Hello everyone! My name is Chelsea and this is my second year with Grow Wayne.

It has been such a wonderful learning experience from the very start. I look forward to the years to come! To me, as a small town, middle of no where girl, gardening is so much more than just putting food on the table. It’s a place where I go to connect with my roots and reflect on past shared memories. There is a certain peace that comes over me when I get to spend time working out in the garden.

I am a person of faith and I often view my garden from a biblical perspective. To me, gardening is a representation of a relationship whether with the Lord or with someone you love. The more time you spend out there fixing the mishaps and maintenance/shaping the better the outcome. If you neglect the garden the weeds take over and choke out what you’ve worked so hard to start, just as if you would neglect a person. It takes time and effort but in the end you can get beautiful results.

Gardening is not only a pleasure but it’s also a challenge. Sometimes there are problems you face that you wouldn’t think about preparing for in a garden much like in life. For example, this year a torrential downpour of rain caused an intense flash flood that knocked over my crops and challenged their existence. This took time to heal and required me to spend some extra time giving the garden TLC.

Life is unpredictable, we can only control so many variables and are ultimately left at the mercy of the Universe. This doesn’t make it impossible it just makes it a challenge at times.

The month of July is one of the best gardening months because my favorite vegetables are producing in full swing. In the early spring/summer when you are out hoeing your garden drenched in sweat it can often feel like you’ll never get to reap your rewards. The excitement of watching sprouts bloom then transition into full size crops will never get old to me. There is nothing more exciting than being able to satisfy a hunger craving for a vine ripe tomato from the comfort of your own home. That is the moment you realize it was worth all the labor, mistakes, and time/effort.

For the month of July I have successfully grown tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and zucchini. I have been able to share the harvest with close family/friends which is always a blessing. One of the beauties of gardening is being able to provide and give to other people. A small gesture can travel a long way.

Despite the insects, pesky birds, and critters, I am very pleased with this year’s gardening experiences. I am looking forward to homemade salsa and pickles of course!!

 

– A Grow Wayne Gardener’s Perspective by Chelsea Caldwell