Miracles of Loaves, Fishes and Herb Gardens

God Loves to Feed His Sheep

One of my more memorable stays in France was living in the Mediterranean town of San Rafael on the Riviera. In the middle of the old town there was a Fourth or Fifth Century Monastery. While friends were gawking at the topless women on the beach I was touring monestaries in San Raf and Frejus. I'm a bit wierd that way.


This monestary was near enough to the water that the monks could easily catch fish. They also had an extensive kitchen herb garden that was amazing, served the entire monastery and has survived to this day some five centuries later. Along the walk path in a beautiful garden there were large plants of herbs dating from the fifth century of every variety - huge Rosemary bushes (not just plants, bushes) and thyme, oregano, basil and sage and herbs I barely heard of.
Still there, after the Monks planted it, in the 21st century.


The climate is of course ideal in the South of France for this sort of thing- imagine if your garden lasted five centuries. The monestary also had in the garden an old wheat Mill stone- round that one crushed wheat into meal or flour, presumably to make 'hosts." This monestary is now a museum but one can see that at one time it was the lifeblood of the town. It fed the sheep.



As we enter an era of what some call "food insecurity" where a shameful and astounding number of people are getting some sort of food assistance or food stamps in America and 'famine' looks like a sign of what some call 'end times', it would not be a bad idea to resurrect the idea of vegetable and herb gardening as the French know how to do and have led the charge in their organic farmer's market movement. Kudos also to Michele Obama at the White House veggie garden-and look for her gardening book to come out soon.

The weather in DC is georgeous now-spring rains and sunlight breaking through the refracted sky. Now all we need are roses, and a rosemary bush. (rosemary goes great on chicken with lemon and onion and garlic-which you can also grow in DC)

www.Gardening.org