Getting Ready for Spring

With the price of groceries skyrocketing, we decided to give it the ol' Hoover Family try and plant a garden this year.

When I was growing up, my Paw always had a huge garden. He was a farmer, born and raised, large scale strawberry farmer for decades. A home gardener raised during the Depression, when you either grew food or didn't eat, he was good. I can still remember my Momma's picnic table piled with tomatoes, more than we could ever eat, waiting to be canned or made in salsa. We would snap beans outside for hours, he would peel fresh cucumbers right from the field for us to eat, we dug our own potatoes. He planted a field of sunflowers for my sister and I when we were young, to cut, play in and look at. We always had so much.

He and I gardened together as a grew up. We always did well with squash, zucchini and corn, had mixed results with tomatoes, minor victories with strawberries, complete failure with eggplants. Since he died, I haven't had a real garden. I tried containers last year and it was a bust. This year, I am determined to make this work. So, with my dad's help, my LSU Planting Guide, $25 worth of seeds, and a bit of luck, we are going to try.

My dad got out the trusty old Farm All and turned over the ground a few weeks ago. Of course, Daniel loves the tractor and wants to ride and help his Paw-Paw. Today, they disced everything, cultivated, mixed in fertilizer and made up rows.


After we get some rain this week, we will put down plastic. We have seven rows, 40 feet each.

I got all my seeds started in peat trays. I have 4 varieties of tomatoes (for 80 plants total), 6 types of bell peppers, several hot peppers, grape and cherry tomatoes and eggplants started. They will be in the greenhouse until April 1st (give or take, depending on temps...)













I also planted an herb garden. I have a 4x4 bed that had roses, but they were so much work. While they were beautiful, they were not practical; the flowers lasted a few days and did not cut well for bouquets. I thought herbs close to the house would be a good idea.

I planted them in wedges in the bed. The orange tape separates each section; green onion, thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, parsley, and lavender. Hopefully, I will have plenty for cooking, maybe even some to dry and save for later.


Lots of work, lots of fun. Hopefully, the green thumb is partially genetic and I got that gene from my Paw. Maybe with a little of his skill and some luck, we can have a bountiful garden this Spring.