This essay is in response to a Garden Rant blog post by my friend Susan L. Morrison. Great post Susan…let the discussion continue….
World events make garden trends. Follow the tomato to understand.
My dad’s dad grew tomatoes because his dad did so in the Old Country.
Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening With Confidence Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her Facebook page, the Gardening With Confidence fan page. Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum.
Helen–that was beautiful! As beautiful an explanation for what you do and others do as I’ve read! Thanks for joining the debate!
Very beautiful Helen. I love that your own children inspired you to garden differently. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder- and a gorgeous bright red tomato is just as pretty to me as any flower. As much as I love to grow fruits and vegetables, my three year old daughter told me to plant more flowers- so will the cycle begin again?! Thankfully she too appreciates the value of a beautiful homegrown tomato, and I appreciate that she reminds me to plant flowers occasionally.
Yes, Carri, I believe the cycle began again. And that’s good. Let’s let our children inspire us. H.
Thanks Katie. Your youth and post inspire me. H.
Helen-I like pretty flowers out of my window, too, though! Sometimes I feel like a “boomer gardener” in a gen Y body! I’m letting the farmers locally grow my tomatoes next year! Thankfully we have a good farmer’s market. And thank you!
That’s a good point Katie, I wanted to also address, but failed to. I love going to the farmer’s market and taking the kids. I want them to know where food comes from. So even though I wasn’t doing it at home, I did see the value of them meeting with the farmers and not thinking produce just came from the store. Sorta like money, they think I can swipe a credit card indiffently. \
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P.S. I always thought you were wise beyond your years, Katie!
Helen, what a great post. It’s interesting to see the range of opinions and emotions this whole Gen Y Gardening discussion is driving. My interest in the GWA talk and some of the follow up discussion has been primarily about my business. I make my living in the green industry and want to stay relevant, but it’s obvious this has been a more personal experience for others as your lovely story illustrates. \
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Katie, I laughed when I read your comment. In the GardenRant comments section, Plantanista said she felt like a GenYer in a Boomer’s body!
Helen: thank you so much for sharing such wonderful memories. I garden to create habitats for wildlife and get my produce from my local CSA. But I love tomatoes. There is simply no greater joy than standing in my garden and eating tomatoes right off the vine. So among my native wildflowers for pollinators and butterflies, native sunflowers for goldfinches, and berrying shrubs for migrating birds, I plant tomatoes. There’s yellow tomatoes, and slicing tomatoes, orange tomatoes and sauce tomatoes. And the woodpeckers like to drink from the tomatoes, so I guess I’ll share…..
Thank you Carole, as you know from the many tweets we share on Twitter, I too garden for wildlife. I didn’t give myself enough credit in the post…but that wasn’t the point. By an untrained eye, it would be missed that my garden was built for no other purpose than to benefit the wildlife – a safe haven for the wildlife and my children…it just happens to be pretty too.\
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I am glad we share tweets on Twitter. I look forward to many more. H.\
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P.S. Next year, I shall branch out in my tomato varieties. Any particular varieties you recommend?
Helen my friend–we think similarly yet say it differently. Thanks for your eloquence.
LOL, Katie, do you want to switch-up sometime? How I long to be able to do what I could do in my garden thirty years ago, but I suppose I enjoy knowing that all these sunspots and wrinkles are hard-earned!\
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Helen, this is a lovely post.
Helen, I agree about pretty! I never can understand why so many people believe that native plants and wildlife gardens must be ugly by definition. We’ll just have to keep posting pictures of gorgeous gardens that were designed for wildlife. I’d love to see more of yours!
So true – my depression-era grandparents always had a garden; my parents did too when I was a small child and they were just starting their careers but stopped as they moved into the yuppiedom of the 80s. But that childhood garden got me hooked. I bought my house primarily for the vegetable garden space! Favorite tomatoes this year: Japanese Black Trifele, Sun Gold, & Pineapple.
Wonderful read, Helen. Left me smiling–and thoughtful. Thanks, my friend.
Beautiful post – I love a story with history. I think history is what makes a garden so special – whether it’s a new garden planted w/meaningful plants from one’s past or from old, established gardens. My own garden is deeply meaningful, and is mostly planted for my benefit only. Not strictly for wildlife, not strictly native, not strictly vegetables, but a crazy mixture of everything for my own pleasure. Sometimes the feeling that overtakes me when I see a certain leaf or flower or combination is nothing short of elation, and that’s why I garden. All gardens are wonderful – and no one should ever condemn one over another. Just like all people are different, so are their gardens. Thanks for sharing yours.
Susan M and Miss R great posts to you both…glad I jumped in. I regretted to miss the Gen Y presentation at GWA…I had to head over to the JC Raulston Arboretum to help before the tour and dinner. I heard he was awesome and glad to see him on Twitter. By all accounts, he is a bit young for that SM.\
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I totally agree Rebecca! Thanks you. H.
Thank you Kelly, glad you stopped by. H.
Thanks Elizabeth…I am adding your tomato choices to my EVER growing list. H.
Helen – What an amazingly wonderful post. It is sweet and smart – a great combination. I love your line, “Peace and love are priceless. I can buy a tomato.” I have been cracking up about that all day. You have made me think hard and that is a wonderful gift. Thanks.
Hi Helen,\
I like to grow vegetables for the body, and flowers for the soul. kk
That was a beatuifully painted picture. Thank you for shedding a positive light on Generations and Gardening.
I like your philosophy kk. H.
Thank you Amy!