Digging up family dirt is a hobby for me… maybe even an a bit of an obsession. But today I want to talk about the real family dirt.
My Grandfather’s Garden
My mother’s father had a huge garden on the shore. Three separate gardens that he rotated every other year. It was one of my favorite places to “play” when I was a child. My brother and I couldn’t wait to till the soil in the spring, plant, weed, harvest and during the winter months cover the gardens with seaweed that we also helped pull up from the cove.
My grandfather allowed us into the gardens like we were little apprentices. I loved everything about getting my hands dirty. I loved the equipment and the tools. Grampie showed me how to grow food from seed. How to tell when it’s time to harvest. How to prepare your beds for the next season.
His garden wasn’t just a way to provide food for his family. It was a way to relax. A past time in retirement. The food to table movement today isn’t that far from the life I grew up in.
Building a Legacy in my Backyard
This year I did something I’ve always wanted to do. I built a greenhouse in my backyard. Honoring the way my grandfather did everything, almost every piece of the greenhouse is reclaimed. The windows, the frame, the wood. Everything except the roof.
Building it was truly one of those moments when I felt so close to my roots. I have continued to garden off and on since I left home, and while I have always have my grandfather’s lesson in the back of my mind, I also have access to the inter-webs and any number of expert advice.
I’m so excited to start planting. Honoring my grandfather’s legacy and passing it down to my child.
What do you do that connects you with your ancestors? And what do you pass on to future generations?
Blueskies,
Tami