For all things produced in a Backyard, whether Fruit or Salads, a poor man will eat better Which has one of his own, than a rich man Who has none- J.C. Loudon, from An Encyclopedia of Gardening
Fresh Food
Is there anything tastier than a newly chosen piece of fruit, herb or vegetable? I do not think so… My grandma used to make homemade tomato sauce, using freshly grown tomatoes and freshly harvested oregano and basil from her backyard, smells so sweet, I do not think there is a more pleasing aroma than that of freshly picked basil, I could almost smell it now just considering it. With my mind full of memories (all initiated by food aromas, tastes and textures) I think back to that simpler time. . .times when we ate what we climbed or that which was grown nearby…I remember Saturday mornings, drifting down the route of our Brooklyn neighborhood, right there in the heart of nyc. . .with rows of vendors selling their fresh meats, vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. . .everything grown right there in my area (or not too far away, the same as the farmers markets of now ). If grandma did not grow it, we went to find out who did…
Taste
Not only did the sellers enable you a small taste to be certain you went home with all the tastes you expected, but they gave you a taste since they were proud of the crops. . .the achievement of hard work, dedication, perseverance and largely pride, brought forth in the labors of the love. . .it was also a time to visit with your neighbors, trade recipes and revel in the beauty of the day and all of the wonderful smells that went with it…
Money might have been tight back in these days, but love was abundant and if food was grown and made with love, it was magnificent. . .that’s the exact same feeling I get now when I see my local farmers market, food co-op or a nearby grower, and you can too. . .You’ll feel the pride every grower has in every piece of fruit, every vegetable and in each tender herb they have grown. There’s no need for pesticides, no need for fancy packaging, you don’t have to read labels to determine where this glorious food came from. . .You’ll know without doubt that this is from the ground of your community…
Garden
Growing up in New York, there was not much space for us to develop a garden, but we made do with what we had. . .Grandma always used small pots (a container garden) for the blossoms, and being Italian, we went through many. . .and for her world renowned tomatoes she’d trellises moving up to make room for the abundance of berries she climbed in her raised bed garden. . .now you must know, we were flat dwellers back in those days and grandmas garden was literally grown on the roof . . .yup…a Nyc roof top. . .that’s why we did not have a traditional row backyard, but grandmas garden was magnificent. . .at least it was to me…
As I got older, moved to another major city & began a family of my own, gardening simply didn’t fit into my life, so I went and bought my herbs and tomatoes in the grocery store where it appeared everyone went because all the street vendors were now a thing of the past. Everyone went to the supermarket. . .it was convenient, it was cool in the summer and warm in the winter and I could get out of there in no time flat. . .but boy have times changed…
Now, many decades later, I am a grandma myself…I reside in the country where I have tons of space to grow nearly any kind or size garden that I’d want to grow…I have access to hundreds of local farmers and growers (and all within 100 miles of my house )…
Plant it Together
But I decided I wanted to do a few things differently now that I had been a little older, somewhat wiser and had a bit more time on my hands…I wanted to give to my grandchildren the same terrific memories my grandmother gave me. . .to plant a garden together, to cultivate our meals which in turn nurtures our bodies, our minds, our hearts and our spirits…I wanted them to understand foods with no pesticides, foods which were grown right here in grandmas backyard. . .and even though I could have any sort of backyard I could ever wish to get, I picked grandmas design of garden…A raised bed garden. . .the only difference is that I use cinder blocks rather than wood. . .this makes my beds continue forever (wood will rot after a couple of years). Cinder blocks are easy for me and the grandkids to manage and assemble our beds with (it is like putting Lego’s together). There’s no need for nails, hammers or saws. . .which works out beautifully if you are gardening with children. . .My cinder block backyard has given us years of wonderful vegetables and fruits, but undoubtedly the best thing my backyard has given me are wonderful memories with my grandchildren and yes, ideally for my grandma to have wonderful memories of me.