One of the greatest parts of springtime is planting a diverse variety of flower bulbs and preparing the garden for the many types of seeds and plants that await, and the clearing away of fallen leaves and leftover roots in preparation for a brand new garden.
My Grandma and Grandpa Herrmann had a big beautiful garden at the bottom of the hill in their backyard. I remember rolling down the hill to get to the garden and helping my grandpa harvest the onions, cucumbers, peppers and the huge zucchinis with which we made zucchini bread. My grandma and I would sit on the back patio and snip the beans and inspect the veggies, admiring the colors and size. Excitedly we talked about the recipes we could make with them and the breads and sauces that would be canned or frozen and last well into the winter months.
Before I had the backyard I have now, Kennedy and I planted in pots on our patio. Each year we planted at least two tomato plants, a jalapeno or pepper plant for salsa and a variety of herbs. Not only is it a time where we get to work together, side by side, it’s an opportunity for Kennedy to see the process of growing plants and subsequently our own food firsthand. We have started with seeds multiple times with varying levels of success, but no matter their start, it’s the journey these plants take to get to their harvest that is so exciting to be a part of.
Over the past few weeks and weekends, Melissa, Kennedy and I (with the help of our puppies, of course), have begun the process of clearing out the leaves, pulling the weeds and leftover roots and starting to plan the layout of this year’s garden. I am not sure if I learned this from my grandma, mom, or the Farmer’s Almanac, but I don’t plant until Mother’s Day, hoping that the temperatures at night won’t dip too low. Planting my garden and spending that time with my small family is the best way to spend Mother’s Day. I can only hope that this year the garden will be the most bountiful and beautiful it has ever been!
Bethany Zavada is a resident of Streator and English teacher at Putnam County High School. She loves to geocache with her family, cuddle her three adorable dachshunds and all things Harry Potter. She can be reached at tsloup@shawmedia.com.