The Joy of Gardening!

Imagine, the freedom of quickly grabbing some Spring onion, lemon grass, mint from the garden. The joy of using own garden tomatoes, garlic cloves, peas, globe artichokes, cantaloupes!

My parent’s garden had enriched my life immensely. Without those guavas during homework, the mangoes in summer, the oranges in winter, my childhood would have been too boring.

So, subconsciously I always craved a garden. In coastal California, houses are expensive. But we managed to save enough to get a house with a decent-sized garden.

It kept my sanity during pandemic lockdown. With two small kids tagging along me, I can't even give it my due attention. But it has given such joy and treats.

From leeks, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, guava, strawberries, chilies, I have harvested a large variety of fruits and vegetables.

The sun-parched garden looks like its dead. But comes winter rain spells, and lettuce, and purple mustard pop up everywhere.

There are ample flowers for honeybees, hummingbirds, finches. Sometimes Monarch butterflies visit too.

I had so much mint, the entire neighborhood could not have made any dent.

Nasturtium and sweet pea vines turn the yard into delightful, vibrant, fragrant paradise.

I grew lovely narcissus, daffodil, crocus, gladiolus, day lily, freesia from bulbs. They stay dormant in the soil, proliferating, to surprise me in Spring.

The joy of digging the soil and discovering potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes is indescribable!

Vases of seasonal flowers for the living room. Coreopsis, scarlet flax, lupine, poppy, blanket flower, larkspur, daisy, hollyhock, geranium, cosmos, aster.

I have fenugreek and mustard seeds from the garden.

The kids like to munch on sunflower seeds, and chick pea pods. They see earthworms, roly poly, bees in action.

They help me pant spring onion, and save seeds.

We have the joy of picking garden guava. My nostalgia is quenched.

I have tried zucchini flower fritters, chamomile tea, nasturtium leaves powder, kale chips, leek soup, radish pods, sweet potato leaves stir-fry, chia seedlings in salad!

We get workout, fresh air, vitamin D. The composting, weeding, pruning, watering, everything is so healing.

The burst of flavors of garden tomatoes! I do aromatherapy with mint and citrus geranium. There is no joy like picking a variety of greens on a summer morning.

The therapeutic effect of watering the plants. The sound of water on the foliage!

The joy of turning each ounce of kitchen garbage to organic fertilizer! I love tossing and turning the rotting biomass. Even kitchen water went to the garden!

I was driven enough to collect bags of fallen oak leaves from local parks to mulch my raised beds. In pregnancy!

I have seen sharpshooter, spittle bug, aphids, ladybug, spiders playing their parts.

Cabbage loopers destroy our kale. We see how difficult it is to grow food! I have killed blueberry, passion fruit, and dragon fruit plants. I have let my ixora, mandevilla, camellia, azalea, night jasmine perish. Seasons don’t always favor your efforts. Some seeds never grew. Wasted money on so many. Not every zone is for every plant. Failure is inevitable.

Each year is different in the garden. There are celebrations, there are frustrations. Tons of learning along the way.

I have shared mint, and lemongrass with people.

My garden gives me endless stories to write on different platforms. Garden offers mindfulness and stress relief. It's a sanctuary, a haven, an enchanted place.

I can go on and on. I can just say, I love it so much, I wish it on everybody.

Try dabbling your hand on gardening, for own good.

I hope, my garden photos inspired you.