wannabeherbal's Blog

Joy in a pot of dirt
Jun 1, 2007 | 4:40 PM PST
Tag: reflection

This is my second full summer married to my wife.  This is the second full summer we'll have spent in our apartment.  This is the second garden we've had.

Living in an apartment, my wife and I are forced to use pots if we wish to have any kind of a garden.  This has not deterred us.  Quite the contrary in fact, as we are more likely to grow things in pots than we would had we been in a house this whole time.  For one thing, We'll be moving (hopefully) within the next year, so this will allow us to take our green children with us.  For another, I can grow dandelions to my heart's content without having to worry about them taking over everything.  (As long as I don't let it go to seed that is)  Really, the only bad part about our apartment garden is the lack of space.  Our deck is 10' x 10' - which is a great size for an apartment deck, but not such a great size if you want to have a decent-sized garden, a grill, an arbor, and still be able to have friends over for a glass of wine on a cool summer's evening.  We've managed well though I think.  My current fear is that the table on which we've placed the majority of our plants could give out.  It's horribly weather-beaten (it isn't an outdoor table - it was actually our first kitchen table), and has begun to sag in the middle.

I love spending time on my deck, watering the various plants.  It gives me time to think.  Not only to think, but also to recharge.  Whether I'm watering, planting, potting, repotting, weeding, or spraying garlic/pepper water on the ants trying to eat all my cilantro, I feel . . . at home.  That's what I love about gardening: it's so natural.

I paint cars for a living.  Bumpers, panels, paint chips, clearcoat scratches, and interior repairs - I fix them all.  The thing that really eats at my sense of pride in my occupation however, is the fact that all I do is cosmetic repairs.  There's nothing natural about what I do.  I use chemicals, man-made putties and fibers, and more chemicals to make a car look better.  The only natural thing about cars in the first place is rust, and my job is to do paint repairs before rust has a chance to set in.  I have a wonderful counter-balance though: my garden.

My garden is more than just a collection of miscellaneous potted plants.  It is my sanctuary where I can simply be quiet and watch things grow.  Aside from the physical rewards of food (from the edible plants anyway), being a part of something that has been going on since the Earth began - without mankind's assistance, gives me the feeling that I'm part of something much bigger, older, more important than anything any human ever thought up.

That is where I derive joy in a pot of dirt.