This was a road trip I have looked forward to for several months. The temperature was 65 degrees, it was warm and sunny and my garden had dried out enough from the rain and snow that I could plant – and it was my day off. I hopped in my Jeep and headed north on Rt. 29 to Southern States. It wasn’t a very long road trip, just 3 miles, but it was a necessary trip before planted my garden.
I always enjoy my visits to Southern States. The folks there are always eager to assist and they know what they’re doing. The place has an interesting smell when you come in – a lot like fertilizer, and a smell that says, “Spring is here”.
Southern States sells all kinds of mulch, lawn and garden supplies and birdseed, but today, I was here for garden seeds: Maybe some onion sets and lettuce seeds for an early planting. I tend to plant other vegetables way too early, so this year I will be patient. But since my garden is ready to go, all I have to do is scratch out some rows and plant.
By the way, if you’d like to find out just how much you may have aged in one year, squat down on hands and knees and try to get back up again.
But now comes the fun part – making daily trips to that small vegetable garden and watching for that first sprig of green – that first seed that emerges. It might be a tiny sprout of lettuce or perhaps the tip of an onion that makes its way through the crust of dirt, but it’s always a thrill to see. A vegetable garden is a reminder of new life, new beginnings and the place where it all starts is Southern States.