Dads and Gardens

Father’s Day brings to mind my late father’s influence on my love of gardening. I wonder how many other “Boomer” gardeners – or younger ones for that matter -- share wonderful childhood memories of puttering around in the yard with their dads?

My mom always enjoyed planting colorful annuals and enhancing the curb appeal of our home. She took pride in making the front yard look beautiful. Passersby frequently stopped to compliment her on her efforts. That always made her day. But it was Dad, “Mr. Practical,” who deserves most of the credit for introducing me to the joys of digging in the dirt and growing things. 

As I’m cultivating my plot or planting beans, I often flash back to the patient way Dad encouraged me to tag along and help him in the family garden. It was nothing fancy. Usually just tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, green beans and onions. But it was enough to get me hooked on the wonder of nurturing living things. He taught me the basics, like pinching off suckers to produce more tomatoes and less foliage and using the back of the garden rake instead of the tines to level the soil.

More importantly, those shared sessions in the garden honed life lessons. Waiting for seeds to sprout cultivated patience. I remember checking every day, absolutely certain that day I would see the first tiny green sprout emerging from the soil. Battling the groundhogs that frequented our family garden taught lessons in determination and ingenuity. My dad tried everything to keep those hungry critters at bay. It was sort of like watching a Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner cartoon. I swear Dad tried every “Acme product” in the book. Nothing worked until the day he decided to dig a trench around the entire perimeter and install an 8-inch-deep chicken wire barrier. The woodchuck tomato smorgasbord was finally closed.

So here’s to you on Father’s Day, Dad. When I pick my first ripe, juicy tomato of the season, I’ll be thinking of you. And here’s to all the other moms and dads, aunts, uncles and grandparents out there who are passing along the love of gardening and an appreciation for nature to the next generation. Salut!