Today I was transplanting tomato plants into larger containers and I started thinking about my gardening experiences.
As I mentioned in a previous post, my mother always had a garden and would can our extra vegetables. My mother grew up on a farm and for her it was just natural to have a garden. It was also very common in those days to grow your own food. We had vegetables and a salad or some type of pickles with every meal. I don't remember much else although I probably helped pull weeds in that garden. I did pick wild strawberries, crabapples, wild grapes and pulled wild onions that grew in the surrounding woods. These were nature's bounty without a lot of effort on my part that I enjoyed.
When we left Wisconsin, we moved around every year or two and my mom didn't always plant a garden. Once I reached my later teens, my parents started gardening again. I remember one time bringing home some pig manure from my boyfriend's farm. I was supposed to be really good for the crops, but it sure did stink.
Up to this point, Mom planted her garden in the standard way of rows that they could irrigate. Then my dad started reading gardening magazines like Mother Earth News and Organic Gardener. He began trying different techniques and methods for increasing yields, cutting down on weeds and conserving water. Pretty soon I was reading those same magazines and helping Dad in the garden.
Although I was exposed to gardens as I grew up, I didn't plant my own garden until I was almost through my first pregnancy. We lived in a small house across from Mooney's Grove Park in Visalia, California. I had planted a small plot behind the house. I don't really remember what I planted. I just remember sitting on the ground cross-legged and turned sideways to pull weeds since I couldn't lean forward over my stomach. What I do recall is how peaceful I felt as I sat there pulling weeds.
My next garden was located behind the garage of our house on Zumwalt in the country. I had gone through a divorce and remarried; things had really changed in my life. However, I still had this inate desire to grow a garden and can my surplus vegetables. My mom never really taught me how to can fruit and vegetables. I taught myself with some pointers from my husband's paternal grandmother. She had some great recipes she shared with me. I also decided to return to college where I earned an AA degree in Ornamental Horticulture. I learned many techniques that I still utilize to this day.
When we moved into town, I went several years without a garden. But the desire set back in and now I have half of my back yard fenced off for gardening. I'm very glad for the heritage and experience in gardening. I feel like I have an advantage as our economy is forcing so many people to grow vegetables to supplement their grocery budget. We enjoy good vegetables that are healthy and grown without pesticides, but the greatest benefit I still gain is peace of mind. Gardening is therapy, both physical and emotional.
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