Hello community people, hope you are doing great, and your gardens are doing well too.
There's no gainsaying that childhood is a learning period. During this time, the inquisitive mind of the child will always want to learn, ask series of questions and try out new things. And in years to come, some of those things will come in handy and help them navigate through life. It's also worthy of note that some careers that people find themselves in today spurned from what they learnt during their childhood days.
The #aprilinleo topic for today, 16th April centers on things learned during childhood days that has been useful now in adulthood.
There are quite many of them but I'll just talk about gardening.
My love for gardening started from right from my childhood days. Then we had a garden almost a stone throw from our house and varieties of crops were planted there - vegetables like okra, fluted pumpkin, pumpkin, bitterleaf, waterleaf, including corn, sweet potato, three leaf yam, yam, cassava, curry leaf, scent leaf, just name it.
There were fruits like pawpaw, cashew, orange, guava planted in our compound too. Apart from the garden, we had other portion of lands we were cultivating. During the Easter break, we'll all travel to the village to spend the holiday there and to farm too. My parents loved farming to the core because they knew how beneficial it was, and they never for one day kept us away from the farm. So far you're under my parents root, farm work you must do.
Did I enjoy it at first? No, but as time went on my interest in it began to grow that whenever we were at the farm, I would always follow my mother's trail while she plants cassava, corn, vegetables and others, to observe what she was doing. Sometimes she allows me plant the corn and okra after I must have promised not to play with them, hehehe. You won't blame me because as a child the farm was another place to play, pursue butterflies and other insects, including picking of palm kernels which I will later crack to eat, lol. But as I grew older I learnt better, I was then able to plant cassava, pumpkin and other vegetables.
But then in my little mind I always wondered why we had to farm, of all things so one day I asked mom about it. This was her reply "growing your own food is a very good way to eat healthy as you know the source of the food. You also stay fit because doing so you're equally exercising. Most importantly, you'll be saving money which you would have used in buying them. You may not understand it now but in years to come, you will".
As I grew older, some of the things she told me began to make sense as I saw that mom never bought food crops, fruits and vegetables from the market, we harvest them fresh from the garden and eat. It also served as a source of income as we usually sell some to take care of other needs.
Seeing how beneficial gardening was to my family then, I resolved that whenever I have my own home, I'll have a garden no matter how small. And luckily now I have a small place in my compound where I carry out gardening activities. Infact the first year I moved in there, I used poultry feed bags to plant vegetable and okra at my backyard and the yield was encouraging.
Later on I got this place and I was so happy that I can plant my favorite vegetables like ugu (pumpkin), ugboru (fluted pumpkin), spinach, and okra and I tell you I haven't bought them from the market. I even have pawpaw trees too. I shared a post where I harvested the tumeric I planted in a cellophane bag
.
The yield from these crops I planted last year was so surprising, even the tomato which mistakenly germiated, hehehe.
 |  |
|---|---|
| Pumpkin leaves | Tomatoes |
The joy of having a garden, planting varieties of crops, tending to them as they grow to the level of harvesting is just indescribable.
Yams I harvested
How about the satisfaction that comes from eating what you grew, fresh from the garden, and even giving some to neighbors, friends and family members. I remember the day I cut spinach leaves and sent to my sister inlaw, she was so overjoyed.
Now I no longer buy some of these food crops that I usually cultivate, the money that would have been used in buying them is channeled to other things.
Here's one funny thing I do now which I learnt from mom and that's walking down to the garden to cut some vegetables while the food is already cooking, hehehe. I'm sure some of you who have gardens can relate to this.
 |  |
|---|---|
| Cutting scent leaf | Cutting spinach leaf |
Now that we're in the farming season here, I'm sure gonna plant in my garden. I already got some fluted pumpkin seeds and this special okra seeds from mom. I want to try the okra seeds and see how the yield will be.
I have my pumpkin (ugu) seeds from last year, so I'll plant it too including corn. I may add other crops or not but the most important thing is that I didn't let the things I learnt about gardening go to waste and I will surely pass it on to my children.
Many thanks for reading.
Still the #threadsaddict 😂
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That is such a beautiful garden. You remind me of my mother's aunt. She was a lovely lady, a teacher. And she used to keep experimenting with making dishes out of all part of the vegetable farm. And as kids we might not like it but she would cajole and coax us cause it was healthy :) Miss her excitement to try out a new combination. She was the Amani in our lives :D Thanks for your post as it made me remember my late grandaunt.
Cheers from a fellow #dreemerforlife
I now see why you relate with the Amani story very well you. It's good you have such beautiful memories of your grandaunt.
I'm glad you like the post, thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Yes she was a fantastic woman for sure. But I must admit it is your post which made me connect her to Amani in my mind :)
Growing one's garden is truly beneficial. You stay healthy when eating natural vegetables without any fertilisers added to it. My grandma taught me the importance of owning a garden too and for the time spent with her, she always looks so healthily and active. One thing that amazes me was that Grandma never used eye glasses till she died at the age of 93. She had good eyesight because of how she enjoyed eating natural vegetables and fruits.
#Dreemerforlife
Nothing beats growing your own food crops no matter how little. Farming was the main stain of the country until the oil resources were discovered and people absorbed it forgetting that we won't eat oil - literally.
Our grandparents and parents who indulged in farming, ate fresh and natural foods are still very healthy and strong while this generation suffer from one sickness to the other due to the processed foods we eat.
You are very right. Natural foods from gardens or farms makes one live longer and healthier.
Exactly
Now that's a very beautiful garden. You are very good with planting. Keep up the good work sis.
#dreemerforlife
Thank you 🤗. I just love it.
Aww... This your post reminds me of my grandmother. Whenever I and my siblings go around to visit her, she'll definitely take us on a walk down to her garden for us to admire her plants and vegetables. A really beautiful experience it was. Thanks for sharing this you beautiful childhood memory with us.
#dreemerforlife
I'm glad you can relate to the post. That was so thoughtful of your grandmother I'm sure you and your siblings enjoyed the walk
A gardener like you can never go hungry in this hard country. You're doing well o.
My dear, I'm just doing the best I can. Thank you
As children my sister and I used to have to go with our parents to an allotment where they and my grandmother grew vegetables. We didn't always enjoy it, but we now both love to garden.
❤️ @minismallholding
I guess the feeling of not loving gardening is just peculiar with children because they do not really know it's benefit, but when they grow up, they appreciate it more.
I appreciate your contribution greatly.
!BBH
@gardenhive! Your Content Is Awesome so I just sent 1 $BBH (Bitcoin Backed Hive) to your account on behalf of @luchyl. (1/20)
My mom loves gardening so much 😊
Seems like she's my mom's twinnie, lol
!BBH
@ifyouseechen! Your Content Is Awesome so I just sent 1 $BBH (Bitcoin Backed Hive) to your account on behalf of @luchyl. (2/20)
Wow! Thank you so much 😍
Hahaha! Yeah, but I don't have a talent in gardening which is sad 😌
Don't worry, I'm sure there are other things you learnt from her which are useful to you now.
You are really busy quite well in growing crops. I wish I had learned then when we used to go to village to see my grandmother.
Keep up the good work.
It's not late to learn, you can start up by experimenting with rice bags or even cellophane bags, at least waterleaf is very easy to grow in bags.
Will do sis, thanks.
Gardening is always a wise decision as it helps one to each rich and natural food which has now been very expensive in the market. Good job.
Very true. Everyday the prices of goods keep skyrocketing