The Vegetable Garden

Weather means more when you have a garden.  There’s nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans.  ~Marcelene Cox

Karl and I planted a garden the first year we were married and every year since.  We have had both spring and fall gardens.

Young Potato Plant

One stifling hot day the girls and I were in the back yard shucking corn.  Neither was happy about being there, the worms on the corn, or the job at hand.  They both went into great detail explaining how store-bought canned vegetables were just as good as home-grown and that time spent in the garden was pretty much wasted time.   The boys were equally unimpressed with the concepts of gardening, avoiding chemicals in our food, and raising more nutritious vegetables.

Grape tomatoes

As our children have grown up, bought their own groceries and taken on the task of feeding their families we have watched  the interest and appreciation of gardening grow.  Now our gardening is a real “family affair”.


Nothing is more rewarding than to dig potatoes with a grandchild.  They are so excited with the discovery of each potato, much like when they  hunt Easter Eggs.  A special prize in the warm soil.

What fun it is to explain to the grandchildren why Nana and Grandpa have a pantry full of glass jars with no labels or have them put a special request in for pickled green beans or peaches.

Picking Green Beans

Spending the day  picking and canning the harvest with the adult children, working side by side, sharing stories and advice, is something every parent should be so lucky to experience.

Watching the pressure cooker

Kambra and Cindi showing off their hard work

Seems it took a long time for this to come around but well worth the wait.

Gradually everyone is starting their own garden and experiencing the special taste of that first home-grown tomato or cucumber. They are learning that the weather can be a blessing or totally wipe out a lot of hard work with one hail storm.

This year we harvested about 160 lbs of potatoes, 150 lbs of onions, and 80 lbs of green beans, we had plenty to share.

Onions Drying

Mel gave me a wonderful apron, on the front it reads “I eat local, because I can” , next to an image of mason jars.

2 thoughts on “The Vegetable Garden

  1. Your garden is absolutely beautiful!!! And to think you do one in the spring and one in the fall!!! I am so impressed. The canning is also impressive. So much work, but very rewarding. Loved your post – you do a fantastic job blogging Joan!

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