I am grateful for my garden and nature all around

Roger Boddaert

Special to the Village News

My lifelong journey with gardening and the natural world began at the age of seven years young. Born in the 40s, my exposure to the plant world began just outside the back door, and it was exciting to spend hours playing in vacant lots and taking hikes through the surrounding neighborhood.

It was simple times, and we kids enjoyed hanging around, playing in alleys, running through fields of corn, and playing hide & seek, with tons of new hiding places to discover each day.

I remember coming home from grammar school (which we walked to every day) and ch...