When choosing a title for this new adventure, I text my YaYa's (my dearest friends) and asked for help with a name, because they know me better than I know myself. From the beginning, Heirloom was in the mix because of my heritage, so was muddy feet. If you drive up on my garden at any given moment in the summer, you will see me and my kiddos ankle deep in our rich soil. If feeling fancy, I'll put on my knee high rubber boots but when it hits 100 degrees, the boots are off! Bare feet in freshly tilled soil rivals toes in the sand.
My heirloom heart comes from a long line of gardeners. My great-grandma, Hattie, lived on a ranch in Klammath Falls when I was very young. I can remember her garden perfectly, especially the cold boxes. She would bend down, fill her apron with treasures and waddle into the kitchen. My Grandma Judy always has irises as tall as I am lining her back fence every spring. She faithfully gathers from our gardens and orchards to preserve food for winter. Apron on and pairing knife in hand, she peels tomatoes at the sink for hours while we buzz around her with hot mason jars. Then there is my momma... She lives an absolutely chaotic life as a flight nurse, surgical missions leader, humanitarian, teacher and over-the-top grandma, but when she walks through the gates of her garden she is restful, content and collected. I feel that way when I walk into her garden too. Lilies, irises, cosmos, stretch out to shake your hand, hundreds of sunflowers soar above and an eight foot tower of snap peas curl up to the sky. Irresistible Sungold, Ace and Cherry tomatoes beg to be picked, cucumbers and squash sprawl on top of one another. Zinnias, her favorite, grow in every nook and cranny between each row. Heaven will have a garden like this, I am sure of it.
Soooo... I have some big shoes to fill, but God is gracious to me. My soil here on Churn Creek Bottom is rich and forgiving, my wonderful husband brings home mushroom compost from our business, Lassen Landscape Material and my sweet neighbor, Mr. Johnson, tills my garden with 3 passes of his tractor every spring. Since we moved here in 2010, our garden has flourished, by chance, by grace. This year I'm determined seek counsel from our favorite nursery, Wyntour Gardens and other professionals, then post what I've learned. Here are some topics we will touch on: garden planning, soil conditioning and pH, starting plants from seed, irrigation, tools, canning, recipes and so much more! Thank for following. If you have any questions, please ask, but I am totally new at blogging, so patience is appreciated!
Spring is approaching, or is it already here? Happy gardening!
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