I think I know why retired people garden. It’s not just because they have more time than the rest of the population; it’s because they finally get to enjoy a place of peace in this world.

cabbage and tomatillo plant

Don’t get me wrong, gardening does take time and work and effort- it’s a labor of love and way to connect with the Earth. Why else would you dig into dirt and have no care in the world about the dirt stains on your clothes or all the dirt under your nails (it happens even when wearing some gloves).

terra cotta in ground with herbs

It’s also incredibly rewarding. As long as you have good soil and plenty of clean water, and abundance of sunlight, you can grow anything. It’s also a lot of fun to see other people grow interesting things and watch how carefully they tend to their little babies as much as I do mine.

overview of our community garden

Photographed above is our community garden. We were fortunate enough to get a spot at my husband’s company’s corporate organic garden. They gave employees a small plot on the company premises to garden and even included compost bins, watering cans (in the shed i the background) and even a water tank! I’ve been there at lunch time and let me tell you, it’s a great way for employees to relax- everyone looks totally zoned in to their plant babies.

Italian basil from our community garden

Like every good Italian, I’m growing plenty of basil, right next to my tomatoes which is supposed to help reduce the amont of pests that bother the red rubies we love so much.

sweet marjoram

I’m also growing sweet marjoram with purple basil (which you can barely see) because it is absolutely wonderful with grilled chicken.

parsley in pot at community garden

If you’re wondering why I have buried my pots into the ground, it’s because herbs alone in the garden tend to be so finnicky in my experience. They just do better in pots or alongside the house, but since I’m still apartment-living, this seems to be my solution, and so far, it’s working out really well, almhamdullilah.

community garden plot

This is what our garden looked like just a short time ago when I photographed it and it’s already grown since, especially the tomatoes. We also have a blueberry bush, eggplant, zucchini and two strawberry plants, several types of peppers, kale and Mexican tarragon. Oh, and the geraniums are there to help keep bugs away from the precious tomatoes. It’s an Italian thing, I suppose…anything for those tomatoes.


What’s growing in your organic garden now? I would love to hear about it…




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