My Piece of Heaven
Teresa’s Garden Radishes
I’ve always loved gardening. I started with indoor hydroponic gardening at least 10 years ago. I did not want to have to pull weeds or deal with the sun and the heat. You can only grow certain things with hydroponic gardening. No root vegetables for example.
That all changed during Covid. I am a special education preschool teacher and it’s the spring of 2020. School is now closed indefinitely. I have a beautiful new house complete with garden boxes and a sprinkler system. The first thing I planted was a hole in the backyard. The previous owner probably had a tree there, but it was just an open space of mostly rock. I had taken some classes through my school district on school gardens so I had a planting guide from University of Arizona that helped me figure out what I could plant in the spring in Phoenix, AZ.
Then I had heard of companion planting, so I looked up what I could plant together in this hole. Home Depot was open during Covid so I purchased some seeds and potting soil to start with. I was instantly hooked when little sprouts from the radishes started appearing. Radishes are great for beginner growers confidence. Soon the snow peas followed. Then to my surprise, flowers that I had planted in a pot in the front of the house were suddenly appearing with the radishes and peas. The flowers still appear every spring with my peas and radishes. The seeds had spread in the wind and taken a new home.
As a gardener, I love going out every night and watering my brand new garden. Seeing what is sprouting now. It’s quiet and it’s peaceful. My husband reminds me that I could just turn on the sprinkler system which is what he does when I’m out of town. I would miss out on my gardening time if I used the sprinklers. I love pulling the weeds out and seeing what is growing in my garden that I did not even plant. Makes me feel great that a vegetable decided this is where it wants to grow and makes it their new home. My garden is my piece of heaven.
Teresa B - Phoenix, AZ
