plant a garden. plant pumpkins.

There is nothing quite like the pleasure of enjoying the bounty of a garden that started as tiny seeds that you set in the ground. I am amazed every year when things sprout out of the earth. I am amazed that two days ago I brought this beautiful pumpkin inside from my tiny backyard garden. I didn’t even plant pumpkins this year, but I guess the seeds from last year’s fall porch decorations were in my compost pile. You can imagine my surprise when the large leafed vine started emerging from my tiny cucumber bed. I can’t tell you how proud I was to carry this pumpkin into the house.

Figure out how you can have a garden next spring. A container garden is a great place to start. I have two 4x8 raised beds outside by backdoor. Every year I plant swiss chard, spinach, a lettuce mix, pickling cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. I am amazed every year how much food I produce in this tiny bit of soil. Some year I want to count how many thousands of cherry tomatoes are produced from my three tiny starter plants.

Start a garden someplace in your life. Then stand back and marvel as you watch what you planted grow. And be ready for nice surprises like my pumpkin.