Toes in the dirt

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.
To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.
~ Alfred Austin

This was a gardening weekend for us - true to Canadian tradition. It was a lot of work, and a lot of dirt. Em and I spent a good chunk of Sunday in the garden center and then shoeless in the garden and I dragged everybody back for a mini workbee on Monday afternoon. We got the plot cleaned up, the strawberries and raspberries trimmed and transplanted, the beds laid out and what felt like a mountain of compost mixed in. We gathered enough rocks from the soil to make a small path between our beds.

Over the past few weeks I have been immersed in gardening books and blogs and I've been thinking about some of the things this new adventure is bringing to our family:  another way to connect with nature and honour the seasons; a deeper understanding of our food and where it comes from; a sense of responsibility and (hopefully) wonder and pride as they taste their first harvest; a new community - Em's already making friends with the neighbours; a new hobby for me and maybe some new goals.  I'm grateful for the growth in all its forms - the chance to dig our toes into the dirt and stretch at the same time.