Edmund and I collided head-on regarding my plan to create a small vegetable garden. He was so negative, the ever-negator, and the reasons for his objections dumbfounded me. He made me feel I didn’t know what I was doing. Hindi naman daw ako nagga-garden, baka daw kung saan-saan lang itatanim, hindi tutubo kasi batu-bato yung soil, etc. He had lots of reasons and non-I couldn’t understand and accept. Why we had to fight over my simple wish to have a tiny garden was beyond my comprehension. In my mind, so what kung hindi tumubo, so what kung mamatay yung mga tanim, so what kung masayang lang. If not now, kelan? When? We seldom go to the farm because we’re busy with many things, ten years would pass and wala pa rin kaming garden. When would I ever do a simple idea, a simple wish. We have a big enough land, all I wanted to occupy was a tiny plot so I couldn’t understand why he would not just let me be.
Last year I asked someone to come and inspect the spot where I wanted to put my garden. The guy was well known in his field, conducting regular seminars and contracted by multi-national companies for their own garden, etc. My husband didn’t believe in him, nagbe benta lang daw ng water treatment. I was so annoyed when he said that. Madalas hindi lang sya negator, supreme court judge pa.
Despite my husband’s violent objections, I went ahead. I didn’t care if he would get mad. Why should he? Garden lang ito ano. I just wanted to have bahay kubo veggies. From the day my apopoo was born up to about 10 months old, I sang bahay kubo to Theo everyday, several times a day, long playing. This garden will make him see in reality what Wowa was singing about—- talong, sitaw, patola, upo, mustasa, kamatis, luya, yeah, not all of them, but being able to actually see and touch and eat the veggies would be a good experience for my apo. When he is big enough to understand what this is, he could be inspired towards growing a sustainable source of healthy food.
After two years of dilly-dallying, I set up a small vegetable garden. Measuring 90 square meters only, it is a good start to my healthy eating. Everything planted here is edible and organic.
I was glad Edmund didn’t comment negatively after he saw my garden. And behold, he actually found my tiny garden nice. Ay thank you Lord.
Farmer Randy and his team of farmers helped me have an instant garden like magic.
I now have my own organic edible garden. Small but serves my purpose and fulfilled my wish.
I am happy. I feel kilig picking kale, lettuce, basil, arugula for my salad. I prefer to pick them while they are only two weeks old, babies pa. The leaves are softer, sweeter, basta masarap. And, I squeeze kalamansi as vinaigrette. And my kalamansi are freshly picked from the newly-planted but fruiting trees.
Sayang lang kasi, I ‘ve been busy lately and I couldn’t visit nor stay regularly at the farm.
Masarap sana dito, I am guaranteed to have a healthy diet which I badly need as per my recent medical tests. My liver is yelling “eat healthy!”
