Why I Garden

Many (but not all) of us find our way to Cobb Hill with a desire to interact with the land in some way. In addition to the fact that we have a farm here (Cedar Mountain Farm, owned and run by the Leslie-Gawalt dynamic duo) that provides many nourishing products, some of us are drawn to the autonomy of gardening - providing some of our own sustenance, like veggies, fruit, flowers, and medicine. It’s not a prerequisite to have a green thumb, but many of us enjoy having our hands in the soil, whether right around our house, or in a larger plot down the hill set aside for garden space, where the soil is best. We don’t individually own the garden space, but rather tend and steward it until we no longer wish to. When asked to answer, “why do you garden?” here is what a few folks shared:

I grow vegetables and fruits because I get a lot of joy out of growing some of my own food and eating food fresh from the garden. It tastes SO yummy and fresh and provides food for putting up in various ways (canning, root cellar, freezing, drying) so I can enjoy it all year long. I put my canning jars on the kitchen wall, like a backsplash, to enjoy the visual beauty of the colors and textures from the garden...visitors love seeing them in our kitchen and it is great to share the beauty in this way. But the biggest reason I garden is because it makes me feel closer to the earth, the seasons, the insects, and the soil. Gardening takes my busy mind away from its daily rumination and focuses my thoughts onto the sensory pleasures of digging, pulling, planting, watering, picking, smelling, tasting, and just being. – LL

I garden because it is magical! Tiny seeds grow into plants abundant with food or flowers! And it challenges my attunement to my environment, my skills at building soil, my patience and perseverance. Perhaps more than all of this I derive a huge amount of satisfaction in harvesting, preparing, and eating what I have grown, knowing that this food and these flowers were produced on our land, without chemical inputs or pesticides. And how awesome is it to be surrounded by other gardeners/farmers who one can share skills, successes, and failures with? The learning never stops, nor the beauty of gardens. – SG

I garden because it connects me to the land. Working the soil helps to ground me (no pun intended!), draining away any stress and/or negative energy that I've accumulated over the course of my day. My garden brings me peace, a place of sanctuary from the realities of everyday life, as I continue the process of nourishing myself with fresh organic vegetables (& free exercise!). And all the while, my senses are stimulated: I feel the sun on my back, the wind in my face, the soil between my fingers. I hear the birds chirping, I smell the soil and plant aromas, and I see the various shades of multiple earth colors all around me. My gardening is one way for me to honor (& preserve) this gift of fertile land that I have been blessed with. – BE

It grounds me, brings me joy and solace. There’s nothing better than eating organic veggies from our garden. Flower gardening is my passion and livelihood. – KS

I garden because of the taste of fresh food, a more tangible way to participate in sustainability than the writing and analysis of my "day job" and to get exercise, feel sunshine, and work together with others. – BS

I find gardening short of a miracle. These little seeds germinate into incredible plants whether it be vegetables, flowers, or herbs that feed us and give us joy. It’s a haven for me. My own space. Even weeding gives me a sense of satisfaction when completed. – HP

I garden because tending my plants is often the only reasonable excuse I can come up with to leave my comfortable inside world. I garden because I adore the parade of surprises, delightful and horrifying, that await in the myriad textures of soil, under the sun-warmed stones, in the aromas that hang in humid summer air, or hide on the underside of the rough, hairy leaves. I garden because I’m compelled to believe, against all odds and evidence, that this will be the season I manage to succeed at keeping back the oppressive forces and somehow accomplish the paradise garden of my dreams. I garden because I have a poor memory. I garden because of that lonely hour at dusk, dizzy with petrichor, on hands and knees, when the moonrise manages to take my breath away once again, and I don’t feel so alone. – AG