I have been an avid gardener for many years, but as my other interests have expanded and my body has aged gently, I have come to realize that my garden is too big for my somewhat-waning interest. Last fall I returned a 20'x20' section to lawn. I am doing the same now with a section that is about 16'x24'. Trust me, this is a lot of work. It's uncomfortable both on my muscles and my spirit, with several mixed emotions.
Because of our lovely trees, there is so much shade in the yard now that growing vegetables is no longer possible. That first ripe tomato each season was always an item of enormous anticipation. Now those come from the Farmers' Market (for which I am very grateful). Feeling overwhelmed with the size of the garden makes me feel old. There's definitely some discomfort in that, especially since overall, I'm very strong and healthy. And there's the ever-present reminder of how quickly time has passed, even though it seems like yesterday that we moved in here (1985), and there was nothing but grass--no trees, no flower beds.
While I know this effort of returning the area to grass will make my life easier, and enable me to enjoy the remaining garden area, I still feel some sadness. Life is precious and too short.
Leta
No comments:
Post a Comment