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OT: My dad's amazing veggie garden

11 years ago

I know this is the daylily forum and I have hundreds of daylily photos still to show, but just for a moment I want to brag a little about my Dad. I was just at his house yesterday picking BAGS full of vegetables. I left with summer squash, cukes, green beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sugar snap peas and spinach. Dad's garden is so productive that he provides vegetables for all his children, grands and neighbors. He is 89 years of age and broke his hip just 7 months ago but you wouldn't know that if you saw his garden! He also grows asparagus, grapes, berries, rhubarb and herbs. Dad was a signmaker all his life and continued to work making signs into his early 80's but 'retired' to take care of Mom until she got so bad that I took her in 4 years ago. Dad recycles a lot of old signs to make raised beds for the garden so it isn't picture-perfect but his veggies are the most delicious ever!! He has had a garden every year for his entire adult life and vows to have a garden til he dies.

Now you see where my gardening passion comes from!

Celeste

Meet my Dad, Walter....

zucchini and summer squash....

some of the pole bean towers....

These next 3 are like a 'where's Waldo' picture....only it would be 'where's Walt'...haha

those are grapes growing on the arbor in the very back....

He even has tomatoes growing in tubs up on the deck. Notice the recycling again with the saplings he cut down. He turned them into tomato supports.

tomatoes, sugar-snap peas w/ asparagus in background....

with hubby, inspecting the crop...

bush beans and squash...

I feel bad 'showing him off' when he's all sweaty and dirty so here's a picture from last month. That's my hero!

{{gwi:943112}}

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Comments (19)

avedon_gw
11 years ago
Hey, Celeste, I'll take your dad anytime, sweaty, dirty or clean. I think he is an absolutely amazing man--his garden is phenomenal. I don't think I have ever seen such huge veggies! Whenever you want to, you can send him down here LOL. We need help learning his gardening "secrets". Our garden is pretty much dead except for the eggplants, banana peppers, cukes, and cantaloupes. Love the picture of the two of you, it is wonderful. Avedon
newyorkrita
11 years ago
Oh Celeste! How in the world does he manage to take care of such a large garden? And everything looks great and very well tended. I am amazed at all the veggies grown. And not just afew of each. Very impressive. Honestly most peoiple 20 years younger couldn't do as well. No wonder you are so proud of him. And no wonder he has veggies for the entire family.

Thank you so very much for sharing dads amazing garden with us :-))
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When I was a little girl, a long, long time ago, I thought every suburban dweller had a backyard veggie garden. I can remember my granddad going out to his garden in the morning to pick bell peppers, tomatoes, onions - whatever was ripe - to chop up and add to his scrambled eggs. My grandmother, I am convinced, had not only green thumbs but green fingers and toes as well! Granddad got the back fence for his veggies, but Nana got everything else for her flowers. Along the sides of the back fence and every wall of the house she had flowers. Her name was Rose, and she grew roses in every color possible for roses, along with hydrangeas, azaleas, peonies, zinnias, irises (which she took to shows, she was a member of the local Iris Society), even florist-type carnations one year, and many more I can now barely remember. My stepdad grew up on a farm near Ada. He, too, always had a veggie garden along the back fence of our backyard. He and Granddad had very different gardening styles. Granddad's garden was every bit as neat and tidy as Nana's flower beds. Daddy let everything pretty much do what it liked. He'd plant cantaloupes at the west end of the garden, and we'd be picking them from the east end. I don't recall ever seeing cages for anything, though I do think he'd add stakes to tomatoes if they offered to fall over. If they wanted to spread and sprawl all over the garden, he'd let them. Until a couple of years ago, when I bought my first house, I never had the opportunity to garden much so I didn't have any questions for them. Now that I do, they're not where I can phone to ask. But I did learn that you can grow your own food, and that it tastes better than what you buy in the supermarket, and that you can fill your house and yard with beautiful forms, colors, and fragrances. If I didn't manage to learn much about the specifics of accomplishing all that, I did at least learn it was possible and that I wanted that ability. My Nana left on All Saints' Day in 1988. By the time the fourth anniversary of her departure came, they were all gone - Nana, Granddad, Mom, and Daddy. I have learned that I will never not miss them, but time does make the ache hurt less. Melissia, Jay, and tulsacityfarmer, you have my deepest sympathy. Connie, your husband's response is easily one of the, if THE, wisest thing I've ever heard. I don't remember who found this poem, but my Granddad had it read at the graveside for Nana's funeral. After her death he and my parents all decided to plan for their time and let us all know what they wanted. Every one of them wanted this poem read at the service, which we did. It took me a while to find it on the web; I was beginning to think I'd have to hunt up my copy at home, but I finally managed to find it. I didn't remember the title, perhaps the copy I had didn't have it on there, but according to the site where I found it, its title is, "I Am Always With You." When I am gone, release me, let me go. I have so many things to see and do, You mustn't tie yourself to me with too many tears, But be thankful we had so many good years. I gave you my love, and you can only guess How much you've given me in happiness. I thank you for the love that you have shown, But now it is time I traveled on alone. So grieve for me a while, if grieve you must Then let your grief be comforted by trust That it is only for a while that we must part, So treasure the memories within your heart. I won't be far away for life goes on. And if you need me, call and I will come. Though you can't see or touch me, I will be near And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear All my love around you soft and clear And then, when you come this way alone, I'll greet you with a smile and a "Welcome Home". Debra
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organic_kitten
11 years ago
What a beautiful garden! And what a fine gardener. You are very lucky, as I'm sure you know, to have your dad in such great shape. My grandmother qwas just such a fine gardener.
kay
Nancy
11 years ago
He obviously has the touch, what a lovely garden, looks like some of those plants are on steroids! You are so fortunate.
celeste/NH
Original Author
11 years ago
THANKS, Avedon, Rita and Kay!

