In the Garden

Thankfully, we've had some pretty cold weather this winter in sunny FLA, which is helping winter crops thrive. Yesterday, V. and I pulled these radishes from the garden, and I noticed that the broccoli rabe (which I love!) is beginning to bud. I have a recipe for broccoli rabe with gemelli and red potatoes that's a winter favorite and, knowing how hard it can be to find the vegetable, I decided to try my hand at planting it this winter.

I must say that the photos look lovely, but the garden itself is another story. L. tells me that I don't have a green thumb; although I immediately feel defensive when he says this, the implication being that our plants usually shrivel and die, practically speaking he's right. Except for a few young spinach plants, the rest of the garden is a desert wasteland. I still contend that this has less to do with my lacking a green thumb and more to do with my busy schedule and, I should admit, some forgetfulness. Plus, the garden wasn't helped any by our two-week trip to Virginia over the holidays. (Yes, the cats had a sitter, but the garden didn't.)

Now that we're back and I'm seeing the garden's lack of productivity, I realize a few things. First, I haven't done all that badly with the watering (and of course I've been aided by some lovely rainy days). Second, I really need to be willing to start seeds indoors or in a make-shift greenhouse, rather than being "lazy" and simply planting straight to the garden. This works for some vegetables (obviously the radishes, rabe, and spinach), but it didn't work this time around for the six or so other vegetables I planted.

What this means, of course, is that we should get busy constructing a greenhouse of sorts so that I can start some plantings for spring. I opt for the greenhouse over the indoor option given the fact that V., almost two years-old, is an active toddler (one of our family's favorite games is to tick a big bouncy ball around the house. L. or I will hold V. and then we'll try to kick the ball past each other, soccer-style. Fun, yes. Potentially dangerous to fragile seedlings--and the occasional lamp--of course).

This also means that my students are right: living more sustainably can feel like a good deal of work, which deters many from trying. As I reiterate to them, what matters is that we each find the areas of our lives where we are willing to do the work. We can start small with what aligns with our own values, passions, and energies. Then, we can see what sprouts from there.