In My Grandfather's Garden

My grandfather had an amazing garden. His thumb was as green as Ireland. Every time my sister and I would leave from a visit, he would take us out into the garden and let us pick some flowers to make a little bouquet for us to take home. I always picked Snapdragons. They are one of my favourites.

When I was younger, I would help my mom plant her garden. I loved helping plant the peas, placing one pea at a time in a row, and then covering them with the soil. As I got older, I was given a section of the garden to plant my own vegetables. I planted carrots and cucumbers and peas -- my favourite vegetables; there's nothing quite like a fresh pod of peas. My little garden grew so well, and so much better than my mother's garden, that my mom took over that patch of garden the following year.

This year, my husband and I finally have dirt in our backyard, and I am looking forward to planting a garden again: potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peas, beans and tomatoes. I look forward to the day that my son can help plant the garden, and learn where his food comes from so he can appreciate the work that is involved in every meal that he eats -- even if it doesn't come from his own garden.

Me, as a little girl, watering some of my grandfather's flowers.