Sprout

Sprout

This spring it seems like this is the word encompassing my life. 

Verb: to begin to grow; shoot forth

I am happy to see that most if my seeds are doing this as planned although I suspect some of them are a little to old and may not get going at all this year.  I feel like a little bit of a gambler here – do I restart more, or just wait it out in case they are slow to emerge? 

To me, this is the most delicate time for the garden, a balancing act of light, water, time, and of course, patience. 

Noun: a young person; youth

My son is almost 7 months old now and I wonder what he thinks about watching his mom pay a good amount of time and attention to these other “sprouts” and the fact that he has already logged several hours sitting in his stroller while his mom tills beds and places seeds in the hope that they will “sprout”.

Verb: to cause to sprout

I wonder about both sorts of seeds I am trying to sow here.  Immediately, will it be a successful garden this year, will we feast out of it all summer long, will there be enough to can and freeze some of the best bits for winter?  Long term, will my son develop a similar love for the process of gardening, will he look forward to muddy spring days outside with me and the daily checking of the seed trays, somewhat magical, when a green shoot appears?

In the end, I suppose both involve a lot of work, a bit of luck, and likely some gentle coaxing.