Back in February, before COVID-19 had blown up into a worldwide pandemic, I was already anticipating an early spring harvest of lettuce and spinach, planted at the end of an unusually mild and relatively dry January. My raised beds and a homemade “greenhouse” fashioned over them with PVC pipe and heavy-duty plastic drop cloths created a sheltered environment that encouraged lush growth in spite of chilly nights. By the time the middle of March rolled around and Oregon’s governor enacted stay-at-home orders as the virus spread and infection rates climbed, my salad greens were ready for harvest. Thankful to have one less reason to venture to the grocery store, I planted carrots and sugar peas and the next wave of lettuce and spinach to add to our larder.
I have gardened (both edibles and ornamental flower beds) for decades, my green thumb sprouting from both sides of my family tree. My maternal grandmother lovingly tended roses, astilbe and peonies in her small, neat yard, and I loved to follow her around, learning all the names while I gathered flowers for bouquets. All the gardens I’ve planted as an adult have hosted those same flowers, providing me a garden of blooms and memories.
My dad grew up on Long Island, New York, and relatives there made their living off a truck farm, selling produce to city dwellers. Transplanted to Oregon and making his living as a lawyer, he tended a large garden, full of vegetables and berries and fruit trees, behind our house. I know it was a budget-serving measure to help feed seven growing kids, but I also know it provided him relief from stress and workday cares. He’d arrive home from work, shuck his briefcase and suit, don a stained pair of khakis and an old chambray shirt, lace up his dirt-clogged work boots and head out to the garden. There he’d spend time before dinner and it grew too dark to see, checking the rows of corn and beans, staking up tomato plants and mulching around the rhubarb.
We kids were responsible for watering, weeding and harvesting, about which we often grumbled when we’d rather be off playing. Picking was not such a horrible chore, though, when the raspberries were ripe or the peaches and nectarines could be plucked warm from the trees, seeping rivulets of sticky juice down our arms as we sunk our teeth into their sweet flesh. The garden was a place of hot, dirty work, but it was also a place of fun and imagination as we built dams of dirt to hold back water from the hoses, played hide and seek among the corn stalks and climbed the trees.
This is a long way of saying that I learned a long time ago what a lot of people have just started discovering over the past six months: Gardens provide beauty and sustenance, but in a time of uncertainty and worry they also provide a soothing balm to a troubled mind. Folks staying at home with time on their hands have taken up gardening, whether in pots on a small balcony or patio or in a neglected space in the yard. They’ve discovered the joy of nurturing a plant from seed to harvest and the calm that comes with completing simple tasks of pruning, weeding and watering.
Here in the middle of July we are still struggling with how to live with and through the virus, but my garden provides a welcome distraction as I try to keep up with both the weeds and the zucchini. (Some things never change . . . and there is comfort in that, too.) There is such anticipation for those first ripe tomatoes, but soon enough I’ll be trying to figure out what to do with all of them and hoping the neighbors will take some off my hands.
And there is great satisfaction in a bumper crop of blueberries, enough to munch while picking and still enough to sprinkle in pancakes or make a cake or pie. Time spirals, and as my grandsons follow me around my yard, picking flowers and berries, I’m a child again, cutting flowers with my Granny and eating berries with my sisters. I know hard times have come before, and I see that we will travel beyond our current trials. This garden provides food, beauty, comfort, perspective. So many gifts!
— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDaily
Nov 5, 2024Don’t Miss Idaho’s Upcoming Fall, Winter Activities and Events
Boise, Idaho, welcomed a new education center, Philip E. Batt Education Building, this October. Named in honor of former Idaho Governor Phil Batt for his contribution to human rights in the state, the building houses offices for Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, along with a classroom, meeting space, catering kitchen, research library, exhibitions room, gift shop and a human rights-themed art gallery showcasing works from Idaho artists. Here, visitors can explore immersive experiences, including a virtual reality tour of Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and an A.I.-powered interactive display featuring Holocaust survivors’ stories.
Sponsored Content
Experience Next-Level Travel with Condor Airlines’ New A330neo Fleet
Condor Airlines completely renewed its long-haul fleet, featuring its new Airbus A330neo. Designed to elevate your travel experience, the A330neo is equipped with cutting-edge technology and offers unrivaled comfort, ensuring an exceptional journey for every passenger. With its striking signature striped livery, the A330neo not only promises a memorable flight but also enhances the start of your vacation from the moment you step aboard.
November 2024
Nov 5, 2024Set Off on a Tour of Extraordinary Mechanical Clocks Around the World
It’s approaching 3 o’clock in the afternoon in Bern. Jutting slightly into view at the end of the uneven stone street in the Swiss city’s historic heart stands a medieval tower adorned with the famous 15th-century “time bell,” Zytglogge. A small gathering forms at the tower’s base as the clock prepares to announce the hour — an event heralded by the crowing of a golden rooster, music and a dance of mechanical figures that include an assortment of jolly bears.
Daily
Nov 5, 2024Arlo Washington DC to Debut Nov. 18
Arlo Hotels is slated to make its Washington, D.C., debut. Arlo Washington DC will open its doors in the heart of downtown D.C. on Nov. 18. Situated in the city’s oldest surviving apartment building, the property boasts 445 rooms, plus a 12-story addition.
Sponsored Content
Royal Air Maroc Relaunches Direct Casablanca–Beijing Route, Debuts Toronto Flight
As part of its international network expansion, Royal Air Maroc will reinstate the direct Casablanca–Beijing route initially launched in January 2020 and suspended just a few weeks later due to the health crisis.
Daily
Nov 5, 2024AlUla Designated as Gulf Cooperation Council’s First-Ever Dark Sky Park
AlUla, Saudi Arabia, is officially the first destination in Gulf Cooperation Council’s to be designated a Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International. This destination continues to commit to minimizing light pollution, preserving and protecting the nighttime environment, and ensuring its skies remain crystal clear for stargazers.
7 Hotel Restaurants Worth the Travel
Daily
Nov 4, 20248 Must-Have (and Must-Pack) Perfumes for 2025
Daily
Nov 4, 2024New Boutique Hotel Collection Comes to Tulum
Hotels
Nov 3, 2024Daily
Nov 1, 2024SWISS First Lounge Named World’s Best Airline Lounge for Dining
Swiss International Air Lines recently ranked No. 1 in the World’s Best Airline Lounge for Dining category for its first-class lounge in Terminal E at Zürich Airport in the 2024 World Culinary Awards.
Sponsored Content
Extraordinary Egypt
ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME JOURNEY INTO THE ANCIENT WORLD OF THE PHARAOHS
November 2024
Nov 1, 2024A Helping Hand
As we edge our way toward winter, I want to remind you how lucky we have been and how we can help those who have not been as fortunate. Please continue to donate to the American Red Cross, which stands ready in any disaster to provide items people need such as water, clothing, food and other supplies.
ShareThis