A Garden Hymn

The Mindful Kitchen by Heidi Barr

This morning, in the waves of chilly air whistling in through the irresistible opening in the front window, I can hear birds chirping and frogs singing to each other. Life outside is in full swing as creatures of all sorts revel in the slowly warming temperatures–in celebration that everything is waking up. There are seed potatoes sprouting in a box by my feet, waiting to be planted and broccoli seedlings outside the back door getting used to the natural air before moving to their soil bed in the garden. Wildflowers of brilliant blue and bright white are popping up through old leaf cover in the woods. The great blue heron has made her homecoming to the shores of the lake. After a winter that lingered, spring has embraced the landscape again.

As I look out the front window, I see the section of field has been tilled under, eagerly awaiting those broccoli seedlings. They will get planted. We will water, mulch, compost and cultivate.. Plants will grow. Some plants will not.  Some will get…