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5 Things Gardening Taught Me About Writing
When I was younger, I had this vision of a glorious Eden in my own backyard, with vegetables flourishing and flowers blossoming all around. I’d stand amongst the rows of plants in a blue lace dress with a straw sun hat, looking like a picture out of a magazine. I dreamed of unlocking another facet of myself — a version of me that is a gardener who loves the soil beneath her fingernails and the sunlight on her back.
The dream garden I’d always imagined as a child brimmed with dahlias, marigolds, morning glories, and forget-me-nots. I would pick perfect peppers, tomatoes, and beans, breathe in the scene of fragrant herbs and sweet lavender. Most importantly, there would be a pumpkin patch.
Last year, I finally had the backyard space to make that dream a reality. And since I’m pathologically incapable of half-assing anything, my first foray into gardening contained all those plants and more: zinnias, watermelon, foxglove, wildflowers, daisies, strawberries, basil, and rosemary.
