The Love for Gardening is in My Gene!

Bean seeds sprouting in reused containers

I just spoke with my mother on the phone, and I remembered to ask her if she got her green thumbs from my maternal grandmother, an avid gardener. My mother has big pots of plants outside her HDB apartment in Singapore, and she always tend to her plants with tender loving care. I remember whenever we visited my maternal grandmother on weekends when we were young, we would love to hang out around her beautiful flowers and plants. Sadly she passed away in 2000.

My mother confirmed that that is the case, and I told her that I have suddenly become crazy about gardening lately and am wondering why this is happening. So I am not crazy after all since it's just my natural instinct to yearn to dig the soil and see plants growing from seeds.

I told her that since we were successful at growing tomatoes and bell peppers last summer, all praise be to Allah SWT, we are going to try to grow other vegetables e.g. cucumber, beans and peas.

She also gave me a good piece of advice for growing healthy plants: Boil unused parts of vegetables e.g. potato skins, hard stems etc. in a pot of water. When cooled, use this water to water the plants.

Speaking about the love for gardening (aka physical labor), I just heard this wonderful essay by Mary Serten Corby on This I Believe.

Mary Seton Corboy
February 13, 2009
Mary Seton Corboy founded the Greensgrow Farm in 1998. She and her team of gardeners have become a national model of perseverance and commitment to urban farming. Corboy transformed a superfund site into a thriving garden that is still in full swing. In her essay she explores her belief in the power of physical labor.

Hear it here: http://www.whyy.org/podcast/thisibelieve/tib20090213.mp3