Our Kitchen Gardens: Then and Now

Gardening: A family tradition. My Grandma Brook with her brother in 1940 

As a child I remember my father taking me to the farmer's market on Saturday mornings.  This was a true farmer's market and not the type of urban farmer's market we go to today.  There stood stall after stall of fruits and vegetables.  The backs of trucks were brimming with produce. These were real farmers who sat there chewing tobacco and speaking in thick country accents that I struggled to understand.  You didn't go to buy one or two tomatoes or a pint of blueberries; you purchased a bushel at a time. We would buy Ripley tomatoes or sweet corn in the summer, in the fall we'd go select pumpkins for Halloween.  While I never saw the farms themselves I knew where fruits and veggies came from and it wasn't a can or a jar.  

My dad watering the yard and my little brother c. 1993

At home my dad had a garden that he planted every year.  Every year we had tomatoes, Better Boys being his favorite to grow.  We also grew eggplant, squash, peppers or whatever else he thought might grow.  This was not an elegant garden.  He did eventually fence it off, but that was due to the fact that the dogs kept getting in and eating his tomatoes. Although I wasn't really into gardening at this time (after all I was probably eight years old) I did like to grow strawberries and dad made me my own little patch flanked by miniature rose bushes that I also selected.  I remember not understanding why my strawberries weren't as big as the strawberries we bought at the store and I also remember being so mad when slugs ate the strawberries that I was waiting on patiently to ripen.  

Trial and error:  Happy basil, but no tomatoes

We also grew peaches-that never turned out all that well and got attacked by worms, we had blackberry bushes that I'm pretty sure planted themselves and tore up my hands when I would go pick the fruit.  We had a big plum tree in the back yard that made more plums than anyone would ever want to eat and we experimented with raspberries and blueberries.  Most of the time these plants thrived and we got a decent amount of produce out our (OK, my dad's) efforts.  All of this was done without any irrigation, special planting beds or compost. On the other hand I don't think the garden was all that organic as I remember dad spraying the trees or plants while wearing a mask.  Regardless, the fruits and veggies grew and we ate them. 

It looks like the backyard/kitchen garden is really seeing a revival these days and it is being done with a lot more style than when I was growing up. We are now planting kitchen gardens because we want to grow food, not necessarily because we need to.  In the past people grew their own food or many reasons: the depression,  food shortages during WWII or just plain need.  Now we grow because we want eat organic (without paying Whole Foods prices) or we want a hobby that is rewarding. Many of the newer gardens have beautiful raised beds, rain barrels or a drip irrigation system to provide proper irrigation and a compost heap used to amend the soil.   I love that people want to grow some of their own food.  It will teach you patience and teach your children to appreciate the land and understand the origins of their food.  It can also be a bit show-offish which I suppose is OK, but come on we are talking about farming!  Growing your own food, even on a small scale, is hard and dirty work. I recently became acquainted with Williams-Somoma's Agarian line and it could inspire anyone to pick up trowel and get to planting.  Everything is so beautiful and inviting. It's even made me consider setting up a chicken coop, but I don't think the chickens and the dogs will get along.  If you haven't had a chance to see these products here is the link: williams-sonoma agrarian 

So I say, whatever your motivation, may it be healthier eating or showing off your green thumb I encourage everyone to try a few plants and enjoy the fruits (or veggies) of your labor.