The Ghosts of Gardens Past

Gardens have been a part of my life since the beginning. As a kid in High Bridge, Kentucky, my folks raised wonderful gardens. Their goal was to raise enough of everything to last for most of the year. They would try to can at least 52 quarts of everything they planted. A noble and time-consuming goal. Of course, it didn't always work out that way. Dry weather, root-rot, groundhogs and other garden-loving critters played foil to their domestic agrarian dreams. But battling the elements of nature is half the fun! At least in retrospect.

I raised my first garden with my greenthumbed wife, Laura, in 1994. We grew tomato plants and a variety of herbs in old whiskey barrel halves on our deck. The joy and sense of accomplishment that come with plucking your own ripened tomato is second to none! You really feel special, as you should, by god. You've done something. You've helped make goodness. Since then, we've increased our gardens over the years, both in size and varietal scope. Our staples are tomatoes, beans, corn, squash, potatoes, peppers, cucumbers, peas, broccoli, and a variety of greens. Now we always grow a flower/herb garden as well. Herbs are particularly satisfying because many of them will make it through the winter and can be enjoyed for four or five years (particularly if you live farther south).

At our previous house in Wilmore, Kentucky, I started a wild flower garden. I was (and still am) quite proud of this small, dazzling plot of purples, reds, pinks, yellows, and blues. Most of the specimens were transplanted from our old farm along the palisades of the Kentucky River. I started out with Wild Columbine. I dug up a fine specimen from a precarious limestone ledge 200 feet above the river. The next year I added Dutchman's Breeches, Larkspur (white and purple), Fire Pink, Twin Leaf, Wild Hyacinth, Trillium (Wake Robin), False Rue Anenome, and Jack-in-the-Pulpit. My last addition was Shooting Star. Since my parents now live in our old house, I can still tend to this small but vibrant patch beneath the Catalpa tree whenever I visit. I plan on starting a wildflower garden here in Tennessee and have found a nursery that specializes in indigenous species--Viola Valley Wildflowers.

The image to the right is last years flower/herb garden in Wilmore. Each time I look at it, I feel sad. I miss our old house and yard--hearing Chloe and Henry playing under the trees and singing silly songs while Laura and I fussed over each plant. But fills me with excitement, too. I know a new garden is waiting in the very near future. In less than a month, we'll get to start all over again.