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AT HOME WITH KAYLA PRICE 5/13: In the Garden

AT HOME WITH KAYLA PRICE 5/13: In the Garden
  • PublishedMay 13, 2022


In the Garden

Though I have historically not been known to be a gardener, I am starting to turn things around these last few years. First, I conquered herbs; then a few salad greens (until the snow storm a couple of years ago killed them). Now, I can start plants from seed and have them survive longer than a week! I even soaked beans overnight, and they sprouted a few days after planting.It is not all green and growing around here. I have carelessly broken the tender stalks of two broccoli sprouts. And my attempt to get the seed pod off the tiny head of a tomato sprout decapitated it.I would love to be able to maintain a large garden during the summer for fresh produce as well as for canning. My grandparents and former generations were able to do that successfully. My maternal grandparents, along with their daughters planted, grew, picked and sold cotton for a living. I come from a family with plenty of plant care and gardening abilities.My garden is still four raised beds and (to my husband’s dismay) several planters sprinkled around the courtyard. This year I am even claiming a bit of flowerbed for my pole beans and a few perennial herbs. My paternal grandmother always grew banana peppers and bell peppers in her flower beds. My favorite were the banana peppers, which she freely let me pick and eat straight off the plant.My raised planters have been the key to my success! They have a water reservoir beneath the soil, so these hot Texas days don’t scorch the plants as readily. And during the cooler months I have adapted some plastic covers with frames to keep out the frost. I even crafted a cover netting out of screen door mesh and an office stapler to go over my tomato plants!Gardening is a way to connect to former generations and their way of life. One particular attribute is ingenuity. Maybe that is why country folks have a reputation for being able to solve problems. They learned it from their gardening and tending to farm animals before the internet provided all the answers. I guess that is the reason I take some much pleasure in my homemade solutions to my gardening problems.I can also see why kids love gardening so much. Every day is like Christmas. You just have to get outside to see what surprises the garden is giving you that day. Or maybe I should compare it to Halloween because some surprises are more of a trick than a treat! There was a persistent squirrel on the back porch earlier in the week. I think he was trying to get to my plants. Luckily, Archie spotted him and alerted me to his existence.I know I have a long way to go before I truly can be a gardener, but what little I have been able to grow has been fun and entertaining. It has also helped me add a bit of seasonality to my cooking. Some of my favorite things to serve this time of year are caprese salad using homegrown basil leaves and garden salads using every type of herb in my garden (basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, tarragon, and dill).This year I am really looking forward to many harvests of pole beans. They will be perfect on their own, blanched in salads, and added to quiche, quinoa, and rice pilaf. The best part will be the feeling of accomplishment from learning to grow a new crop!If you try to call me, and I don’t answer, just leave a message. I am likely in the garden learning a bit about nature and myself.

Read more: https://kaylaprice.com/

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqmOAZ8g5R2zP_WlMw6b6Fw

Contributed by Kayla Price

 

Written By
Taylor Nye

Taylor Nye is the editor of Front Porch News. She has degrees from the University of Wisconsin in human biology, Latin American studies, and public health. She has previously worked at the Wisconsin State Journal, Tucson Weekly and Sulphur Springs News-Telegram. As a sixth generation Hopkins County resident, she loves celebrating our heritage and history.