Knit vs. Crochet

The ongoing drama(?) of a girl torn between two obsessions with too little time.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Zen and the art of gardening in a drought


It would be only natural that the year I started gardening would be a year of record drought here in central north carolina. The area lakes are all drying up, lawns are crispier than...rice krispies, and we're all on mandatory water restrictions.
Even before the drought, however, I've noticed that gardening has made me a more mindful person--more conscious of my actions, what I eat, what I buy. In a way, gardening has changed my life. It has made me appreciate the difference between good and bad produce on a completely different level. Before I ate a homegrown tomato ripened on the vine I didn't care to eat tomatoes at all--only being familiar with the bland styrofoam-like imitations on store shelves. I knew nothing of the joys of freshly picked lettuce, eating a sugar snap pea off the vine, even fresh herbs.
Or, of the warm little touch of pride when serving something made with veggies you grew yourself. That "do it yourself" attitude has spread itself to other aspects of my eating--making homemade pickles, curing salmon (both of which were delicious, BTW).
And then there's the whole turning into one of those "granola" people...planning a grey-water recycling system to water the garden (my ersatz grey water system right now consists of using dishwater to water my plants), concocting homemade pesticides (neem oil, hot sauce, and liquid soap), shopping at the farmer's market. I'm even going to finally start composting!
Gardening has opened up a whole new world of thinking for me. Mmm. I think I'm in the mood for some pickles.

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