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On the harvest horizon
I cannot begin to describe my excitement. Yesterday was the first time I had seen our garden plots in a week due to the holiday. If you are a frequent gardener, you know how much can change in a week. A LOT. That’s how much. As I walked toward the first set of plots I realized how giddy I felt and probably looked like a little kid running for the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. The intricate corn plot designed by some of the girls back in May was now waist high. Next to that there were zucchini leaves the size of… well, something really big! And you would never guess what I found underneath those leaves! Zucchini! Not just the hint of a fruit to be picked on a future humid day, it was ready to pick on this humid day!
Zucchini, cucumbers, squash, peppers, tomatoes, oh my! They were all looking edible and I was getting more and more excited with every plot. This was all before my kids even arrived for the day. There were sunflowers showing color and potatoes flowering. I didn’t even mind that all of our beans were missing and replaced with weeds, there were baby peas!
When the kids arrived, they had an extra special treat waiting for them. With all of the rain and the hard work they put in last week weeding and mulching, I planned on taking them on a walk through the dome but first I had to show them all the changes taking place in their gardens. They were just as excited as I was! Now, kids being kids, there were a couple who tried to pick things that weren’t ready and we sacrificed a wee pepper and tomato but who doesn’t get caught up in the hype?! At that moment I knew what I had been planning and preparing for since February was beginning to pay off. The excitement, the interest, it was all worth it.
There wasn’t enough produce to take home to be divided evenly (although this zucchini was massive, I don’t think it would have been effective splitting it twenty ways!) so they left empty handed. The promise of Monday’s harvest, I hope, is lingering in their minds, preparing them to receive the rewards of hard work and respect for their dedication to the land.
