Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
“We're all working in the garden at the end of day
Making sure that in the morning, more good food is on the way!”
Eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow, like her big siblings eleven-year-old Eleanor and ten-year-old Andrew, and younger brother five-year-old Lil' Robert, had a ton of leadership potential. She had been through a lot with the loss of her parents and in foster care, and had to struggle from anger to peace, but gardening had been a game changer for her, and was noticeably happier in her grandmother Mrs. Thalia Ludlow's garden and being invited over to the Trent garden to work with friends Velma (11) and Gracie (8).
The new thing was that now she was leading her younger siblings Amanda (7) and Lil' Robert in getting into the work, and Grayson (6), had brought his Legos outside.
“I don't really do dirt,” he said as he made a Lego plate for some tomatoes Amanda was picking, “but, I'm here to build anything anybody needs on it, like anywhere.”
“All I needed to know was that growing food is where it comes from,” Lil' Robert said, “because, see, I love to eat, and, see, I gotta help, and, see, I get to play in the dirt and nobody tells me to stop this way!”
“I mean, Rob has got to be the best at that part,” Edwina said to Mrs. Maggie Lee her big cousin about it. “He's super-strong with all that working out he does with Papa and Cousin Harry, so he can dig a hole with his bare hands to put plants in or dig down to get weeds out faster than Amanda and I can. And, Grayson makes sure our plates and baskets match the stuff we are picking, and the plants love how Amanda sings to them and makes sure they are ready to actually let their fruit go to us. She did some research with Eleanor and says that God made fruits and veggies to come off easy when they are ready, so she is very gentle and I think the quality of what we are getting is going to be better!
“What I'm working on today is picking, but also getting ready next month for Grandma's winter stuff, because tomatoes and stuff usually don't make it through the winter, so I'm picking but also noticing which ones aren't putting out more buds because September is almost here, and also looking at the peanuts and potatoes because the peanuts are starting to not put up as many blooms to hide underground, and the ground around the potatoes is getting really firm – and, hey, Rob, when you get a minute, could you bring some more dirt over here? We don't want the potatoes to tan green – we gotta help them stay underground.”
“I got this!” Lil' Robert said as he started bringing dirt by handfuls and patting it around the potato plant bottoms.
“I'm so glad y'all are doing this,” Mrs. Lee said, “because next week, Cousin Harry and I will be moving down here, and we are starting a winter garden in September, so we definitely are going to need your help.”
“We got this!” Edwina, Amanda, and Lil' Robert said.
“And of course, I'll help you design it,” Grayson said. “I do need to know if you plan to use brick, stone, or Legos.”
“I'll get that info to you soon,” Mrs. Lee said.
“OK – I'mma go put some blue construction paper to the side for blueprints,” he said, “but first, here you go, Amanda, for the yellow tomatoes, and here you go for the red bell peppers.”
“Thank you!” she said, and came and got the Lego plates and kissed him.
Mrs. Lee went to meet Colonel Henry Fitzhugh Lee, coming onto the porch. He was on a gentle watch, alternating between inside the house where older children nine-year-old George, ten-year-old Andrew, and eleven-year-old were playing Go Fish with friend nine-year-old Vertran Stepforth from next door, the front porch to overlook where the neighboring Trent little ones were playing in their yard, watched primarily by their grandfather Thomas Stepforth Sr., and the back porch to keep up support Mrs. Lee's watch of the younger four Ludlow grandchildren. The day was winding down, and this bringing together of evening watch habits with caring for children was also relaxing to the colonel.
“I trust nothing is breaking bad in this vicinity,” he gently quipped to his wife, because little Edwina was always in perfect peace in the garden.
“Grandee Leedlow is discovering her leadership potential peacefully,” Mrs. Lee said, “and there is a definite end of the hostility when she is out here. Everyone is happy, and they will definitely be ready for bed!”
“That's good,” he said, “because it may get wild inside. Vertran spends a lot of time being a media mogul, but he also is really good at wanted cards, and George is getting that look of 'If I gotta go fish just one more time!'”
“Good thing you are on watch, Colonel.”
“Yes, ma'am,” he said, and kissed his wife on the cheek before making a perfect military about-face to go back inside the house.
