Gratitude/Thanksgiving Day #5: Pete's Gardens
On this cold cloudy day, just past setting the clocks back and having our first snow, my husband, Pete is out putting his gardens to bed for the winter. He’s harvesting the last of the carrots and beets and bringing in the bulbs for their winter rest. Thirty-two years ago, we planted a few raspberry bushes and a couple of squares of vegetables. Every year, Pete adds a little more. We joke that someday the garden will grow all the way to the house. Joking aside, I am so grateful for Pete’s gardens. There’s not just one now, there are many. Some way out at the point of our triangular yard and some by the house and in the back. From the first sprouts of Spring to the brown mess of Fall, his gardens bring joy to the passerby, fill our stomachs with fresh produce, and provide a place for bee and butterfly to drink their fill. Ah yes, sometimes I complain that he’s out there too much but deep inside, I’d hate for that land to just be grass to mow! Even the neighbors across the street comment how much they love the view of the garden.
This year, in addition to raspberries enough for several batches of jam, we had bean, snap peas, broccoli, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, black berries, zucchini, squash, watermelon, beets, carrots, a few strawberries and flowers and decorative grasses too many to mention. With such rich bounty, we have been able to share with others. He’s even been growing ornamental banana trees the last couple of years, a sweet reminder of my tropical childhood home!
What a treat today, to eat a delicious salad, some of which came from the garden! As I ate it, I noticed again how energizing it is to eat food that still has life in it, green vibrant life! I am grateful! Pete’s gardens!
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