The Awkward Gardener

Hello, all. It’s been quite a while since I’ve written. Unfortunately, I’ve been busy with the mundane things of life, such as school, work, fretting about alien invasions and if the world will indeed end in 2012. You know, normal stuff…

Anyhoo, winter has arrived. Winter is my nemesis, my bane, my reason for overeating and fat pants. I hate winter. As I thrive in the balm of summer, I thus wither in the bitterness of winter. To make things worse, it has snowed more this winter than I can remember in all my winters living outside of Florida. Wet snow, fluffy snow, hard snow - just snow, snow, snow! It’s enough to make one lose their appetite, well almost. No, not at all.

Unfortunately, a lot of what I’m eating is decidedly unhealthy. I’ve turned into a carb-ivore, devouring all things bready, doughy, pasta-y, or starchy. Crunchy or chewy, it doesn’t matter. Dipped in dips, smothered in cheese, hot or cold, I’m having a personal carb-apalooza. When I think back to how I was eating over the summer, it makes me want to weep. Or eat a bowl of chips.

It’s enough to make Dr. Atkins do spins in his coffin. He’d have enough room for that, being so trim and all, since apparently no carb passed his lips since, like 1952.

I certainly did try to keep up the healthy eating habits as the bright colors of summer faded to fall. However, after the last of our prolific tomatoes were eaten, I found it very hard to actually buy a store tomato. It felt unsavory, as if I was being unfaithful to my little garden. Vegetables lay forgotten in the bottom drawer of the fridge. The salads we were eating with every meal dwindled to nothing. It’s not quite the same pouring it out of a bag.

I came home one day to find all the trappings of our mosh-posh garden gone. Fearless Leader had taken everything down: withered plants pulled up, pots and buckets emptied of their soil, the raised garden built from our old deck wood dismantled. Our porch looked positively naked and exposed. It was unsettling. (It has since become a sort of haven for all the stray cats in the neighborhood who have taken unfair advantage of my need to nurture things.)

I think it’s no small coincidence that I began to feel lethargic and depressed. It’s not just that I was sad about not having my garden to tend to, but the change in diet that brought me down. It certainly reinforced in me the belief that we are meant to grow our own food, and be the champions of our own bodies by virtue of what we put in them. We have become too apathetic about what we eat. We mourn our lost waist- lines, and try to fix the problem by consuming questionable weight-loss shakes and “diet foods,” most of which resemble NASA experiments more than nutrition. More and more people are suffering from mental issues, but it’s a rare doctor or psychiatrist that will question diet before they hand over a happy pill (a definite misnomer, since none have ever made me “happy,” only less alarmingly morose or homicidal).

Even though last summer was just a small-scale experiment, and my first attempt at growing food, I can honestly say I can’t imagine NOT having a veggie garden from now on. I believe it’s more than having fresh vegetables ready at any time. I think the benefit also comes from the actual work of tending to your own food. Now, planting a few tomatoes in some buckets isn’t as physically benefiting as tilling the back 40, but it’s still an activity that gives me pleasure and satisfaction. We weren’t meant to hunt down our food in freezer cases, or pick our vegetables from rather smelly crates. I realize this isn’t a radically new concept, but it bears reiterating. I feel everyone should grow something edible, at least once. It helps you to stop taking food, and your own health, for granted. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, which does wonder for your self-esteem. It also tends to curb the urge to stab people with pointy things.

This is a definite worry after being snowed in for days at a time.

I’m already thinking about this summer’s garden. Unfortunately, it will be a little tricky since I will be moving to another town sometime after May due to transferring to a four year college to continue my education. Because of this, it will most likely be more of a true container garden, with very little put in ground, so I can take it all with me. I have no idea where I will be moving to, or how much outdoor space I will have, but I think having room for my garden will be a priority. And… stepping on the scale this morning has made it less of a novelty and more of a necessity. I’m itching to get started, especially after the few rare sunny and relatively warm days we’ve had here lately, breaking up the snowy monotony. I can’t wait to get out there, working in the sun, getting dirt under my nails. In the meantime I will have to content myself with garden planning, store bought salads, lots of bready treats, and stretchy pants.

Until spring, then…

Happy planning!


The Awkward Gardener