For The Love of Gardening





Heirloom lettuce



Heirloom Ruby Okra

I was a young girl when I fell in love with gardening, it started with my grandma's garden.  She was not only a fantastic gardener, but she was also a phenomenal cook.  My grandma was originally from Wyatt, LA.  Thus began my love of gardening.

I grew my very first garden when I was 17.  I lived in a lil' house off Oak street in the "big city."  I had a lil' flower bed in front of the house which I tore out to plant veggies.  Along the side of the house, I dug up the lawn and put in peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce. Before I could reap all that I'd sown, I moved to Northern California.  I kept in touch with a few of my neighbors in the area.  Since the lil' house didn't rent out too soon after I moved, my good neighbors took advantage of my garden............they said, "your peppers were HOT, and the tomatoes were sweet."  I knew then, that I would always garden.

There haven't been but a handful of years since that day that I haven't grown a garden.  I'm now into my 33rd year of gardening.  I've learned a lot along the way, in fact, I'm still learning.  I've advanced from store bought plants, to raising my own seedlings.  I've also concurred that organic is better, and heirloom is the BEST!  These days, I start my own seedlings from organic, heirloom seeds that I save from year to year.  After all, gardening is about frugality in once sense and bounty in another.

There is truly nothing more inspiring or loving than tending to a garden........giant sunflowers on their tip-toes, looking up towards the sun, and following it throughout the day.  Heirloom squash, melons, and cucumbers with their long tendrils unfurling outward, reaching into the cacophony of green.  Heirloom beans with names like greasy grits, dragon tongue and rams horn.........one can only fathom what those might look like.  My lil' friends; the toads, lady bugs, lizards, hummingbirds, butterflies, bees (yes, we have lots of bees), occasional snakes, and our bug seeking ducks.  Every breath is a giveaway dance between you and the plants.......for this reason, I garden!