Raised Garden Bed in Progress ~
It’s not much, yet…
but here’s the ‘outline’ of the raised garden bed
we’re building in our backyard.
It will sit up against the old cement wall
and have arches,
(I have a ‘thing’ for arches)
and finials.
(I also have a ‘thing’ for finials,
so it will likely have a few of those too!)
Can’t wait to share it with you!
At ten feet across and four feet deep,
it’s not large by any means.
And it is a FAR cry,
from the ambitious vegetable gardens, of my childhood.
My Italian grandparents (on my mom’s side)
and later my father, who was all ‘Swede,’
had amazing vegetables gardens.
It was backbreaking work.
I dug up this wonderful old photo
of my Grandpa Massa working his garden
with my big brother Bobby, in tow.
Look at the neat rows,
old seed pail
and my brother…
holding steadfast to what looks to be,
a seed dibber of some sort.
(Not sure exactly, I didn’t come along,
for another 14 years or so.)
We were all so spoiled, growing up,
feasting on homegrown tomatoes,
string beans, corn, peppers, zucchini, lettuce and cucumbers.
Grandma Nettie would can the surplus
on her wood burning stove.
And we would eat well,
from her fabulous larder,
all fall and winter long.
It’s true you know,
what they say,
you reap what you sow….
One, two & even three generations
after my grandpa Paul tilled the Seattle soil,
so many in our family,
still take such pride in their gardens,
big and small.
Horticultural imprinting perhaps?
Some in our family, even gently taunt others,
over the vigor of their basil
or tease about being the first
to transmit the sound of home grown peppers frying in the pan,
via a cross-country phone call!
(No, we’re not competitive!)
Recently, my nephew Steve, started an organic living soil company.
In fact, he’s bringing me a few bags of ‘gold’… next week!
And I’m slowly gathering the raised garden bed accoutrements.
This wire cloche,
(love the shape)
should help protect my tender plants from our son’s
errant backyard footballs, baseballs and an occasional bocce ball.
(Need to hunt down more protective cloches!)
And is it chance or fate…
that I was drawn to
this worn old pail,
with metal rivets,
a thick, ‘not of this time,’ handle….
and questionably sound bottom,
(YES, that’s daylight you’re looking at!)
Kind of reminds me, of my grandpa Paul’s old seed pail,
the one I came across in the photo.
Coincidence….
or transgenerational gardening karma?
I can hear the peppers, frying in the pan, now.
* * *
Will you eke out space for a little raised garden bed?
Would love to know.
Ciao,
Monica
LOVE the old pics of Grandpa Massa! Good luck with the new garden bed. Just transplanted starts of Bok Choi, Collards, Kohl Rabi, Cauliflower, and Parsley. Tomato starts are coming along….peppers are a bit shy this year, but hope for some sprouts soon. Also divided garlic volunteers to get about 40 plants for this year! I love free plants in the garden (hint: let some of your garlic go to seed in the summer/fall…and gently divide and transplant early in the spring).
See what Grandpa Massa started? I know your garden is amazing…and
I can’t wait for my ‘living soil!’