I'm talking about the 'getting your hands grubby and mucking about in the soil' style of gardening. Gardening that takes a bit of grunt. Effort that exerts and brings out a sweat; the type of sweat you'd pay expensive gym membership for.
The term 'gardening' appears to be a bit of a 'turn off' these days. The idea of getting dirt under your finger nails is decidedly disgusting to some people. I've even seen people shudder at the idea!
But what if we actually took up real gardening; the type of gardening our grandparents or great-grandparents took for granted. You know, where they grew their own fresh vegetables and herbs and took pride in their harvest. Where vegetables grown in the garden were prized for their freshness and taste; and were never discarded just because they were an odd shape or size.
And where herbs and flowers were grown in the garden and given as thoughtful gifts. Where it wasn't unusual to actually know the name of numerous flowers. Where cuttings and seeds were swapped with neighbours and friends, carefully transplanted and sown by their new owners.
Nowadays, we often refer to these vegetables and flowers grown only a generation or so ago as heirloom or heritage varieties. They're no longer common but unusual. And the growing and nurturing of them is seen as a less than valuable activity; something to do when you've retired or too old to be much use elsewhere.
Gardening is almost scorned by the average consumer these days, it seems. The disconnect between fresh food and the soil it grows in is widening. This is demonstrated in the supermarket in myriad examples; the young checkout person needs help identifying previously common vegetables and fruits; small sticky labels on single pieces of fruit often the only clue as to the identity of the fruit. And only certain sizes and shapes of fruits and vegetables are acceptable apparently, leaving vast quantities of perfectly edible fruit and vegetables dumped by the tonne.
Such wastage was seen as a huge sin by my parents and grandparents who had each grown up in the era of world wars and depressions. Food was a scarce resource and if you were fortunate to be able to grow your own, you were indeed blessed.
Along with such wastage is the loss of the basic skills of gardening; taken for granted a generation or so ago. We have lost so much knowledge; understanding the seasons, an appreciation for the vast variety of fruits and vegetables that can be grown; knowing how to preserve gluts of vegetables and fruit; a basic understanding of horticulture.
If we all took up a little gardening and re-learnt some lost skills, perhaps we'd develop some independence from vast food chains that supply us with non-food. And we might even grow a generation that has a new appreciation for nature, and the soil our food is grown in. We might even develop a taste for fresh food and fresh flowers that don't resemble anything we'd find in large supermarkets and food halls.
We'd certainly be healthier, more connected to our neighbours and community as we share gluts of fresh food and flowers. We might even develop a new appreciation for the joys of gardening!
Imagine that!
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