Readers, Welcome to my blog (formerly Birds, Blooms, Books, etc). I'm entering a new decade taking on the challenge of moving from Maryland after living there 46 years and learning about my new home here in New England in the Live Free or Die state - New Hampshire. Join me as a write this new chapter of my life.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

My Mom's Garden


 My mom is a gardener and has been for many, many years.  For the last 15 years she has lived in a retirement community in Pennsylvania, 11 of those years with my dad who is no longer with us.  She gardens in the front and back of her single level cottage planting an assortment of flowers and perennials.  For vegetable gardening she has a portion of the community garden a short walk from her home.  Mom is 93 and she's still gardening!

Today my sister and I joined her to get the vegetable garden going.  Fortunately for us the grounds crew had rototilled most of her garden otherwise I'd still be there digging it up.  They couldn't do it all because of the strawberries, spinach and peas she'd already planted.

The photo below is the before.  Her portion extends to the right to where the soil seems to be tilled in a perpendicular direction and to the left where you can see some spinach growing.  It's a long rectangle.  At the far end are some raspberries that I think she inherited.  This year her plot is double the size it was last year.

The major accomplishment today was to lay out defined beds and walkways wide enough for her to get around in the garden. She uses a cane most of the time for balance so it was important to make it easy for her to walk about.  Last year she had such narrow paths which made it difficult to walk about.

Below are three narrow beds.  From left to right we have spinach (planted earlier this spring and in the fall) and beets planted today, then in the middle a long narrow row of peas planted today in a wide trench, and to the right some peas she planted earlier with strawberries planted who knows when.  The paths are wide enough for her here.  Beyond these we made mounds for her to plant hills of squash.  The soil there had been tilled so it was easy to rake it into mounds.



In this newly tilled part below I made some raised beds for tomatoes, squash, beans and potatoes in the back.  She had some compost from the horse stables which we dumped on the beds for now.  Again I left space between the beds for her to manuever easily

Unfortunately the water spigot had not been turned on for the season by the grounds crew so we couldn't water.  The soil is very dry and the peas and beets we planted will need watering soon.  Mom and my sister may have toted water from the cottage after I went home. I hope so.  It was a good day in the garden and I know we were a big help to her.

8 comments:

Jenny Rottinger said...

wow! I'd love to be around and garden at that age as your mom! my hat is off to her!

Mary Ann said...

I hope and pray that someone can write about me when I'm 93 that "she's still gardening"... Brava to your mom, what a wonderful spirit!

Robin said...

Looks great Marcia! Boy, I sure hope I'm still gardening at her age!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

That is so neat---that your Mom can still garden at age 93... Awesome!!!!! My father-in-law who will be 100 in August--taught himself the computer at age 90. He still drove until his eyes failed him --at age 95... He loved his yard and gardening. Now--he's not in very good health and lives with George's sister. But--his mind is still sharp. He's amazing--just like your Mom. (My Mom died in 1991 at the age of 91... She was active all of her life also.)....

Hugs,
Betsy

Stoney Acres said...

Wow, I hope I'm still gardening at 93. In fact I hope I'm still around at 93!! My wife's Grandfather managed a small garden and a large green house on his property until he died at 95! I really admire older folks that want to be out and doing things!!

Stoney Acres said...

Wow I hope I'm still gardening at 93. In fact I home I'm still around to be gardening at 93!! My wife's grandfather had a small garden and a large green house on his property that he took care of until he passed away last year at 95. I really admire old folks that are still out and doing things in their older years!!

HolleyGarden said...

That's a big garden for her to tend! But I bet she's an expert at growing vegetables! Seems we have lost so much of the wisdom that generation had with growing vegetables - or maybe it's just that I seem to know so little!

Bonnie K said...

I am so impressed! I'm sure that is what keeps her young. I'm glad you are enjoying the garden with her. I'm sure it brings her great joy.