Garden Notes

Photo shows me on my bike in front of our home. I was about 8, the same age as when I planted my first vegetable garden.

I grew up on a family farm in northern Wisconsin and from a young age, I was part of the family enterprise of growing food and tending to the farm animals.

Each spring my dad would plow up our large vegetable garden and prepare the soil to be planted with both seeds for common vegetables and set plants for things like tomatoes, cabbages and peppers. It was a big job and the whole family was involved with the planting and water carrying to be sure all of the plants had a good drink of water after being placed in their new homes.

Then, each summer, a bargain was struck between our parents and us kids. Basically each child was assigned a few rows in the garden that were to be kept weed free until harvest. If we kept our part of the bargain, in fall we would get a new pencil box to hold our writing supplies for school. Somehow we were convinced that it was quite a good deal and we worked really hard to earn that reward.

One summer when I was about 8 years old, I asked my dad if I could have a garden of my own.

He told me yes — if I took care of it.

I asked where I could put my garden.

His answer — any where I wanted.

I eventually chose a spot about 10 feet by 10 feet located just west of my dad’s blacksmith shop. I dug the whole thing up with a basic shovel and broke up the clumps of soil as best I could. Then I went in to ask my mom what I could plant in my new garden.

She brought out her stash of seeds, mostly leftover  seeds from the family’s vegetable garden. I remember choosing corn, radishes, lettuce, peas and beans. I spent the rest of my day planting and carrying water for my new garden.

I was so excited when my seedlings started coming up. The radishes especially were quick to sprout and looked great. However, being a little impatient, every couple of days I would pull out a few radishes to check how they were doing and to see if I had any radishes big enough to harvest. Those early radishes were all greenery with no radish bulb underneath. Disappointed, I would try to replant the poor radish. (Just so you know, radishes do not like being pulled up and replanted.) I don’t think even one of them actually grew after being pulled early and replanted. Eventually, I did get a few radishes, but by then most of the row had disappeared due my frequent “radish checks”.

That summer my plants grew nicely and I did end up harvesting some vegetables. However that little garden was a lot of work and after the novelty wore off, I got tired of it. The next year when my dad asked if I wanted a garden again, I decided that once was enough and declined.

Now as an adult, I love gardening and I find that I especially love growing food. Also, as I look back, one of my favorite childhood memories is that little garden I was allowed to grow all by myself and I think in many ways it influenced the gardener that I am today.

The Kitty Garden