues. I involve him while I am taking care of my plants and try to explain to him about the process. He is just 2 years old but even at this young age I know he enjoys the process. I see how he gets excited when a flower blooms or when he is watering the plants. He may not fully understand yet but I am certain he will eventually learn that it takes time and dedication to grow, make and build anything.
While my son is one of the major reasons why I want to continue on my gardening adventure, I also want to do it for myself. And I have decided to share this journey with you all. So I will document my gardening adventures in this section of my blog. I want to use this opportunity to share the little knowledge that I have acquired about gardening as well as learn from your experiences. In this section I will share my experiences, methods that I use, tips and tricks for growing different veggies and fruits and I hope it will be helpful to you.
