There is no better advertisement for gardening—no clearer proof, no more persuasive argument—than a basket of food grown with your own hands.
A glossy brochure can inspire. A well-written article can inform. But a bowl of sun-warmed tomatoes, a handful of freshly dug potatoes, a crooked carrot pulled from living soil—these speak for themselves. They say: this works. They say: this is real. They say: you can do this too.
The phrase comes from the Gospel of Matthew in the King James Version: “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” It was meant as a moral teaching, but gardeners understand it in a very earthy way. The health of the soil shows in the harvest. The care we give returns to us in abundance. The fruits are the evidence.
If you are new to gardening or permaculture, don’t wait until everything looks perfect. Don’t wait for the biggest pumpkin or the most photogenic basket. Share what you have. A single zucchini. A first handful of beans. A slightly misshapen apple. These are victories.
When beginners post photos of their harvests, something powerful happens. Others see possibility. Doubt turns into curiosity. Curiosity turns into action. One garden inspires another.
So here is a gentle challenge: post a picture of your harvest. Tell us what you grew. Tell us what surprised you. Tell us what you would do differently next time.
There is no better invitation to this way of living than showing what the soil has given back to you.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. And we would love to see yours.
It's gone a bit frosty again, so I'm back to coppicing trees at the moment. I still have a couple of rows of potatoes in my gamcod beds to dig though. Some people locally have started chitting potatoes for next growing season (I'm a bit behind!!)
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