It all began when I was around 3-4 years old my grandma on my dad’s side gave me a package of seeds to plant which was Hanover seeds I can still remember this. The seeds were super tiny and I was like I have to plant these? I kinda threw them in and went with that. Within a few minutes I went to my grandma and told her I was finished planting, wow she said that was really fast. Needless to say I didn’t get anymore seeds to plant. I was very young then so that is way over 55 years ago.
I had a neighbor whom planted everything this man was amazing and such an incredible influence to me on the gardening. I was always amazed and impressed with his dedication and kindness towards gardening. He was who showed me how much the love of a garden can be. I would stand at the fence and just watch in silence at the miraculous growth and progress his garden was. This was in the late 70s and once while I was standing there he asked me if I would like a radish and I said yes. He wiped it off for me and I ate it like I had grown it myself. It was hot and spicy but so delicious. I would watch this man (I know his name but for privacy reasons) he has passed on now. His family was from West Virginia and every Christmas he would make the best brownies that I had ever had and they would freeze them when I would babysit for the girls I would always get a frozen brownie.
I would wash J’s hair and I always would think why do I have to do this. I think it was because J wanted me to as I was gentle with the washing of her hair.
I was an only child and my parents weren’t around so it was nice to see a family whom did all the things I would grow up to do. The garden has provided my family with so much love and nourishment that I am so thankful I was able to provide them with my love of gardening.
When Bruce and I first got married I had tomatoes in pots. Then one time I was at another house and the neighbor was my landlord and he cut all my tomatoes down and told me the cut worms did it. I was 20 years old with three children. I ended up growing them in pots on the front porch that year and he hated it. The community was a little over the top perhaps. It was 1990. Then when we moved our family to the country we had the biggest gardens we ever had. We even shared gardens with our friends and the first year I canned 200 quarts of tomatoes. I was pregnant with Amanda. She was born in April of 1993. We had the biggest deep freezer one could buy at the time. It was an amazing experience. Every year since 1986 I have had a garden. I can’t imagine a life without one. Although the struggles are real with my back and it makes it difficult to move around I have found ways to keep going. Ruth Stout was in her 90s and she was still gardening. One can’t stop! Ruth has a lot of great books you may want to check out.
In 1997 I took a Master Gardener class. Bruce actually found the class in the paper and said I got a class for you. Cody was just a baby and my friend Dee Dee babysat him while I was at the classes they were on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Most everyone was well off and we would have raffle tickets each time and we would win plants. Everyone donated plants. It was a wonderful experience. I leaned so much and had a blast each week. I hated to see it end. Plus I met great friends. We went on Arboretum tours and flower shows. Good times. The Greenhouse is a PlantaGreenhouse and the clay colored pots in the porch are GreenStalks.
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| The garlic. Hardneck. |
Cooper in the greenhouse 2007
Colby and Cooper 
Dusty letting us know how big the tomato plants have gotten. My children have all grown up with a garden. When my oldest ones were little we would work the garden then go to Sextons County Market and get a Peach Nehi or a Jungle Juice which I have been told they didn’t like those. Oh my goodness they were a .25 then and between the three of them they would share it. It was a quart of like a punch fruit (fake) juice. The Nehis were much better. They would also get an airhead. They liked the mystery ones. We were in North Carolina so it would be extremely hot. We couldn’t wait to be finished to get to the county market to drink that Peach Nehi. Later when we moved across the county we would go to William Umphletts and get a cheese slice and a Dr. Pepper. If he had them in the store a pink cookie to eat with the cheese. Oh the gardening treats!!! I can tell you all the good times. I feel like today I have shared some. As we continue on I have seedlings planted now. I have scaled back considerably. My children will have to carry the torch now.
Much love and hugs,
Happy Gardening,
Dawn Gallop
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