My vegetable patch

I just have to tell you a little bit about my garden, and specifically about the vegetable patch. As a novice gardener, I am excited about every tiny thing that happens there. A few weeks ago I planted peas, broad beans, courgettes, pumpkin, radishes and garlic (I believe that garlic may keep the bugs away). Tiny little seeds went into the ground - have you ever seen a courgette seed? - and now things are sprouting. It feels like a miracle. The thing is, obviously, you know that that's how things grow, but until you experience it, it seems like a far away process with no bearing on your daily life. Now it's happening to me and I am filled with wonder. I realize that I am starting to sound like someone who is having a baby when I talk about it, but I can't help myself

My garden is only small - the size of a large room - but for a first garden it's perfect-sized. Today, I went out there just to put my washing out and ended up staying for an hour. I noticed that the vegetable patch was being overtaken by weeds, so I started taking them out. Then, I realized that a nearby shrub was shading the broad beans from the sun, so I started cutting that back. I can't tell you how good I feel about these small acts. I'm still a bit clumsy - being new to the whole thing, I do sometimes injure a plant by stepping on it or accidentally pulling at the wrong root. Spending years on public transport has made me weirdly over polite, so I apologize to worms and other "good" insects. I must be a bit of a sight, but I don't care, it just feels so good to be in touch with the earth. This is totally bringing out my inner hippy