I am proud to call myself a gardener, a grower, a nurturer of plants.
What do I grow?
I grow anything I take a fancy to - cacti, succulents, food flowers, bonsai, fruit trees and many more. People are often surprised that I grow so much in a such a small space on my terrace.
I believe where there is a will there is a way.
Is growing stuff hard, does it really pay?
These are some of the questions my city friends ask me all the time. I agree it is hard work, no good thing in life comes easy. Its true, you've got to be in battle mode all the time. It is either pests, too much rain, too much sun, thunderstorms uprooting your garden, or some other thing like water scarcity that could come upon you, but such is life and you don't run away from it. It's tough but worth it.
What does it do for me?
Brings me joy and contentment to see the work of my hands flourish. Delights me to think that I can make beauty appear wherever I want and produce food for my family from scratch.
There is so much peace that comes from simply staring at these beauties.
Health and healing is in my food. When I have what I need from the best source like this turmeric from my garden I know I am on the right path.
Gardening is about knowing when to do what. This little lime bush was my bonsai for 6 years. Two years ago I decided to let it live a normal life, no shapely pruning or small container for it I decided. From that moment on it is always over hung with fruits. Its still just about a foot and a half tall.
Sometimes freebies like these cherry tomatoes arrive and fill my salad plate with goodness. I have tomatoes and mint growing everywhere from the kitchen waste I have heaped into a couple of bins . Some sweet potato vines have found their way into sacks in which I have stored used ( waiting to be thrown in the compost bin) soil and is now producing a huge crop. It comes unasked and it could go the same way. I take it as it comes.
My heart fills with gratitude when I see the blessing around me. Each fruit, each leaf, each twig is a blessing in so many ways. Everyday I have some thing from my garden on the table.
Motivation and joy flows when I see abundance in my life. This passion fruit vine was a tiny four inch twig once. Now it fills a whole stretch of my terrace and gives me so much deliciousness in season.
This pomegranate bush is about three feet tall, but produces enough for my family to feel satisfied. I air-layered it from my friends plant and now I have two more plants ready to fruit in a couple of months.
To me this is life, being one with nature simple and fruitful. Multiplying and sharing our blessings with others.
There is beauty in simplicity!
All images used in this blog are the sole property of @sofs-su.
This post is my entry to the amazing nature thematic challenge,click here for more details.