Resurrection and Repurpose

Pill Bottles, cottage cheese containers, eggshells, and old shirts

Welcome to the first"Growing up in the Garden Blog Post. I am so excited that you are here!

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Lent is always a time to prune the dead branches in my life. A bit like spring-cleaning, except for my relationship with myself and others. This habit started a few years ago when I had to make some hard decisions about what I was doing with my life. I had just lost both of my grandparents on my mom’s side (these are the grandparents that will be highlighted throughout this series). My granny was a powerful pray-er, and I am sure that with their help, I was able to finally cut that last fruitless branch off on Holy Wednesday. Intercessory prayer for the win! Triduum was ripe with new meaning and emotions for me after this decision. I honestly have never experienced a more liberating and life-giving Easter than that year! Truly entering into the Good Friday experience, feeling betrayed and abandoned, hopeless and lost, is something that I truly lived that year. That is what made the Easter triumph so much more… well, triumphant.

Newly invigorated with a panache and zeal for life, and all the goodness in it, I experienced my own resurrection. One of the things that I did for the first time was start tomatoes from seed in my apartment. Starting seeds was something that my grandpa did for our whole family. He would grow around 150 tomato plants and once they were ready for the garden, he would divvy out all the plants, carefully labelled and expertly cared for to family and friends. I decided that I would carry on this tradition. I diligently watered and nurtured these plants. Making sure, they received lots of love, water, sunshine, and the occasional song and kind word. (I read that music and talking to your plants helps them grow, so I tried it out.) Many a hope and prayer were whispered to those tomatoes while I was figuring out my new path in life. There was much

healing and growth that took place in my “greenhouse” spare bedroom. Shortly after this process, I was offered this position, working at my dream job I never even knew existed. I received a new career, purpose, and path in life. It has really as been more amazing than I could have imagined. Thanks to everyone who has helped make this possible.

I got to thinking about all the stuff we own to throw away. Is there a way for it to have a new purpose and path like I did? One of the best lessons I learnt from growing up in the garden is that everything can be used in new and creative ways. Often times these are ways we never even knew existed.

Pill bottles are excellent containers for seeds that you intend to use next year. The plastic bottle helps to keep out moisture, so the seeds do not germinate before you plant them. Bonus, mice cannot eat them.

Cottage cheese containers are great for when you need to transplant your baby plants. Single-use containers find a new purpose as the temporary homes for these precious seedlings. If you are going to do this, make sure to puncture the bottoms so excess water can drain out. You do not want root rot or fungus.

Keep your eggshells. Once you have cracked them, place them in a container without a lid. They can dry out so they do not stink so bad. When you plant, your garden, put a few spoons of the crushed eggshells around your apples, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, citrus, melons, grapes, legumes, lettuce, pears, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes. They love the calcium in the shells, and they help to detour certain pests like snails and slugs. If you are eating eggs, you can get free fertilizer and a non-toxic pest control product with a small change to your regular habits.

Cotton shirts that have seen better days are a great way to tie up your tomatoes, zucchinis, grapes, or pole beans. Rip up your shirts into long thin strips and use them for any of your staking needs. They wear nicely in the heat and rain, are easy to store and can be used for years and years, unlike some of the other products you can buy at garden centres. Bonus, if you have fond memories attached to some of those shirts. When you see them in your garden, you can remember that great concert you went to, the trip you took, or the wonderful gift someone gave you.

Resurrecting old items, reusing them, and giving them a second life can be a great way to honour the memories that they might hold for us and honour the time, talent, and treasure that others and ourselves have put into the creation and use of these items.