The Big Garden Story [story 1] by Esther

[Editor's Note: This story was written by Aunt Esther]

Spring time was just around the corner and we wanted to start a large garden. I wanted lots of tomato plants, along with some cucumbers and green bell peppers. We lived on salads in the summer time when the temperatures went up into the 90’s. Vernon wanted some purple hull peas and some crook neck yellow squash. He even talked me into some okra.

Vernon hired a man to come and till the ground for us and it was so nice to see him work his machine. He made the ground into ready to plant rows, after I told him how far apart I wanted.

Vernon made some wire fence into tubes, about five feet in a circle, and we would put down black plastic on the row and set the wire tubes on it. Then we planted four to six tomato plants around it. When the plants grew, we would put the feelers in and out of the holes of the wire fence, That way we did not have to tie them. In the same way we planted the cucumbers. It sure made picking them when they were ripe so easy. And it saved my back from aching.

When we planted the squash, we had to make a mound and we planted it with two sets of seeds. This squash has huge leaves on a thick stalk, and grow up to four or five feet tall. So we had to make a lot of room for them. Next the bell peppers were set in and then we worked to plant the purple hull peas into four long rows.

One of my fears was snakes. I did not want to ever think of them in the garden. So I did what my Mother told me she did years ago. She took a pole and use it to stomp it on the ground as she walked. She said it worked for her as it made the snake go the other way when she did it. If it worked for her, I knew it would work for me too!

Our garden was so really looking great. We were getting HUGE tomatoes and the cucumbers were so nice and tender and there was so many, I thought I would load up and take some to Mom and Dad. It had been a while since they were up, and Vernon was doing fine, Our neighbor would keep an eye out on Vernon to make sure he was OK by going fishing with him while I was gone. So off to Orange I went with some great salad makings .

It was a nice day to go and I always enjoyed driving down to see Mom and Dad on 97 fm road. [ That’s farm to market road ] it’s pine trees all the way down to Orange, Texas. A very scenic route and perfect to relax and enjoy. Some of the towns and places along the way have a history connection and are great to browse through when you have time.

When I got to Mom’s house I was so pleased to see Marion and her son Bob. He came to spend some time with his Mother and it had been while since I last saw him. I had a nice visit and we all had a cup of coffee and then I got Bob to help me bring the veggies in to the house. Marion took some home with her and Mom said we have to make some of her new recipe for refrigerator pickles. It was just the perfect thing to do with the cucumbers and it was a big winner for me. I had a garden full of them and this recipe is a great one to have any summer. Vernon and I lived on this recipe as long as I had fresh cucumbers.

It was not more than a minute after getting Mom’s pickles into the refrigerator when Marion and Bob came back and asked me if I would want to make some of Bob’s salsa. And I said yes! And it was “One Good Recipe!!” I have to tell you, it was the one we lived on in during hot weather times.

When Vernon and I were married in California, we lived across from a night spot called Bella Vista, on Sky Line Blvd. It was a restaurant and motel with some one arm bandits, plus some pinball machines. Sometimes we ate there and on the menu they had a “whop salad” which we loved. It was cold canned veggies on a plate: corn, shoe string beets, green beans, green peas, egg wedges, grated cheddar cheese on a bed of lettuce. We would make that and then add Bob’s Salsa as the dressing which made it all so nice to eat! I want Bob to know, if he offered me a million dollars, I would still rather have “The Recipe”!

These two recipes were the best ones and I've fixed them for many of our lunches. Both can be made by the gallon and they keep well in the refrigerator. Both of these recipes are in Marion's Cook Book if you would like to try them, I can tell you how much you will like them. They are so fresh and both are so easy to make.

We had tomatoes and bell peppers and cucumbers and we gave as much away as I put up in the freezer; I loved to send family home with a nice basket full of everything. I remember when Mom would send me home with a load of goodies or have some delivered to me by someone coming our way. And I learned it was a joy to know they loved my sending them some of our good work too.

We loved making a garden and we took so much pride to have made a good job out of our hard work. Not only the garden, but Vernon's purple peas and the squash and not to forget the fish we sent to every one. As my Mother use to say, “Take this dish and when you return it, fill it with some goodies we love to get!”

Makes me want to get out and start a garden this spring time. Wouldn’t that be great!!!!