3.27.22
It is time for the turning of the earth. That time of year when the days are lengthening, temperatures are warming, birds are singing and nest building, and the earth calls to you. Because we tend to leave such things as carrots and Brussel sprouts and the occasional few onions in the garden over the winter, we wait until spring to clear out the detritus of the past growing season. First, I hook up our rotary harrow – whose primary purpose had been to keep our riding arenas nice and smooth – to our old Ford-Ferguson tractor, as it does a dandy job of pulling up corn stalks, grass and other weedy remnants. Easily dragging the accumulated debris to a pile for later burning. Once that is done, it is Darrell’s turn. Our vegetable garden plot is so large that no walk behind cultivator will do, the job is accomplished by a near four-foot rototiller attached to his tractor instead!
As he turns over the soil, making pass after pass, the earth is tilled deep and then smoothed to an even bed just begging to be planted. Yet we know it is not quite time. Between now and our usual planting date in mid to the latter part of May, Mother Nature will still have some surprises in store for us. Sunny days that fool you into thinking warmer weather is here to stay followed by nights dipping down below freezing and numerous chilly, wet days reminding you Spring is a fickle season. Yet seeing that freshly worked soil, smelling the scent of the earth, you find yourself itching to get plants in the ground!
The turning of the earth is a ritual at this time of year. Just as the seasons turn from winter to spring, summer to autumn, our bodies and minds also must turn and go with the flow of seasonal change. A couple of weeks ago, both Darrell and I found ourselves in the doldrums. The long, cold winter, the snow and ice and all the challenges that come with dealing with such a long spell of frozen weather, had taken a bit of a toll on us. My fall and subsequent broken arm left me unable to do some of the simplest of chores. Patient as I can be when it comes to working with animals or trying to fix something that requires fiddling and finesse, I am not very patient with myself. Okay, I will admit it, I tend to push myself a bit too hard sometimes, convinced I am being wimpy if I succumb to just sitting and resting or, as in the past few weeks, babying my injured wing! Yet spring is here and with it the urge to get outside and work!
Just as our vegetable garden has been freshly turned over, this time of year gives us the opportunity to turn our hearts and minds over as well. It revitalizes us, refreshes us, awakens the urge to get those spring chores done that have been niggling in the back of the mind for a while. It is a time for planning. As Darrell finishes tilling up the large inside garden – as we call the area inside the permanent palisade style garden fence – we sit side by side on the ground, sipping a cool drink and deciding what will be planted where. The soil will be worked over numerous times before the actual planting of seeds and seedlings will begin. However, this early planning of where watermelons and tomatoes, potatoes, squash, cabbages and Brussel sprouts, turnips, carrots and onions will go is such fun. The outside garden – as the secondary large area which has a more temporary fence around it is called – will be home to corn, beans and pumpkins for the most part.
As we sit there in the warm sunshine, the sounds of spring surround us, the pungent smell of freshly turned earth brings an involuntary smile to our faces. Our souls drink in the peacefulness and we take a moment to remember all we have to be thankful for on this glorious spring day… the turning of the earth day.