The Quiet Farmers of My Garden: A Deep Story About Earthworms
The Morning My Soil Spoke to Me
Soshanguve is often filled with noise from taxis hooting from far off and people sweeping their front yards early in the morning to avoid overheating during the course of the day. This particular morning was different because the air felt calm and almost seemed to be anticipating my existence. I found myself outside in my small garden with a hot cup of tea in my hand. I had already started thinking about what type of activity it would be for me, checking my garden beds, pulling out a few weeds, and watering my spinach plants; however, I would soon be surprised by what lay beneath the surface of my soil.
When I got down on my knees next to the onions, my hand was under some loose mulch which was shifting. I removed it quietly, thinking maybe it would be a small beetle or a piece of a root. But, in fact, a smooth, bright body was crossing the ground. I stopped for a second, but after that, I grinned. It was an earthworm.
There was something calming about how it moved, stretching slowly like it had just woken up with me. I don't know why, but I felt honoured. I always hear gardeners say, "If your garden has earthworms, your soil is alive." And that morning, life was literally wriggling in my hands.
Holding Life Gently in My Palm
It wrapped gently into my hand as if shielding itself from the sun when I took hold of it. I was able to sense the slight, sleek creature making a move inside, and it dawned on me that it was terribly delicate. The instant was nearly religious like the earth was confiding in me.
I was there for several minutes, merely looking at the movement of the shadow that went down my arm from my fingers. Its very soft and almost tentative way of looking for a darker place made me think again how plants stretch toward the light. Nothing in the garden is without a beat, a route, a reason.
This brought to my mind the fact that we are so often in a hurry through life, thereby not noticing those silent workers that are under our feet.
Discovering More Worms - A Garden Blessing
I placed the first worm gently back into the bed, and as I dug deeper into the soil to check its texture, I saw another one. And then another. Three, then four, then five. It was a kind of warmth that I hadn't anticipated in my heart. My garden seemed to be making me a present, a very special one, which only a person who really loves his/her earth could recognize.
Until that day, I was still thinking that maybe the way I compost was not enough at times. Soils in Soshanguve are sometimes quite difficult, in some parts they are too sandy, and in others, they are too hard and clay like. But what could be a more definite indication that my garden is getting healthier and growing than to see those worms?
They weren't just worms. They were proof that my garden was transforming from the inside out.
How Earthworms Changed My Soil Over Time
Now, any time I move my hand over the earth, I notice a big change. It's less dense, more like a heap of broken pieces, and one can easily dig it even with a bare hand. That was not how it used to be. I recall the soil so compact that I found it extremely difficult to insert a small digging tool into the ground when I was starting the garden for the first time. There were instances when I had to put my whole weight on it just to crack the surface.
Not even one of our best pieces of equipment can do what earthworms do. They make the earth really live. They separate the hardest bits, digest the organic matter, and deposit very rich castings which are like the best natural fertiliser. The roots of my plants go down the earth more easily now, and when I water the beds, the water doesn't just stay there, it goes in deeply, vanishing as if the earth is giving it back its water.
There are some people who still believe that gardening is only about the visible part of the plants, but I have discovered that the real miracle is going on under the ground.
A New Way of Seeing My Garden
Since that morning, I have ceased the act of hastening when I dig. I am leisurely and slowly move the soil figuring that the truth could be that there is a living being there. Sometimes I speak softly to the worms; I say "thank you for assisting me." It probably sounds odd to everyone, but for me, my garden is a relationship like a slow developing very close friendship project.
Each time I come across a worrm I think in my mind how great it is. It has become a little triumph to me and a reminder that nature still makes its way to flourish even in a very hot and difficult soil condition if you care enough.
It really makes me reflect on my own path as well. I embarked my gardening venture full of zeal but with very little understanding. Like a worm working in the soil, I have journeyed slowly, patiently and with many mistakes along this path, as well as surprises.
A Lesson in Patience From the Worms
Earthworms are not in a hurry. They never grumble. They do not ask for recognition. They simply go on with their work, one day after another, making the earth a lovely and life giving thing. And in some way, they have imparted their lesson of deceleration to me as well.
When life seems overwhelming, I find comfort in my garden by digging my hands into the soil. By feeling the soil, its hidden networks, and the subtle wriggling of worms, I realize that change can happen quietly without needing to be fast. It is sometimes the smallest and quietest works which yield the biggest results.
My plants are more vibrant and taller now, and I am pretty sure that the worms were the ones to make it happen.
Why I Started Protecting the Worms
At present, my gardening methods are quite different from before. Pink dirt I throw around more than once to not only keep the moisture But to give them a cool, dark place to move through. I rarely dig very deep I don't dig very deep because I don't want to injure the tiny farmers who are working underneath me. I have totally quit the use of chemical fertilizers. I definitely do not want any such thing in the soil which can be harmful to them.
Once in the hot sun, I happened to see a worm that was struggling. I quickly took it up and put it in the earth in a safe place. And, each time after that, it goes down and gets lost, it seems to me that my small prayers have been answered.
They are a support to me like I am a support to them.
A Memory I'll Never Forget
One afternoon, shortly after that initial finding, I was planting new spinach seedlings. I dug up a small piece of earth, and out of the sudden four worms appeared. They hurriedly tried to hide from the sun, they were all intertwined with each other like a bunch of threads but they were still writhing in different directions.
I am not sure of the reason, but the sight of such a large number of them all at once really made my eyes water. I started this garden as a hobby; it was meant to help me grow vegetables for my family and myself. Now it has become a refuge of sorts, where I go to recharge my batteries or just sit quietly with my thoughts. Even when I'm not in my garden, I know that the plants and animals are still there and living on their own.
I like to think of all the other creatures that call my garden home. The worms help me remember that I share my garden with many other living creatures. The soil is still a living thing, still it's moving and
working with me, even when I'm tired and even when the heat is tiring.
Earthworms and the Bigger Picture
Many people look down on worms, but for me, they are a symbol of hope. They demonstrate that any soil, no matter how hard, can be transformed. That even a piece of earth, which has been left without any proper care, can be made fertile again. That even a gardener, who is tired, can get his/her new vigor.
In Soshanguve, it is quite common for the winters to be dry and the summers to be very hot, so coming across earthworms is almost like seeing a miracle. They are definitely signs that nature is very resilient. As a matter of fact, we should also not give up.
I used to see a piece of land that was dry and feel really bad. But now, I see it and think of all the different creatures that could be living under it if I come and give it a little care.
Closing Thoughts: My Garden, My Companions, My Quiet Blessings
While penning this down, the scent of freshly turned earth from the early part of the day is still very much with me. A little dirt is still lodged beneath my nails from which I typed and I really adore it. It is a nice reminder of my strong connection to this little place.
Even though Earthworms are tiny creatures, they significantly changed how I perceive gardening and the concept of growth. Because of what they do, I've gained a lot of benefits; I've enriched my soil, improved my plant health, and developed a much more loving heart toward gardening. In fact, they are the ones who have brought back to my memory the very process of healing, which is slow and originates from within.
It is a pretty thing, and I think, every time I dig into the earth and find one of them moving elegantly through the ground, it is my garden which is breathing with me.
This little refuge of mine is living. And I thank every silent animal that is assisting me in maintaining it that way.
