Written by Jessica Bauer

When winter shifts into green grass and wildflowers, a change takes place inside my home, too.

I start flipping through seed catalogs and making mental notes of what new things I’d like to grow. That’s when it begins. Two little boys appear by my side, peering over my shoulder and pointing to the funny purple carrots. Later I find them looking through it by themselves, Nathan with a pencil and Owen’s brown eyes following along.

Their interest in gardening rises with the temperature, and soon they decide they’d rather soak up the sun than whatever is on TV. I have to bribe them to come inside on beautiful spring days, and when the sun is gone, they beg to dance in the rain. Their excitement swells higher with a trip to the nursery and they happily hold the cardboard flats while I pile on my purchases. They jump into seeding, digging, watering, and waiting. My three-year-old goes on daily watermelon hunts and my six-year-old questions the originof canned green beans.

They learn patience and perseverance, disappointment and dedication, and that results often follow hard work.

Growing a garden with three helpers under foot {okay, one sitting in the grass nearby} makes me think. It makes me realize that I’m growing something more than tomatoes and peppers. Owen could pick acucumber seed out of a lineup. Nathan knows which bugs are good and which bugs are terrible. They both know fruits and vegetables trace back further than the grocery store. I don’t have a chalkboard filled with companion plants or quizzes printed to test them on frost dates. I just do what I love, and we all learn. Maybe this hobby will stick with them, but maybe it won’t. I pray the lessons learned in the process, however, will last.

Every season in my little patch has been different. Every season I think I know what I’m getting into, and every season I’m proven wrong. I water and I weed and I worry, but there’s no way to tell what lies ahead. I know the steps to get to harvest, but the journey is different every time. It seems the seasons of motherhood follow the same pattern. No two are ever the same. I simply try my best, learn from what works, and grow from mistakes.

I’m no gardening expert, but I don’t have to be. I garden because I love the smell of tomato plants. I garden because I love the feeling of dirt on my hands. I garden because it provides me with preciousmemories while my children are still young. My garden isn’t the only thing growing before my eyes, and just like the strawberries and squash, I want to do everything I can to help them reach the harvest. It will soon be on them to stretch upward and outward to their full potential, but you better believe I will never be far behind.

I don’t always know where we’re going, and I never know how we’ll get there, but I promise to do everything I can to help my garden and my children grow.

PS: For all you mamas looking for something productive to do this summer, look no further than your yard. It doesn’t take much and it’s not too late to start. Just pick a sunny spot, grab a shovel, and dig. Add some form of compost and garden soil, snag some of the veggie plants left at your local nursery, and get going. I can guarantee this will pique your kids’ interest, and they’ll be working beside you in no time. I know there are plenty of Arkansas Women Bloggers who are much more proficient than me, but if I can do it, so can you. Give it a whirl, and I’d be happy to help if you have any {beginner} questions.

Hey y’all! I’m Jessica and you can find me blogging over at Life With the Bauer Bunch. I’m a small-town girl just enjoying my slice of the good life with my husband Jonathan, our two sons, and our bouncing baby girl. Pull up a chair sometime and watch my garden and my children grow.