Christina's garden

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Why starting a vegetable garden?

I've loved gardening since I can remember. Every time I saw empty space in my grandparents' or my parents' yard I would plant any seeds I could find from the kitchen. Seeing anything growing always fascinates me and I developed a lot of interest in plants and animals. 

Since I moved into my own place, I started gardening right away. I have been experimenting with growing vegetables from kitchen scraps and commercial seeds; planting fruity bushes, and trees from fruit seeds. It's amazing to see what can live and grow in different types of soil and shade conditions, and how the plants attract various animals and the symbiosis among them. I should add that other than vegetables, I only grow perennials as planting annuals can be really costly. I also believe perennials create a more stable ecosystem in my neighbourhood. 

Another benefit of vegetables gardening is of course, the produce! It supplements my grocery. Gardening has also been helpful for my mental and physical health, especially during the pandemic stay-at-home period. Gardening, composting and landscaping are definitely alternatives for brain and physical exercises. I also joined a couple of gardening communities, a way for me to engage and exchange ideas with others. Landscaping also allows us to express our artistic side. We enjoy hunting for different kind of plants and landscaping materials, and playing around with textures, colours, and functionality.

Any lessons learned? 

The most challenging things about vegetable gardening are Calgary's unpredictable and extreme/fluctuating weather (lots of rain, dryness, hail, short warm growing season) and pests (mice, rabbits, bugs, magpies and other birds).  If there is anything I would do differently next year, I will spend more research to select plants that can grow in specific parts around the house, based on sun coverage and soil types. 

Any encouragement for those contemplating a vegetable garden? 

Just give it a try! We will find out if we enjoy it (or have passion for it) during the process. Seeing living things grow, multiply, survive the varied circumstances, mutate, and eventually die, all shows me "how great Thou art"! ​

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Christina Candra

Written by Christina Candra, a parishioner of St. Joseph's Parish in Calgary.