One of my favorite things to do in the garden is to pick okra. It is something you have to keep up with. The first time I grew okra, I was so excited about the size of the pods, that I did all I could to encourage them to get bigger and bigger. Then I picked one and it was chewy, fibrous and, well, pretty much inedible. It was at that point that I realized picking okra is a daily chore. The pods grow at a furious pace going from flower to veggie in the span of 2 or 3 days. If you don’t pick the pods young and tender, they quickly grow long and tough. To find all of the okra, you have to look really, really hard. The pods like to hide deep beneath the large leaves, masquerading as stems, and so just when you think you are finished picking, you’ve got to take a second closer look to make sure that you’ve truly harvested everything.

It’s a daily chore, but I love it. Most mornings, I’ll go out just before the girls wake up, let the chickens out, and then take my harvest basket to check on the okra, along with our peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers. It’s one of those simple tasks that gives order to daily life. In a world where our typical rhythms and schedules have gone out the window, I keep turning to my garden as a place to find peace and tranquility. We hope you are finding the same in your garden too.