Jamie Parsell
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD —
Every morning, I wave at Bob, Sally and Pepper from the sidewalk. They don’t seem to like my early ritual because they never wave back or even smile. The three sit perfectly still, waiting for a touch of sun or a little rain. Of course, I might worry if Bob, Sally or Pepper started to wave back or acknowledge my greeting. After all, they are just plants — my cherry tomatoes and sweet pepper plants. Since planting them in containers two weeks ago, I have become attached to my three children. It is my first venture in the world of vegetable gardens. I thought I might need to start out slow — just with triplets — before plantinag a full size family of peas, carrots, cucumbers and more.
I don’t know if I have a green thumb. After I planted everything, I had black thumbs from all the dirt. But I discovered the satisfaction of starting something new — a life, even a leafy green one. These three plants will need my attention and devotion to thrive in the rain, sun and wind. If I am lucky, Bob, Sally and Pepper will reward their owner with fresh summer fruit — yes, a tomato is a fruit — and a few glossy peppers.
While filling my hands with dirt, I didn’t feel the wet soil or the fatigue in my shoulders from a long day at work. I could have seen the task as work, another item on the list. Yet, I enjoyed the hours spent turning my thumbs to a nice shade of green. Two weeks later, small green orbs now hang from my tomato plants and little white flowers are peeking out in between the leaves of the pepper container. I know its just a tiny success for a small time gardener’s first time in the dirt. Like a mother with her children, I anxiously watch the three triplets, making sure they have plenty of water and sunlight. I might be overprotective; if not, definitely overzealous because I did name my plants.
And like any new mother, I mean gardener, I have a desire to talk about my three plants. New Daily Telegraph reporter Katy Coil is one of the closest co-workers to my desk and has heard all about Bob, Sally and Pepper’s growth spurt. But instead of laughing or rolling her eyes, she quoted her grandmother who said if a plant has a red tomato by July 4, it means a person is a good gardener. Could I be that person? I can only hope my tiny green orbs continue to turn a nice, healthy shade of red. And grandmothers are usually right about these sort of things.
I can remember my own grandmother planting a garden in the backyard. As a child, I would skip in between the rows of green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, potatoes and more. It was playtime, not garden time for a child who saw vegetables as a outsider compared to sides like macaroni and cheese. One time, instead of running through the yard with no shoes, I helped my dad’s mom plant a few rows of green beans. I recall dropping seeds into tiny holes, one after another, creating one long row. One time, she even let me plant a few orange seeds in a small terra cotta pot. I got a few spouts, but nothing to rival Florida’s orange groves.
I don’t have a big garden, just three containers near the sidewalk of my home. Am I a true gardener? No, not yet — more like an amateur wanting to experience another form of responsibility, perhaps adulthood. The road to maturity never ends; every day I find new adventures and tasks to challenge this 29-year-old woman. Responsibility comes in different forms, often in small pleasures like fresh summer food.
But more than anything, I find ways to connect to my past — my grandmother, along with my mother who taught a child about dirt, seeds and sun — and my future plans to expand the veggie family in the years to come. For now, it’s Bob, Sally and Pepper and that is enough for this woman’s kitchen. After all, one can only eat so many cherry tomatoes and pepper. Let’s hope Katy’s grandmother is right and I am enjoying red tomatoes after Independence Day.
Jamie Parsell is the lifestyle editor of the Daily Telegraph. Contact her at jparsell@bdtonline.com.
