Tonight I want to start a series of blog postings that I will call simply "Reasons I Garden."  This may help some readers understand my passion to garden and why I think it should be such an integral part of owning a home.

When I am lonely, disheartened or just confused and bewildered with the cares of the world I find solace in the garden.  In the Biblical creation story in Genesis  chapter two verse 15 the text reads, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."   I often hear from observers of my garden, "Isn't this a lot of work?."  The word "work" is said with disdain and repulsiveness.Work was created before man chose to disobey God. The Garden of Eden was created to be a place of work.  To be able to care for a garden was part of God's very early plan.  

When I am in the garden I am drawn to the beauty of the the plants, the birds and insects foraging, the symetry of so many plants, the smells emanating from blossoms, the moist earth and the rich composting materials.  I am drawn to the garden because it was a place originally designed for me to nurture and for the creation to nurture my soul.  

Frankly it baffles me when I see so many people who would rather spend their time on a treadmill than working in a garden.  Yes, it is work but it is the only work that is truly sustainable.  Caring for the garden can provide healthy excercise, healthy nourishment and healthy spiritual refreshment..  

It is my opinion that the desire to take "the work" out of gardening is at the core of all of the uses of chemicals to feed the plants and chemicals to kill the "pests."   It is as if the serpant from the garden even today continues to tell us a lie so that we can believe "we can save ourselves from work."    Rediscovering the joy of work can be the beginning of spiritual health.  I am so very thankful that I get to work.  The idea of retirement has no ring of joy to me.  I hope and pray I can work until the day I die.

I  lay a challenge before all those who have grown weary of work.  Let me help you begin to garden in even a very small way.

     Dig a little spot that is three by three and turn in the leaves several times this fall.  Before it freezes hard cover with a pile of leaves.  Now if you are not a winter gardener you can spend time on the treadmill while you brouse the seed catalogues.  Go to Fedco Seeds and order their catologue.  The catalogue is much more extensive than their web site and it is a joy to read information on their seeds.

 One of my favorite peppers was discovered as I was reading the Fedco catalogue.  As I recall the Jimmy Nardello pepper was named after somone's uncle who immigrated to the US from Italy and brought these pepper seeds on his voyage.  Jimmy's are long and very dark red peppers with a mild sweet flavor.  They are the first peppers in my garden to ripen.