Reluctant Horsewoman aka Resolute Gardener

Young Jennifer and our small garden

Young daughter, Jennifer, would be a "back to the lander" if an opportunity came.  So when the farm came into our lives, Jennifer got excited about reviving the old farm garden.

We had a garden here at our house when the kids were little so they would get idea where their food came from,  get dirty and connect to their grandparents on both sides, all big gardeners. That garden was small and kinda shady.  The kids grew and their various competitions kept us all busy. The gardening lasped and it was all sodded over.

Heather and Vern harvesting potatoes

Jennifer's excitement over another garden was infectious.  Vern and Heather were cleaning out the barn, Jenn loaded up the tractor and hauled all the old cow manure to the garden.  It was then plowed, disked and harrowed, all with farm equipment. Our planting method near the end was less enthustasic.  Jenn and I dropped potatoes in the plow furrows and kicked dirt over them. It worked fine and its the planting method I intend to use this year !

One of our big sucesses that year was zucchini!  I had them lined up on the counter.  As all Zucchini farmers know, they go from small to humousgous, the size of seal pups, over night.  My friends were becoming wary of me.  I shoved them in mail boxes on my way home.  I heard of a clever idea of tossing them in open car windows.  I had almost reached that point.  My family was also becoming wary of supper.  Anything could have been made with zucchini... and it was.  I found a few great recipes though ... chocolate zucchini cake is amazing.

As our enthusiasm grew, so did the garden. The following year, we plowed up a bigger patch.   Jenn left for Alberta.  Weeds grew faster than my seeds.  This year, with Vern's help, we have put down a 3 foot barrier all around the garden to keep the hay field from incroching and to cut down the size a bit.  I want to try watermelon and cantaloupe this year and I find I need the space anyway. I found a market that will buy my organic veggies, so my friends and neighbours are safe from stealth vegetable drops. Now to get a better handle on the weeds...