A simple box for my son

It is a simple box. The box has four sides – four boards – a few screws put in the right place and securely fastened. It is now a frame for a raised bed. It is like the many hundreds of other raised bed frames made throughout the world on any given growing season. But, this box is different. This box was made by my son, my wife, and me on my son’s second venture into growing vegetables. On my son’s first venture last year, he commandeered my rose seedling “test” bed and crowded out the roses that were planted nearby. This year, my wife, my son, and I decided that he should have his own raised bed away from the roses to grow his vegetable in.

The box is readied for use

The weekend before Memorial Day, my son and I went to our local big box hardware store. We bought the 10″ wide boards that we needed for his raised bed. I showed him how to pick out the best boards that were straight, not warped, and not full of knots (just like my father taught me). We picked out the three best ten foot long boards that we could find. We loaded them in the car, and made our way home with the tailgate open and the boards sticking out the back.

The drive home

Of course it rained a little on the way home, and I took a less-travelled way through the woods, so that the boards wouldn’t be in other drivers’ way. While driving along, I pointed out a few of the local landmarks that my son was previously not aware of. A little local history passed along to the new generation.

Assembling the box

By the time we were home, the rain had subsided, and we were ready to assemble the box. My son unloaded the boards and set them up. He marked out where the board that needed cutting was to be cut, and I cut the board for him. Together we screwed the raised bed together and put it in place in the yard (with a little from guidance from my wife). Everyone was happy with the box that we had made and where we put it.

Filling up the box with soil and plants

My son filled up the box with some of the soil that was given to me by my daughter and her fiancé. My wife, son, and I all pitched in and planted the plants and seeds that were going to be used this year. Last year, my son planted his plants and seeds too close. They overcrowded each other (as well as the roses) and created a tangled jungle of plants that were hard to penetrate. This year, we all worked together and got everything planted with a lot more space for the plants to grow and thrive. Later, my wife and my son added vertical supports for the tomatoes and cucumbers.

And so it begins . . .

A couple of days after the seeds that we planted, they sprouted. The seedlings and plants that were in the raised beds started to take off. Unfortunately, we had an unwanted visitor to the bed (groundhog), who decided that the tops of the plants were just what were needed for a quick snack. It was frustrating trying to get the groundhog to stop eating the tops of the plants, but eventually he was stopped, and the plants really started to take off.

And the bounty starts coming . . .

After a couple of months, we were able to pick some broccoli, summer squash, zucchini, and four different types of tomatoes. We have already had a few meals with the fresh vegetables that we secured from the raised bed. I can attest that everything has been extremely well received (and tasty, too). There are many more vegetables on their way (including cucumbers – my favorite), and I can’t wait to have them as well. Plans are in the works for adding more raised beds next year. I wonder what we’ll plant in them?

A family affair of yesteryear

As I look at what my son, wife, and I have been doing with my son’s raised bed and the vegetables growing there, I’m reminded of my childhood days. Our family grew vegetables and canned them for use throughout the year. These were the turbulent ’70’s when out-of-control inflation was the norm, and my family had five mouths to feed. Having a garden and getting food from it was part of how we coped with those turbulent times. Ironically, the raised bed that we built for my son is in the exact same spot as the old garden from the ’70’s.

And we did canning and preserves

I still remember the canning and preserving that was done way back then, as well. There was a ready supply of old Ball® and Atlas mason jars that were reclaimed and used to preserve squash, tomatoes, and everyone’s favorite, chili sauce. We also make pickles and elderberry jelly (that was made from elderberries taken from the side of the road). The time that we spent together in the garden (and kitchen) back then was priceless. I have never forgotten the times we spent together.

Our family continues gardening all these years later

My sister, mother, brother, and I continue to have gardens and gardening as part of our lives. Momma has a small plot at the community garden at her retirement home that is “hers” to plant as she pleases. For the past couple of years, she planted a couple of tomatoes there. My sister has a garden in her back yard where she grows a lot of heirloom vegetables that she uses for her cooking needs. My brother and his wife have many perennials (along with a dozen or so roses). They grow them at their farm and at their lakefront homes in upper state New York. I have my 200+ roses that I take care of for many years (but you already knew that).

A new marriage – and an old family garden

A year or so after my wife and I were married, she wanted to resurrect her father’s old family garden behind the apartment. She had it tilled, and we planted some vegetables in it. We took care of it for many months and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. While this particular garden wasn’t the rebirth of my love of gardening, it did open my eyes as to its importance to my wife.

30+ years later and we have our son (and daughter) beside us in the garden

And, now, some 30+ years later, my wife and I are still enjoying our time together in the garden. But, we now have our son along with us with his plants, too. My daughter even had her hand in her own raised bed at our old house when she used to live there as well.

I’m quite sure that none of us knows where all of this gardening as a family will lead, but if history repeats itself, my son and daughter will have the itch to continue what they have learned in the garden these past few years. Maybe they will remember how mom and dad had a lot of roses in the yard? And, maybe – just maybe – they will plant a few of their own as well?

Epilogue

While vegetables are on my mind, I still love my roses and all that they give back to me. I can’t have a blog with at least mentioning something about them. I reclaimed my “test” bed  from my son last fall. It currently has quite a few seedlings that are doing extremely well. However, these seedlings are not juvenile remontant and haven’t bloomed yet (even though they are about a year and a half old). Many of these same seedlings are doing much better than their parents, and I expect them to bloom next year. We’ll see what develops. Patience is one thing that all hybridizers must have in order to be successful.

Roses in Review – Time to review your roses

I quick reminder to all that it’s time to be evaluating your roses for the ARS Annual Roses in Review. Remember, you don’t have to be a member of the ARS (or a local society) to review roses. You only have to grow one (or more) of the roses on the list of roses to be reviewed. The deadline to review your roses is September 26,2021. I still have one rose that I introduced being evaluated, that hasn’t had enough reviews for an official evaluation. Maybe this year will be the year that she gets a score?

Well folks, that’s it for now. This summer has been a very hot one here in New England. Yes, there has been a lot of rain. There has also been a lot of heat to go with the rain. While the vegetables love the heat (and extra moisture) and tend to produce a plethora bounty along with it, not all of the roses do as well. This past week New England broke free from the major heat wave that was gripping the region. Fall and cooler temperatures are just around the corner. And, that means that another flush of blooms (and a rose show and Lobsterfest) will soon follow. Not too long after that, it will be harvest time for the vegetables and the hips on the roses. Dreams of new rosy beauty (and fragrance) abound within these hips for many disease-free, colorful, and fragrant roses.