Dear Reader,
Here we are again, and I think it’s time to tell some raspberry stories. My favorite jam is raspberry jam, and the best jam in the world is my grandma’s. We ate lots of raspberries growing up, and still do, so raspberries have always been on my list of fruits to grow.
Last year, I planted two raspberries and a blueberry bush in my backyard. Sadly, two raspberry bushes won’t produce enough fruit to make very much raspberry jam. I was lamenting this while visiting with my friend, whom I affectionately call one of my church grandmas, this past winter. Her husband loved working in their garden, and she was sure he would want his beloved raspberry plants to be shared with someone who would enjoy their abundance. When spring came this year, she let me know when they were ready to transplant, and most of my raspberry plants are from her.
Conveniently, the raspberry bushes were ready at the end of March, when I was on spring break. My father, son, and I started the process of turning the backyard into a garden. I visited my friend, and she showed me how to dig up the raspberry plants and wrap them for carrying across town. Then the men (Dad and Jrardo) brought over the rototiller and began tilling the soil where I wanted the garden to be. I was able to plant the raspberries and get them watered the same day. I also moved my two existing plants over, and discovered they had become three.
A couple of days later, I went to visit my paternal grandmother, the one who makes the best jam. She also gave me some of her raspberry plants, as well as some blackberries, and strawberries. My aunt and I went out together, dug them up, and I took them home and planted them in my garden as well. Now, I just need a trellis to keep them from falling over.
The love of food and desire to eat what I’ve grown myself is also a pretty strong draw to gardening, but I was also struck by the way the process can connect you to your own past. In theory, this June, I will be able to harvest fruits that are the product of the love and care of both myself and the generations before me. If growing plants can connect us with who we are, I think there’s something to be said for the camaraderie we can find in adventuring with our own fellowships.
One of my favorite parts of the LOTRO storytelling is the way each player contributes to the world. We aren’t the main characters of the story having big epic adventures, but each choice we make can advance the story and influence the shaping of our world. My garden is small, confined to my little backyard, and seemingly insignificant, but it’s also a defiant stand against the confines of buildings, offices, and commutes. It is a demand for connection, centering, and focus on what matters.
This next week should bring us out of the danger of a hard freeze or frost. I’m really looking forward to planting the rest of the seeds for this year’s garden. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the pictures I’ve enclosed of the strawberry plants from Grandma’s house, raspberries from my friend, and blooming blueberries.
Sincerely,
Cyndars
P.S. I’m enjoying reading your reminiscences and encouraging comments. They brighten my week. ~C.
