Personal Essay: My Favorite Spring Tradition

By Sara Swallow

​Now that the cold is *mostly* gone, we can emerge from our hibernation (still with those masks though!). The sun is finally coming out and we can soak up all the vitamin D our bodies need to help keep us happy and functioning. ​

​Before lockdown last year, I always took spring for granted. Don’t get me wrong though, I still loved being able to wear sundresses and throw my winter coat in the closet, but I didn’t pay that much attention to the changing of the seasons. When lockdown came, I couldn’t wait for it to be warm all the time so I could enjoy going on my daily walks. This spring is looking to be different than last year since I won’t be completely shut in my house since my vaccine is on the way!

However, lockdown made me pay attention to the weather more and in response to that, I came up with my own spring tradition. Every spring, I’ve decided to grow some kind of food. My first garden consisted of tomates, cucumbers, beets, radishes, kale, and lavender. I started everything from seed because I had the time to pay attention to my plants since I wasn’t going anywhere for a while. Going out to water my plants was a huge part of my daily routine. I had to make sure all my plants got completely soaked and I would check on them if they needed any extra light or if they were getting infections. I watered and nurtured them with intention. It wasn't just that I would get to eat delicious food later, but I had started these seedlings and they needed me to keep them alive. 

It wasn’t just the care I was giving to these seedlings that made me fall in love with the garden, it was how I saw everything sprout, grow, set fruit, and then wither. In a time when everything feels so out of control, it’s so important to ground yourself and the garden was how I did that. I’m more in tune with the season of spring now because I know that’s when I can move my seedlings outside and watch them get big and set fruit. Later, once they set their fruit, I can reap the love I poured into them. 

Now that things are starting to open up more and more and people are getting vaccinated, I’m hoping to share my garden with my friends and let them try the food I grow. This year, I’m planning on growing about the same size garden but I’m adding in peppers and herbs! I’m also going to take it one step further and try making my own pickles. There’s so much death around us; so much tragedy happens every day. I need something to show me that life can still happen and there can be something good in this world. So my tradition is growing a garden, whether it’s just a basil plant or 12 different tomato varieties, it’s all about getting out and growing something from seed and then being able to eat from that plant later. 

Spring is all about birth and new life. Every day we wake up we’re given a new life and so when we lean into the spring energy, we can feel rejuvenated after a long, dark winter. Start growing something and you might just see yourself grow along with your plant! Use that plant to show that there is goodness in the world. Things can happen when you take action and keep working at something, and maybe that reward will look like making your own pesto from scratch or making salsa from all homegrown ingredients. Do this for you. Plant something to watch it grow this spring to remember that there are new things happening every day.