I’ve mentioned before that my mother is the farmer in our family, and gardening is something she absolutely loves. She thought she was going to be relegated to her raised beds last year, but we also had the big garden, and I really enjoyed just being out there with her tending and watching things grow.
I had originally just planned to grow some things for us to eat fresh, then next thing we knew, there were rows of potatoes, corn, french green beans, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, radishes, pumpkins/gourds and zuchinni. Mother grew asparagus, corn, half-runner beans, candy roasters, onions, cabbages, celery, tomatoes, peppers, blueberries as well as squash, zucchini, grapes, apples, lettuces and herbs. When she reads this post, she’ll remind me of anything I forgot:-)
It dawned on me last fall that I didn’t buy any vegetables all summer, but we ate fresh from the garden.
My husband particularly loves these green beans cooked in just a bit of water, then lightly sauteed in butter and garlic. Since he’s lost 45 pounds trying to eat healthier, these will again be very welcome on his plate this summer.
The red norland potatoes did really well too, and we’re still enjoying them from the cellar.
We’ll have enough seed potatoes to plant again.
I was late getting my tomato plants out, but still enjoyed several different varieties all summer.
Mother had quite the cabbage crop, and while we love her sauerkraut all winter, I love to fry cabbage with onions through the summer.
I also really loved just walking out in the morning and gathering blueberries and black raspberries for breakfast with fresh whipped cream. These black raspberries grow wild and are so sweet and good. My mother’s sister also shares with us the blueberries and blackberries they grow.
Mother’s onions are another treat all summer and last throughout the winter. I think she put out 400 sets.
Cristian was so happy to have fresh corn all summer too and for a 14 year old, didn’t even mind doing all the shucking.
I threw out a few packs of flower seeds mother found, and they were so pretty around the edge of the garden. I plan to actually plant more marigolds as companion plants, and zinnias around the edge again as well.
I so enjoyed being out there with my parents and am so thankful they are healthy enough to enjoy something they love at 82 and 78.
This year we’ll plant pretty much the same things because these are the veggies we like to eat. I’ll probably add brussels sprouts and maybe try broccoli and cauliflower as mother has grown some that was so very good in the past.
It’s funny it doesn’t seem like much – especially compared to some of the massive garden plans I’ve seen people sharing, but when I add up what was grown and preserved right here, it was more than enough for us as well as family, friends and neighbors with plenty still on the shelves and in the freezers. I blogged about that HERE. And that’s all that counts.
What are you planting in your garden this year?
A wonderful garden!
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Thank you Genie! We did enjoy it:-)
WOW! I love waking up to this! Thanks. It’s beautiful
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Thanks Mom!! Can’t wait to get started on this year’s garden:-)
The gardens are beautiful and make me so look forward to Spring and Summer, my favorite times of year. My dad always grew a big garden with lovely priduce like yours. And my mother loved canning and freezing it all.
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Thank you for sharing those sweet memories Cindy:-)
What a wonderful garden. Thank you for sharing this with us.
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Thank you so much!!
Beautiful photos! Makes me want to get the garden patch tilled up and ready to plant. We have a very small patch compared to yours, but I grew up on the farm and my mother had a huge garden every year. This brings back all those memories!
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Thank you Carolyn! A little goes a long way though☺️
Beautiful post, Anita! I love that you continue to make wonderful memories with your mama and such a gorgeous and bountiful harvest! Here’s hoping that our Heavenly Father gives us another season of working in our gardens!
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Thank you so much Sally☺️☺️
Best part is doing it with your Mama. You are truly blessed.
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I’m very thankful, Susan:-)
What lovely memories you are making with your mother! Your pictures are beautiful also.
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Thank you so much Monica!! I’m very thankful:-)