A 'Peace' of Garden

Since the beginning of humankind, people have struggled to tame the natural world in order to survive. From fighting and subduing beasts, to cultivating the land, to creating more and more durable shelters as protection from Mother Nature’s rage, humanity has always sought a measure of control over the wild outdoors.

Growing up, my family lived in a very rural area. A trip to the grocery store usually took more time than it was worth. Instead, we relied on our own ability to hunt, garden, can, and freeze. During the summer, a good portion of our 2.5 acres of land was dedicated to a massive garden brimming with corn, squash, peas, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and more. As a child, pulling each tiny (or not-so-tiny!) weed from the garden for three hours two times a week seemed an unbearable chore. Of course, eating fresh peas and garden-ripened watermelon was a treat well worth the effort! Although, admittedly, I still complained at the time.

Over time, that garden became a place of solace and inspiration. As a young teenager, I began to go to the garden to simply walk around the plants and think. Being among the budding plants and vines brought me serenity and clarity.

By the time I reached sophomore year, my mental psyche had taken a sharp turn for the worse. I fell deeply into anxiety-fueled anorexia, and my relationship with food became strained and twisted. I slowly lost any sense of control I had over my life, becoming wrapped up in terror over the future and a bitter dislike for the person I saw in the mirror.

In the midst of this all, my love for gardening only grew. I learned that, in moments when I thought I would burst, I could escape to the garden. The plants were the only companionship I needed when I didn’t want to be alone in the dark, but needed silence. Plants don’t yell, criticize, berate, or correct. They just blow gently in the breeze, accompanied by the gentle buzzing of honey bees and the distant whistling of birds.

I came to love the solitude and peace that accompanied walking through the growing plants, their unique shapes, blossoms, and fruits all beautiful and intriguing. Being able to put my thoughts and energy into the work of watering, weeding, and cultivating helped me to shed off, if only briefly, the weight of my terrible anxiety.

My love for gardening continues to this day. I have learned over the years that gardening is not just functional or practical. Yes, it is a way to provide food. But it is so much more. It is an act of creativity and individuality. No garden is the same. Before I even begin to plant, I ask myself: *How can I lay this out for peak performance of my plants, while maximizing space usage and create aesthetic appeal? I take great care in the lay-out of my garden. I don’t just want a bunch of plants, I want a place I can disappear into and lose myself in the beauty and solitude of nature that I have made my own.

I love the beauty of a full-fledged vegetable garden. I love the feeling of tilling up the rich earth, setting up ever row in orderly designs, pulling out every weed, and watching the plants grow from tiny seeds to bountiful plants. It is truly miraculous.

In my garden, I do not seek to control nature so much as to find harmony with it. In some sense, I have ‘tamed’ to land. But in my hours of desperate need, the land tames me, filling my troubled soul with a sense of peace.