Greetings!
Recently, my life has been filled with joy because I developed the habit of gardening a few months back. To be very honest, earlier this year, I didn’t see myself getting involved in clearing grasses or leaving my comfort zone to check on plants, as we used to do back home. The idea primarily began when my boss saw some yam tubers I brought from home after my last trip, and he suggested I shouldn’t throw the heads away but plant them instead. Of course, I knew it was very beneficial to plant such heads rather than discard them, but the “stress” and disturbance it might bring were things I wasn’t ready for.
However, along the way, I decided to go for it. I cleared a space in the compound—actually, a room in an uncompleted building—and planted the yam. Fortunately, it was the rainy season, so the rain helped boost quick germination and growth.
As the yam was germinating, I noticed a pumpkin plant sprouting up. I secured it by placing blocks around it as a fence to avoid people accidentally stepping on it since they were using the cleared space as a shortcut.
You know what? I, who initially saw gardening as a disturbance, began to love visiting the place every now and then. It became a source of joy, and I can’t even count the number of photos of the garden I have on my phone. Seeing the yam extend its vines so stubbornly has brought me immense joy, reminding me of the days we spent farming back home. Twining the yam vines and observing how healthy they are growing gives me a satisfaction that words can’t fully explain.
Just like I posted on my WhatsApp timeline about my yam and captioned, “I initially planted this for food, but it’s now a pet,” I received hilarious reactions.
Late last month, I made my first harvest from the garden, and you need to see how satisfying, boastful, and noisy I was. I made sure everyone around me know about it....especially with the fact that the federal government of my country is admonishing everyone to go into farming/gardening to help reduce to hunger in the land.
Although it was a small pluck of leaves, it covered the day’s expenses for me. I remember going to the market that day to buy items to prepare soup, and for the very first time since I’ve been living in this area, I didn’t buy pumpkin because I had it at home. What a joy!
I needed to cut the pumpkin to help it spread more… yes, it was a calculated cutting.
The space, although not a big one and not containing many plants—since I once planted tomatoes and peppers that didn’t germinate—is not just serving as a food center for me to save money; it’s also serving as a cooling spot. Whenever I visit, it gives me a satisfaction that I’m still finding the right words to explain.
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to KISS prompt of the week
All photos are mine
