by Nicole Gaines

Created on: May 28, 2008   Last Updated: June 09, 2008

My mother always wanted me to help her in the garden. Being the little kid that I was, I always said no. There were more important things to, like play with my toys or kick the soccer ball around. My mom would always say "Someday, Nicole, you'll understand the power of gardening."

Yeah, whatever, I thought. What can gardening do for me? Well, it turns out a lot. It's a great stress reliever and an even better hobby. The fresh air you get and the exercise for taking care of it is incredible. Not to mention the sense of accomplishment you feel when you see that first tomato or cucumber.

But the best day in my garden was the day I babysat my friend's daughter. She was seven at the time and I'm sure she had never seen a garden like mine.

"It's so colorful," she said, looking around in amazement. "I wish I could have a garden like this."

"You could very easily, all you would have to do is get some seeds. Maybe we could talk your mom into letting me help you start your own garden. Would you like that?"

"Yes! I would play tomatoes and strawberries, maybe even some cucumbers. And what about Watermelons? Mom loves watermelon! But Dad likes peppers, so I would have to plant some peppers, too. What else could I plant? I would want it to be really colorful!"

"Wow, sweetie, that would be a lot of food. I'm not sure your family could eat all that. What would you do with all the extras? Maybe you should start with a smaller garden."

"No, not a smaller one. I would give all the extras away to people who have no food. That way they could feel the happiness I would feel when I saw my garden."

I could do nothing but smile.They always say that big lessons come in small packages, mine came in the form of a seven year old. That day she taught me that it's not the size of the garden that matters, but the way you use it.

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