I don’t ask much of you (beyond reading). Please watch this awesome TED Talk by Ron Finley so you’ll understand why I’m so fired up*:
I agree with Ron that we need to make gardening sexy. Not just for the obese residents of a food desert. Not just for bored teens with nothing to do. Not just for the homeless.
We need to make it sexy for everyone. And take back the simple act of growing some of our own food. Anything. A pot of herbs is an excellent start and very practical even for space-constrained city dwellers, little kids, or even those with a black thumb. You like basil? Grow some!
I love the idea of being a garden gangster, an eco-lutionary. Picture my swagger as I put on my headlamp to water the seedlings tonight! Watch my lean as I pull out the weeds and water! I love that a it’s a defiant act to tear up the lawn and plant some deliciousness.
Gardening IS without a doubt the most therapeutic thing that I have done. It beats the hell out of yoga, as much as I loved that. Even better a good run. Give me a backache from weeding verses a pulled calf muscle any old day. It pushes the crappy days out of me and clears my mind so I can be a better solution provider. A harder worker. A nicer person.
Plus, I’m much more artistic about it than I ever was with cake decorating or pretty much any craft I’ve done. When I’m outside with my hands in the dirt or with the watering can in my hand, I feel more alive than ever. I’m contributing. I’m improving the air. I’m putting effort into something that I will receive back tenfold. A gift I can share with my family. And something I can share with friends and neighbors and have it gratefully received because we all have to eat and vegetables don’t make you fat. Unlike my baking.
Spring has sprung. Our plum tree is blooming. The peach tree will be next.
So now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go grab the 3G Network, head outside, and water the crops. And think about planting some more shit.
*A big thank you to Brandy Slater (aka The Grammar Belle) for thinking of me today and posting this marvelous TED Talk on my Facebook page. You were right when you said one of the best lines was “Growin’ your own food is like printin’ our own money.” I certainly feel rich these days.
Sow, Sew, So 
My oh my! I feel your excitement and enthusiasm and passion all the way in Toronto! Very cool! And I’ll bet the taste can’t be beat. I know my cleaning lady’s tomatoes are incredible. I can’t eat grocery store tomatoes any more. And your plum tree! Holy cow !!
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Ha! That TED Talk certainly struck a cord with me and got me fired up. Definitely need to figure out how to be a more guerrilla gardener…and now to grow more money.
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Sign me up for that class.
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If gardening truly makes you a nicer person, we may have to team up and write a joint post for both our blogs bringing gardening and etiquette together. I love your passion girl. Let’s hear it for dirty fingernails!
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I’d love to write a joint post with you and post it to both of our blogs. Let’s figure it out when we’re together in April.
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Julie, if you haven’t heard of this project in Yorkshire, now slowly spreading to other places, you’ll love this. Do have a look 🙂
http://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk/
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Thank you for the reminder (you just gave me an idea of an upcoming post)! I watched the TED Talk awhile ago–I love the idea of a whole town banding together and using public space to grow food. And I love that it’s spreading! Definitely adding Todmorden to my UK bucket list and visiting the link/watching the TED Talk again.
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I’m sort of prejudiced where Yorkshire is concerned.. if you get over here you have to see Yorkshire 🙂
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Already on my list. I would like to see as much of the UK as possible. I’ve been to London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Dover, Canterbury thus far. Can you tell I studied English Literature in college? And I would have seen more on my last visit but the rail strike made it hard for a backpacker to get around as quickly and efficiently as I would have liked.
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Ah well, of course Haworth is a must then, for the Bronte heritage. Lovely place too.Still, you seem to have covered a fair bit of ground there! 🙂
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Not enough! I love to travel so perhaps the UK will be my big 5-0 adventure in 2019.
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I’d offer to show you round but I’ll be a little old lady by then 🙂
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Ha ha. It’s only 6 years from now.
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And I’ll celebrate my 60th in between :-)Not that I plan on growing old if I can help it!
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I freakin’ love this TED talk and what they are doing down in south central / south Los Angeles.
I was cheering and whoopin for him the whole way through!!!
Gardening is as sexy and as gangsta’ as it gets..
AND it IS like printing you own money!!!
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