Seedlings

Just before we left on vacation (early February), I planted romaine seeds, broccoli raab seeds, beet seeds and Swiss chard seeds.  While we were gone, the weather was pretty nasty...cold, rainy and just plain dreary (glad we weren't here :).  Anyway, given the recent  wintry weather, I wasn't sure my seeds would germinate.  Well, I went out to the garden this morning, pushed back the straw and there they were...little tiny romaine, broccoli raab and beet sprouts.  WhooHoo!  That discovery sent me into, to quote a dear friend "ecstatic mother mode!"

romaine lettuce

  

broccoli raab

And here come the beets!

I know, I know...it doesn't look like much.  In fact, you can hardly see them.  But they are there and that's what makes gardening so exciting for me.  It starts with a seed, no bigger than a pinhead, and from that, eventually--with nurturing, good weather, food and sunshine--emerges a tiny little sprout and then a seedling, and finally a beautiful head of romaine lettuce that makes a wonderful green salad for your family or friends for dinner.

The process of growing vegetables is what excites me.  I love everything about it...planning the garden, preparing the beds, selecting the seeds, planting the seeds in the dirt, waiting for them to germinate, mulching the little babies, watering the seedlings, feeding them, watching them grow and finally harvesting good, fresh food that will end up on my dinner table.  I love thinking of different ways to prepare the vegetables that I grow.  That in and of itself requires some (ok...lots of ) creativity.  Think summer squash and tomatoes.  But I'm so passionate about food--where it comes from and how it's raised--that to me, there is nothing more rewarding than growing my own.  It must be in my bones or something because I just love it.

So that's why it's not difficult for me to get excited about a tiny new seedling.  As a dear friend and I once concluded...it's all about the food :)