🪴 Peace in the Soil: How Gardening Nurtures My Spirit & My Family

 

 

 

There’s something sacred about putting your hands in the soil.

It’s grounding. It’s humbling. And for me, it’s healing.

I love gardening.  It's a deeply fulfilling and peaceful ritual. My little side porch garden has become a sanctuary, a classroom, a source of joy, and a daily reminder of how beautiful and resilient life can be.

🌿 From Deck to Porch: Creating a Safe Space to Grow

My deck is big, and I’d love to use it fully — but the raccoons, squirrels, and birds love it just as much. They turn my peaceful garden into their personal buffet, so I’ve learned to listen to nature and adapt.

Now, I do most of my gardening on my side porch. It’s smaller and more protected, and everything is thriving!

🍉 What’s Growing in My Garden Right Now

My watermelon, cucumber, broccoli, and tomato plants are growing beautifully. They’re not just sprouting — they’re flourishing. The leaves are vibrant, and the fruits are nice-sized and full of life.

Recently, I planted two sprouted garlic cloves in the container where a broccoli plant didn’t make it. And already — one has sprouted!

Some of my plants even returned on their own this season:
🌱 Sage (which I’ve already harvested twice this season!)
🌱 Some kind of greens (maybe turnip or mustard) popped back up like, “we’re not done yet!” 
🌱 Watermelon — again!

Gardening with My Baby Girl: Lessons in Life & Love

One of the most beautiful parts of my gardening journey is sharing it with my almost 5-year-old daughter. She helps me water the plants, harvest herbs, weed, and check on the soil. We use this time also as a homeschooling lesson.

She learns about plant life cycles, responsibility, patience, and the natural rhythms of life. But more than anything, I hope she’s learning the same thing gardening teaches me:
That growth takes time. That tending to something daily matters. That life will find a way — even if it's just one little sprout pushing up through the dirt.

The Benefits of Gardening (Beyond the Harvest)

Gardening has become a form of emotional wellness for me. It gives me:

• Peace – Just being in the garden slows me down. It’s my space to breathe, pray, reflect, and reset.

• Joy – Watching something I planted flourish fills me with pure happiness. I light up every time I see a new bloom.

• Connection – To nature, to my daughter, to myself. Gardening brings me back to the present moment.

• Resilience – Every plant has a lesson. Some die. Some thrive. Some surprise you. Just like life.

• Empowerment – Growing my own food, even in a small space, reminds me how capable and resourceful I am.

🌻 Cultivating More Than Plants

Gardening reminds me that I am not just a caretaker of others — I am a cultivator of life. I am allowed to root myself in peace, prune what no longer serves, and create a space where I — and those I Love spending time with — can grow in safety and joy.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a garden — big or small — let this be your sign. You don’t need a huge yard. You just need soil, sunlight, and a little love.

And don’t be surprised if the garden starts tending to you just as much as you tend to it.