Grandma's Green Thumb

Grandma’s Green Thumb

Gardening with my grandmother as a child was a rewarding experience both on the table and in my memory.

In the spring my grandmother would wake up bright and early in the morning with one goal in her mind to prepare her garden for the summer produce.

She would start the season by digging up the lot for her garden. Breaking up the soil and digging up weeds was a tough task. She would incorporate the grandkids when they were available to pull up the weeds.

It would take a few weeks of preparing the soil to have it ready for planting. She would excitingly plan which vegetables and fruit she was going to plant for the season. Some of her favorite vegetables to plant in her garden were collard greens, yellow squash, butter beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes. She would let me pick my own vegetables and fruits to grow in addition to her choices. I was always fond of corn and watermelon.

The most interesting item she grew was peanuts and red potatoes for the simple fact; the fruit of the plant grew within the ground. I would eagerly keep a watch on the garden as it stated to grow and report any new growth to my grandmother. First I would see the plants blossom later the vegetable would start to emerge.

Nothing compares to picking and eating the first produce of the season that was prepared with such hard working hands. The greatest experience growing a garden in the summer with my grandmother was the rewards of the seeds we sowed. The harvest on the dinner table will always be a cherished memory of my grandmother’s green thumb.