Labor Day in the Garden – A Labor of Love

Mostly I’m a very practical person. My motto is  let’s get the work done and then go have fun. My garden writings are meant to give you very specific suggestions for your Edible Landscape.  But every now and then I feel the need to wax philosophical, and you’ll just have to excuse me.

Labor Day is an American holiday that has been recognized on the first Monday in September since 1882. We take a day off to recognize the hard work of all the people. Gardeners are one of the hardest workers.  You can’t work theoretically in the garden.  Either you do it or you don’t. The plants live and die by our labor. We dig, and haul and plant and sweat and at the end of the day, there’s something to show for our efforts.

A few days later, with a good plan, and some great workers we have this:

The rewards of the garden are huge.  I have often thought that I’m like a 5 year old, needing instant gratification from my work.  My friends who are therapists and teachers can work for years before seeing the results of their labor. We gardeners on the other hand, stand back at the end of the day and can see what we’ve done. Then we go and eat what we’ve grown.

I’ve been working in my own garden for over 20 years.  It has taken shape VERY SLOWLY. Most of my time was spent working and raising my three sons. And that is as it should be. I encourage you to be patient with yourself and with the growing of the garden.

Over time you get to know you home’s particularities of weather: sun, storms and wind.  You will see it in all  four seasons. Inch by inch and row by row, you will gradually turn your yard into a garden of delight.  For me it’s been a labor of love, and worth every drop of sweat.