Since planting my garden, all I can think about – all I can talk about – is my garden. As soon as I wake up, I run to the back yard and stare at the bare, black earth. In my pajamas and bare feet, I search each bed for signs of life.

Ah, what mysteries hide an inch below the soil!

After a week of rain and no sprouts, my enthusiasm turns into impatience. Then my impatience turns into self-doubt. As I reexamine the seed packets, I begin to question my abilities to read and follow basic instructions.

“Seedlings should appear in 7-10 days.”

Seven to ten days? I planted almost two weeks ago and not a single sprout has the courage to surface! Maybe I planted the cucumbers too deep? The corn too shallow?

In the elevator, a coworker asks about my garden. “Hey Greengirl! Anything coming up yet?”

I shake my head and frown. She smiles sympathetically. An awkward pause passes between us. Then her eyes widen with excitement.

“You should just see what I got growing in my garden!” she beams. “Lettuce, beans, snap peas – It’s amazing. Absolutely amazing!”

I bike home, jealous and frustrated. Even the Cedar Lake bike trail was overflowing with healthy, vigourous plants. Birds sang to each other from the tall prairie grasses. Perfume from yellow wildflowers was sweet and thick.

After dinner and a beer, I decide to torture myself with another look at the garden. Instead of barren dirt, my beds were alive with tiny stems and leaves! I clap my hands, hopping from one foot to the other in an elfin jig.

Behold… Spinach!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 14th, 2005 at 5:42 pm and is filed under Greens + Lettuces. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.