Tomaso built raised garden beds in our backyard. Six potted fig trees adorn the perimeter of the garden. Tomaso prided himself on the growing vegetables, the fig fruit, the mixing of organic soil and sand. He called the project his heart healthy enterprise. He had a vision of helping other heart patients create gardens of their own.

I inherited Tomaso’s garden. Rabbits ate nearly everything I planted in the Spring. Now I’ve decided to plant more flowers. In the meantime, Holy Basil has taken over, Tomaso’s favorite tea. The Hibiscus is still in full bloom even after a few light frosts. When Pearl and I go out to the garden to greet each new day, we discover several more ripe figs. I will transplant the lavender in a newly created bed, today.

I have so much to learn about Organic Gardening, even as my neighbors use Round Up and chemical fertilizers, a scourge upon our beautiful green earth. I am powerless to stop it. Roundup is now classified as a cancer causing agent, preventable by ceasing its use. What is so difficult about connecting those dots?

After Bauer Pharmaceutical bought Roundup from Monsanto, they faced tens of thousands of claims linking the weed killer to non- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Bauer paid $10 billion to settle cancer suits, according to a June 2020 New York Times article. Many more suits are pending.

Even so, warning labels still have not been placed on the product, while some cities around the world have banned or restricted glyphosate sales. Some stores have pulled Roundup off its shelves. I support those establishments.

Nevertheless, Tomaso’s garden is still here. Pearl and I are still here. We breathe the same air as everyone else. OM