My dad (RIP) was both a devout Catholic and an avid gardener. That hobby I always perceived was something devotional. Working the land helping to cultivate virtue and a deeper connection to the Creator.
And so my childhood included helping him till about 1/4th of an acre each year, plant seeds, water, make compost, mulch, and fertilize. I have fond memories picking huge bowls of strawberries, growing 8 foot tall okra plants, and feeling the warm soil between my toes.
It’s an excellent hobby for a Catholic, in my opinion, a trend among Catholics I’ve known throughout the years, not just for the practicality, but as an expression of Catholic culture and lifestyle.
I also think of the monks and nuns gardening not only for food, but as a form of wholesome work to cultivate a little paradise from the wild.
Okie Trad’s Summer 2021 Garden
A Work in Progress
I remember back in the day Bishop Richard Williamson, who was consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre, often recommending gardening or a hobby farm to feed the family, because it keeps you humble. The word humility coming from the Latin word “humus” meaning “soil.”
Getting down into the dirt and working it, sweating in the heat of the sun, and over the course of time yielding a plentiful harvest, is something grounding psychologically and spiritually.
Not to mention how tasty are freshly picked tomatoes off your vine, used to make a BLT sandwich fitting for summer time.
At the same time, gardening done smartly can become a supplemental source of food for the family. I forget the exact dimensions, but I read that something like one 20 x 20 foot garden can feed a person year round. A good section of that would have to be a staple crop like potatoes. Even better, sweet potatoes.
I enjoy my little garden, deciding to plant it in the front yard and also in the front flower beds, so neighbors can see it and also get motivated to garden and be outside. Just started picking this week tomatoes (for BLTs), zucchinis (best batter fried as medallions), and cucumbers (were very fresh and crunchy in our salads this week).
Gardening. Definitely a good, wholesome hobby at the very least, if not also one example of frugal living.