I have been at this for two “summer”seasons. I ask myself, “when will I feel that I have moved beyond the novice stage?” Does it matter? Probably not. I am learning, reading and hearing that no matter how experienced you are, you always: encounter diseases, fight with the pests, and have successful and unsuccessful harvests. Some veggies will be a hit one year, and a flop the next. There is no way to predict! Doubt is a constant. Did I plant it at the right time? Was it too hot or too cold? Why didn’t it germinate? Did the birds eat the seed; were the seeds old; how long do I wait before I plant more seed? What disease is this? Is this insect good or bad? Should I kill it? Why isn't my healthy squash plant producing fruit? I see all the bees on it. And the list goes on…..When will I feel confident about my garden abilities and consider myself a seasoned gardener? That day may be difficult to reach because each season I add a new complexity to the task! I have experimented with grow bags, containers, veggie specific garden plots, shade tolerance, and saving and growing my own seeds! This year I have planted my first “Fall Garden,” and will be experimenting with cold covers to extend the season. I must admit, a year ago I really did not understand the difference between cool and warm weather season crops or that there were 3 garden seasons! (technically you can garden in winter but that would be a chore!). What I will say is this; There is JOY in gardening. I wake up each morning wondering what I will discover and contemplating what will be added to our dinner plate. In fact, I can CONFIDENTLY say I doubt a day has gone by since April that something has not made its way to our plates! It could be a simple sprig of thyme in our stew, to mint in our water to a full garden meal of gazpacho with a roasted eggplant and sautéed chard! Thank you Garden! Thank you Earth!
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