The Carrot Seed

When our 3 children were young one of the things my husband Steve and I enjoyed doing most was reading to them each night. While their individual preferences and varied attention spans required that we read to each of them separately, one of their favorite books was The Carrot Seed written by Ruth Krauss in 1945.

It’s the story of a little boy who dreams of growing a carrot and starts by planting one seed. His Mother, Father and Big Brother tell him that his seed will never grow. While he patiently listens to their criticism each day, his faith and devotion to his tiny plant never waivers. Finally – the day arrives when he triumphantly presents an enormous carrot.

I have read this book numerous times over the years. But it was not until recently that I realized the depth of this simple story and how relevant it is to today. While it was published over 60 years ago, the little boy’s connection to his faith and belief that if he was truly attentive to his dream that “all would be good” really speaks to our modern day concept of being “present” and “mindful.” He reminds all of us to not only stay connected to our dreams but to cultivate them as well.

With that in mind I thought it would be fun to fulfill one of my own dreams and plant a vegetable garden in my new home.

So I turned to Jeanne Nolan, founder of The Organic Gardener, for her guidance. I first heard Jeanne speak at a Garden Club Meeting here in Lake Forest last March. I was so inspired by the talk that the seeds for this project were planted. I’m also excited to read her memoir “From the Ground Up” due out in July. Jeanne shares her story about leaving Chicago’s North Shore to join the organic Farm movement of the 1990’s and her eventual return home in which she revitalizes our city.

So our journeys continue and the planting begins…

Ratatouille Planting

Components
1 plant start each of tomato, eggplant, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and sage
1 tbsp organic tomato fertilizer (We like Dr Earth or Fox Farm)

Step 1 – Dig a hole for each plant that is as deep and wide as the container the plant comes in. Tomatoes can be buried a little deeper, even covering part of their stem.  The plants should be spaced 10-12 inches apart.  The tomato will need a little more space and a trellis, cage or other support to grow on. We like texas tomato cages.

Step 2 – Sprinkle a tablespoon of fertilizer into the hole and mix in – note you can skip this step if you are pressed for time/don’t want to bother with special fertilizer.

Step 3 – Turn the plant over in your hand and ease out of the pot.  Gently break up the roots.

Step 4 – Place the plant in the hole and bury.  Using both hands firmly push the soil around the plant down to ensure the roots make good contact with the soil

Step 5 – Water in at the base of the plant, being careful not to water the leaves.

Repeat the steps above for the other plants.

Looking Ahead

Once our ratatouille garden has grown, watch out for our recipes using the produce in August.

Zen Toolkit

When setting out for a morning in your garden during the summer, remember to bring a hat and your water bottle. It’s easy to get engrossed in your garden under the sun!

Zen Moment

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”
-Walter Elliot