The Perpetual Garden – Michael Morse

by Michael Morse, contributing writer

And so it ends; or does it? Garlic waits till spring, maybe mid summer, we shall see, beets are still there, not sure when I’ll pick them, Swiss Chard picked this morning sits on my kitchen counter and a dozen  butternut squash are still on the shelf.

Do October vegetables grown in New England taste better or is that my mind telling me so? Anything that survives a few early frosts and my organic gardening deserves a place on any table of mine.

The earth will rest, worms will burrow, mice, squirrels and those mysterious nighttime visitors will make their presence known. 

I’ll be watching from my window as the temperature drops, and the plot freezes. Snow, probably multiple feet of it falling a few inches at a time will descend, and underneath the icy blanket the ground will wait.

And I’ll be waiting too. Another season, another year, another harvest gone. I have far fewer years ahead than I have behind me; my garden is a not so subtle reminder that I, too, shall pass.

I can only wonder for how long I will be gone.

___

Read more article by Michael Morse, here: https://rinewstoday.com/michael-morse/

Michael Morse, [email protected], a monthly contributor is a retired Captain with the Providence Fire Department.

Michael Morse spent 23 years as a firefighter/EMT with the Providence Fire Department before retiring in 2013 as Captain, Rescue Co. 5. He is an author of several books, most offering fellow firefighter/EMTs and the general population alike a poignant glimpse into one person’s journey through life, work and hope for the future. He is a Warwick resident.