"Planting the Seed"

That is an awesome story GrandmaT and a very inspirational one too.

For me, I started on my own. As a kid my 2 brothers and 1 sister didn’t like to go out and play when I was in Junior high on up. They were into videos and TV. Me, I had to be outside. A man came over and paid my Dad for some work with blackberry roots. Yep. Dad gave them to me. I planted them and before you know it I had yummy blackberries of my own. Mom showed me a grove of wild blackberries and I gathered enough for a pie. Best pie I ever ate. We made alot of home grown things. The neighbors gave us plums for jelly, my grandpa had pecans for pies and we always got corn to shuck every year from another neighbor.

My mom tells me that my great grandma was an excellent flower and veggie gardener. It must be in my blood.

I can’t miss a day in the outdoors…planting, pulling weeds, walking, exploring, getting new ideas. I just love it.

-- wjl - 5a Indiana

Beautiful, touching story!! (stories)

Growing up on a farm, I spent many hours in the strawberry patches, cucumber fields, pumpkin fields, cauliflower fields, and raspberry patches. To me, we didn’t have a garden, it was “the farm”.
I don’t remember flower gardens, although I’m sure my Mom planted a few flowers here and there.

Summer time, when not in the field, we did a lot of canning and freezing.
Over the years, I have canned a little, but not much.

And now, here I am, 30 years later, and ready to save the planet by canning and freezing as much produce as I can. And as for flowers, my goal recently was to set up my yard as a retreat and so plants have also become important.

So, where did it all begin? “My family”. I can’t pick out one person.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Yes, it does sound like gardening is in your blood! It definitely is a “love”. As a child I never lived in one state for more than 3 years; we would visit my grandparents during summers (how I treaured those summers!!). That was the only time I got “natural” food; mostly from all the canning my grandparents did or right out of grandpa’s garden. YUM!!!

I smiled at thinking how good that blackberry pie of yours must have tasted!!!

Me, I love the outdoors too. Totally hear ya about not wanting to miss a day!!! (On above freezing days I have been known to crack open a window or two just to get some fresh air in the house.) I argued with my doctor about the use of a cane … but found it has given me back my freedom to walk distances again. Spent the whole fall walking our neighborhood, checking out everyone’s gardens and those glorious trees of color. They are predicting warmer weather for our January … hoping to take “my friend” and me for a few walks before the snow flies again.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI

my Mom fought against using a cane .. she keeps saying that it makes her look old .. ha.. then she realized that it sure made walking a lot easier.
She doesn’t need it now, after her 3 hip replacements (one repeat).... except on rare occasions. She’s one of the first to advise others to get a cane though. you miss so much if you stay stuck when you don’t have to.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Wow Deb … I LOVED the telling about your farm. The phrase “field” ... cucumber FIELDS, Pumpkin FIELDS, etc. Invokes the word “massive”. Is your family’s farm still owned by your family?

Loving all telling of “our” stories!!!! Makes you feel good taking a moment to remember … need a little rejuveniation in the midst of winter …

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI

Well I did compromise a bit on that cane issue. Found a really cool website for custom wooden canes. So Russel bought me a really pretty wooden cane. So between my wooden bench and the cane … I am ‘a-walkin’/gardening fool!! :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI

woo hoo.. you are stylin’ :)

farm.. yah, we had about 400 acres I think it was. Lots of work, although I didn’t see it has horrible.. just annoying hahaha (I hated picking cucumbers and raspberries).

My Mom sold the farm after my Dad died.. they were at the retirement age and and already sold 1/2 the farm and they were renting the land out rather than working it themselves.

When I was young, we were the place for all the kids to get a job. (well, adults as well, actually).. picking the straweberries. I was really little then… then we got a “picker” to ride on (haven’t seen any like it since). You laid down on it and put the berries in boxes located on a tray beside you. For cucumbers, there was an elevator that you tossed the cukes into.
When we got the pickers, we just had family (us and 2 of my aunts) working with us. Ha.. oh yah.. gosh.. memory lane now…. when we, the kids, weren’t working, we were playing. One year, using spoons and tin cans, we dug 2 holes. They were about 3 feet wide and probably 15 feet deep. I don’t remember getting in trouble when my dad found them (tractor tire fell in one) but we had to fill them up pretty darned quick.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Wow, that was quite a farm!! Lots of room to run as a kid! You have got some GREAT memories. Such a different life from the one that I lead as a kid. But then, this is what I was hoping was going to happen with this “tread”. A peak into our early lives and how gardening played a part. We can all read these stories, remember and sigh … where’s my mug of coffee!!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI

yah.. memories… sigh…

here is a memory… my uncle (who lived with us our whole lives) and my brother.. eating watermelon… we had a lot of watermelon!! We love watermelon :)

closest picture to farming that I could find.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

What a COOL picture!!!! Ohhhhh, I love watermelon too!!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI