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How Does Your Garden Grow?

by Lisa M. Grover
Editorial Associate

Spring is here, so grab your rake and shovel, put on your gloves, and get to work! Gardening is a great way to get the family to work together and have a great time in the process. Never grown a garden before? Now’s a great time to start. Keep in mind that modern prophets have asked us to grow gardens and clean up our yards and homes as principles of provident living. Here are some suggestions:

• Pull weeds, mow the lawn, or trim bushes.

• Plant flowers in a large pot that can sit on your front porch.

• Gardening skills can take a long time to acquire. Start out by planting only one kind of vegetable in a small area of the yard or even in a planter box or pot. As you learn more, you can do more.

• Only plant vegetables your family likes, or be prepared to share what they won’t use with others.

• Many food plants grow well (if properly cared for) in just about any climate. Read books or ask experts to find out which vegetables and fruits grow best in your area.

• If you have a large yard, you might want to try composting. It’s great for your plants, and it’s good for the environment because it recycles organic material (like old leaves, fruit and vegetable peels, etc.).

• If you don’t have a yard, try a window herb garden. Parsley, dill, chives, and spearmint are pretty and fairly easy to grow in a small space.

• Learn how much and how often to water or fertilize plants. Overwatered tomatoes, for instance, will produce beautiful plants, but hardly any tomatoes!

• Zucchini is a wonderful plant to grow, especially for beginners. But beware! If you let it get too large, its taste and texture can be changed, and its use may be limited to breads, soups, and casseroles. Harvest it while it is still less than a foot long.

• Most vegetable plants can be combined in areas with other plants which have the same space and water requirements. Corn, however, should be planted near other corn plants in rows or clusters if you want it to thrive.

• If you have an abundant harvest, share with others. Delivering fresh veggies to the neighbors is a great way to get to know them. You never know; later it may give you a chance to share the gospel.

• Be patient. Some plants and fruit trees have to mature for several years before they produce fruits or vegetables.

• Be observant of the miracle of the harvest. Be sure to give thanks in your prayers for what you receive.

Follow the Prophet

At the Saturday morning session of October general conference, President Hinckley gave the following testimony:

“You and I know that God lives and is at the helm of this His holy work. We know that Jesus is our Redeemer, who stands at the head of this Church which carries His name. We know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and is a prophet who stands at the head of this the dispensation of the fulness of times. We know that the priesthood was restored upon his head and that it has come down to us in this day in an unbroken line. We know that the Book of Mormon is a true testament of the reality and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, 5).

Puppy Love

Sarah Henrie, a Laurel from Glenwood, Alberta, Canada, loves puppies. And she should. Breeding miniature schnauzers has proven to be a good source of income for this young entrepreneur.

“When I was ten years old, my parents got me a dog to raise as a job so that I could do reports on it for my home-study schooling. Then we had a litter of puppies, and I’ve been doing this ever since,” says Sarah.

The puppies have given her valuable experience in learning how to run a business efficiently. She also has realized the value of paying tithing on her income.

“I made a Young Women goal to learn how to clip the dogs myself,” says Sarah. “I took a course at the university, and now I can do it on my own. It saves a lot of money.”

But as Sarah’s business has taken off, she’s learned another, more important lesson about her family. Since her business has grown, Sarah has relied on the help of her younger Primary-age sisters, Kate, Leah, Jennifer, and Amy, to keep things running smoothly. She says that if it weren’t for them, she couldn’t run her business. She also says life wouldn’t be much fun without them.

“I have to be a very good example,” she says. “It’s important for me to choose the right.”

The Right Move

There’s no doubt about it. Moving can be tough on teenagers. It was a challenge for priests Andrew and Jared Mackaroy (here with their older brother, younger sister, and younger brother), who moved with their family from South Africa to New Zealand.

If it weren’t for the Church, they don’t know how they could ever have successfully made the move. “Seminary, the Church meetings and programs, even the New Era—they’re all the same all over the world,” says Jared.

Photography by John Luke