The Omega Project

The lecture I attended on urban gardening made me wonder--should I have a garden this year?

I grew up out in the country in central Alabama.  We had a garden through most of my teen years, so I have some experience.  I remember helping (I liked to run the rototiller), but I didn't pay very much attention to the actual "care and growing of the plants" part of the operation.  Sure, I assisted with the weeding and watering, and even a little picking now and then (probably under duress), but I don't remember much else about the experience.  After all, I was a teenager, and I'm fairly certain that most of my mental energy went to girls, motorcycles, hunting, and sports.  Holding a water hose didn't require much concentration.

So the question is, after all these years:  "can I garden?"

"But forester-poet," you say (well, only one person calls me that, but I kind of like it)--"you are a forester, a 'tree man'.  You've made your living working with plants."

Yes, that's true.  But you should know that tomato plants are not pine trees.  Trees are pretty sturdy living things, and if you can get them through the first year or two, it's hard to goof things up.  In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret:  God grows the trees--foresters collect the fees.

I'm going to do it.  I've decided to call this garden "The Omega Project."

Jesus once used the metaphor "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."  I'm sure my garden will be the end of something--a dependence on the grocery store for fresh vegetables; an interest in gardening;  perhaps even a civil relationship with the Redhead.

Mr. Urban Gardener's plots in downtown Montgomery look like this:

My little plot started like this:

Please note all the dead grass on my lawn.

We were at a store a few weeks ago.  The Redhead said:  "We need to fertilize the lawn this year.  We'll use this" (she pointed to a bag of 'Weed and Feed').

"I don't think that's such a good idea," I said.  "That kind kills the weeds.  We just want to fertilize"

"I know," she said.  "That's what I want.  Then the good grass will fill in."

"Alrighty then," I say.  I know the lawn is mostly weeds.

Now you understand the comment about civil relationship.

Most of my Saturday produced this:

The Omega Project is all systems go.  It has herbs, peppers, tomatoes, squash, corn, sweet potatoes, and onions.

Stay tuned...