Getting close to gardening

Back when I was a kid, we didn't go to town all that often. Mom and Dad went to Arthur (a town of about 150 to 200) weekly to deliver eggs and cream. We maybe went to Ogallala (a town of maybe 5,000) every two weeks or so. Most of the time we spend out on Mom and Dad's ranch. Dad raised Hereford cattle and hand-milked from say 10 to 20 milk cows. Mom and Dad both were raised in the country so both of them were totally country. Dad loved to garden and Mom helped Dad. Mom loved to cook and can.

Here are a few things that are a fun way to get to gardening. I like to take a small sweet potato and suspend it in a cup of water. I usually take three tooth picks so it is just off the bottom of the cup. Give it a couple weeks and you will see little buds breaking out on the sweet potato. Wait until these get 4 or 5 inches long and then you can break them off right against the sweet potato. These you can plant directly in the ground, or you can put it about half way in another cup of water and wait for roots to develop. When the ground is warm and frost danger is over, plant them. I'd make sure they are about 2 feet apart. Come this fall there will be several pounds of sweet potatoes there.

Another thing I loved when we were kids was chives. I'm not sure what Mom helped us plant them in, but I'll bet cottage cheese containers would work. Once the chives came up, we'd clip the tops and put them on potatoes. Sometimes they would be baked potatoes and other times mashed potatoes. Another cool idea was to take that ball out of an avocado and partly submerge them. I'm not sure what we did with them other than to just look at them.

Mom and Dad always found a spot for some sweet peas. We never had very many and virtually none made it to the house. I know we'd pick them and squirt them in our mouth with our thumb out in the garden. I know there are kinds where one can eat the pods, but we never raised them. We always raised and ate the kind you can shell. Just thinking of fresh raw peas makes my mouth water.

This time of the year Dad would be putting the single plow on one of his C International tractors to plow in some potatoes. Dad would make a couple passes to start and then we'd plant potatoes. Dad would cut them up with his pocket knife into pieces with at least two eyes. Dad would show us how far apart and how deep. Once we got the row planted he'd plow a certain number of furrows and then we'd plant the next row of potatoes. Dad used an old International Cub tractor with cultivators on it so the rows had to be a certain width. By the time we got done, we were played out. The first row or two was fun, but from then on it was work. Mom and Dad raised enough potatoes for Grandpa and Grandma. They lived 5 or 6 miles north of us.

In the spring we'd go up to Grandpa and Grandma's, and she would have rhubarb growing out by their garden. She would let us go pull a slim tender red stalk and eat it. Pucker you up! Not as bad as chokecherry berries but darn close. Grandma always had a good garden. It was smaller, but she had one. She lived out in the Sandhills and having food during the winter was determined by how well you could garden. Some of them skinny people must have been poor gardeners. Most of my kinfolk must have been darn good gardeners. Most of my kinfolk were shorter and plump.

Many live in towns where their ground is at a premium. We are fortunate to live in the country, but if you live in town, get creative. There is something about raising your own cucumber or tomato or pepper. You might only have a few, but there is satisfaction in getting dirt on your hands and watching things grow. Most garden plants require full sun so keep that in mind. A few can handle a little shade but not many. Tomatoes and cucumbers and zucchini and peppers all require full sun.

Containers sound like a great idea and they do work, but on a limited basis. There is nothing like digging up a spot and planting right in the dirt. An old car tie makes a great planter. An old kid's swimming pool. Maybe a spot in a flower garden. We picked up the tread from a truck tire that had blown a tire. Great container for some flowers. Our son has raised beds from 2 x 8's. Probably 2 feet wide by 8 feet long. It takes a couple 10-feet 2-by-8s.

If the container has a bottom, make sure there are holes in it so the water can drain. I'd probably start with garden soil and then top off with potting soil. Mix the top a little bit. You can get your plants at a bunch of different stores. They will be outside so you won't even have to go in. there are several places in Cape Girardeau and Chaffee and one in Acquila. Many have seeds if you want to go that route. Seeds are more work and will take longer.

Don't get carried away and make your garden too big! Worst mistake you can make. Start small. Plant a spring garden, and then if you want, plant a fall garden the end of June into July. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and zucchini are top of the list for me.

Check out around your house. Look for places that a plant just might fit. In a world that is in the midst of difficult times, some flowers or garden plants will add a ray of sunshine.