Pulling Up Roots

Today I went to water my garden--the garden I've been working in for three years now, and I noticed the signs of September.  The onion tops were flopped over, parts of the tomatoes were turning yellow, the parsley had bolted and tall umbels were full of seeds.  It's time to pull up the roots.


The coincidence wasn't lost on me, as I yanked up the powder-mildewed squash, that it's getting very close for me to pull up roots too.  And, just like clearing the garden, the experience is exciting and sad at the same time.

I pulled half my leeks today, and as I yanked out the deep roots, I heard them all rrrrrrrrip apart.  It's kind of a sad sound because you know you're killing a living thing.  But at the same time, I looked forward to how I would be able to use them make potato-leek soup later this weekend.   I knew that I had been growing these plants from ant-sized seeds since March just for this opportunity in September.

Moving from Oregon is the same.  It feels sad to leave a place I was finally feeling comfortable in.  But, at the same time, I know that I came to Oregon in the first place to get to this point--to get to the point where I'd be moving away to a new adventure.

But man am I going to miss this garden--with all it's deep philosophical metaphors.   I love my garden because I know I'm good at gardening here.  It's not that hard in Oregon--the soil is good, the rain is good, things never scorch, and seeds can't wait to sprout.  And then it's September and I can plan all my meals around my garden and plan for what I'll grow next year.  I'll miss that feeling second-most I think.  The best feeling is harvesting, the second best is planning for the spring.

But, I saved some seeds from my spent wildflowers and, customs or no customs, I'm bringing them through with me to Germany.  I'll grow them on a balcony there, if we have one.  And I'll put everyone else's petunias to shame.  And the flowers will remind me of my garden, because they literally are my garden.  That will make me happy.

But I'll miss the vegetables...  I'm roasting chicken tonight with my own leeks and carrots.  I eat my cheese sandwiches and garden salads with beautiful sliced, fresh tomatoes on the side.  I roast bright red beets and toss them in olive oil.  I can make the most unbelievable french onion soup with my newly cured sweet onions.

And I love picking my rainbow tomatoes every other day.  I love burying my head in those bushes, looking everywhere I can, to find the purples, oranges, yellows, and reds.  I eat them with (real) tuna, with chicken, with toasted baguette chunks and balsamic vinegar.  I eat them straight off the bush.

But, it's time to pull up the roots soon, I know.  I just wanted to have a place here where I could remember the good times and the colors and the tastes and how it felt to grow something with my hands and attention and patience...  and I'll start planning for another plot in the future, the one I'll get to have after I'll pull up roots again in two years.




P.S.  Remember when I told you how I found a mystery squash planted in my garden way back in June?  I finally figured out what it was!

A Casper Pumpkin Plant!  Happy Autumn!