And the tomatoes, with their smell of high summer, and the wavy lines of heat off our driveway and loud trill of cicadas in the background. I don't remember what we did with them, but I know that's where my love of growing things began. It was tomato plants that first called up a particular sense of wonder in our natural world. How could this tiny seed transform into these green sharp leaves, these yellow star flowers, this juicy bursting fruit?
The Garden Awakens Our Senses
There are times that the scents tantalize you, as in the thyme wafting up from a spring raking, or perhaps you go to where your cat is taking in the first of the catnip leaves and you too join in! Other days it may be the sounds of all the birds that capture your ears. A single buzz of a bee laden with pollen is one of my favorite moments in the quietude of the garden. Then the touch, the feel, of soil on your hands.
Vermont Woman Article
Julie Rubaud, owner of Red Wagon Plants, a greenhouse in Shelburne that specializes in seedlings, also feels that gardeners in Vermont are an increasing population. "My business grows easily 20 percent a year," says Rubaud. "Community gardening is exploding. People want to have a little plot even if they live in town." She attributes the growing interest to Vermont's cold climate. "Getting outside and growing beautiful plants helps feed the soul," she says. "Gardening is an antidote to our hectic digital lives. I don't know of anything else that can create a sense of wellbeing for all ages and sensibilities."