And what I'm happy about is fresh basil. I could bathe in the scent. I love the leaves growing so large, some as large as my middle finger. They are the only things that have done well this year. The only tomatoes we have are cherry, and there's always banana peppers, but my rosemary died, my krim tomato died, and the green zebras aren't bearing. That's gardening for you.
Gardening is a rich heritage too. Every year, we get purple hull peas, and pear preserves from older women who have gardened their whole lives. Gardening gets you into the soil, out of your head. It gets you away from the American myth of total control over your destiny. If it rains too much, too bad. That's it for your rosemary. It gets you back to the rhythms of the earth. Our children should garden- I don't want a generation to grow up without the smell of fresh basil on their hands.
