GARDEN MAGIC amy furman
To create a garden is to search for a better world. In our effort to improve on nature, we are guided by a vision of paradise. Whether the result is a horticultural masterpiece or only a modest vegetable patch, it is based on the expectation of a glorious future. This hope for the future is at the heart of all gardening. ~ Marina Schinz My six-year-old son wants to be a farmer when he grows up. His plans include an elaborate irrigation system and a store to sell his organic produce and homemade goodies like pies and jam. He knows it will be a lot of work but is determined to be successful with the help of his “wives”. A mother couldn’t be prouder. Apart from the polygamy, of course. Participating in the family garden has no doubt sparked his interest in producing food. He has sown the seeds, watered, weeded and harvested. He has witnessed firsthand how sunlight, earth, water and poop (super exciting!) transform a seed into fuel for our bodies, as if by magic. As a society, we’ve become disconnected from the land and from the source of our food. Hunting, gathering or growing food is a primal part of being human. Reclaiming that connection can be a stepping stone in redesigning our lives to more fully express our being. Want to begin the journey into producing your own food? If you’re not ready to plow the back forty, here are a few easy options. Every significant lifestyle change starts with one small step.
For our family, exploring how to grow our own veggie patch on our own land has led us farther down the path to creating our ideal lives. Just as a seed planted in your garden germinates and grows, the seed of a life changing idea can spark your own magical transformation.