I forgot to mention that he gardens 100% organically and everything is watered by HAND. Can you believe it? He goes around with a watering can or a pitcher and waters them individually because he no longer lives at the house (lives with one of my brothers) and the water is shut off.
Dad spends the nightime at my brother's but is dropped off in the morning each day to work in the garden. He can't stand the winters because they are so long and he can't get out in the garden so he grew some tomatoes inside my brother's house in pots...LOL.
Thanks again for your comments. It makes me happy that you all think he's awesome too!!!

Celeste
celeste/NH
Original Author
11 years ago
Nancy, I thank you also! I hate it when we cross-post on here...LOL

Celeste
booberry85
11 years ago
Kudos to your Dad! He must know some amazing gardening voodoo. The plants are HUGE and healthy! I started off vegetable gardening 10 years ago and just got into daylilies this year.
polymerous
11 years ago
I'm in awe of your dad! Not only is he still gardening (with an *enormous* productive garden!) at his age, but he's also out there only months after a broken hip?!! And *hand watering everything*?!!

Awesome!

May God bless him, and I pray that he gets his wish.
jean_ar
11 years ago
oh my goodneess. you have a amazing dad,and he sure dont look to be 89 years old either.How far does he have to cary that water to hand water all them plants?Thats horrible to have to water all of that with a watering can.he has a amazing garden too.That gardening is what keeps him going and looking so young too. what a gorgeous looking garden.Hope some one checks on him during the day to make sure hes ok.
Thank you for the great photos of a amazing garden and you dad, too.

jean
dani_plus_2
11 years ago
What an awesome, dude! I loved to garden with my Grandma at a very early age...that's where I get my green thumb from. Isn't it great to have that connection with him? Give him lots of "thanks" hugs...
Julia WV (6b)
11 years ago
A true gardener for sure.

Julia
pdsavage
11 years ago
What an amazing dad and very inspirational.
I wanna be like that at his age.
Nothing wrong with using old signs for raised bed.
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" or mondern day "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".
mantis__oh
11 years ago
Looks like a very productive garden. Growth is so rampant, one can hardly see what the raised beds are made of. Gardening forces one to be active--as do pets.
newyorkrita
11 years ago
I keep coming back and looking at this amazing garden made even more amazing by your dads age and the fact that he no longer actually lives at that house. I am really pleased with my veggies but your dads veggie garden is far better than mine.
celeste/NH
Original Author
11 years ago
I wanted to say 'THANK YOU' to all of you who took the time to look and comment. I know to treasure every moment that I am blessed to have my Dad. That is why I couldn't resist posting this and celebrating the great man he is and aways has been.
Jean...Dad has a couple of rain barrels that are fairly close to the garden where he gets water from since the water is shut off. Unfortunately it hasn't rained much this summer so it isn't often he can water...but he does do it by hand. He walks with a slight limp from the hip fracture but maintains that garden all by himself, which is how he likes it. When Dad was in the nursing home recuperating he talked about having a garden again this year and we all were afraid he wouldn't be able to. He ordered seeds anyway! My husband did go over in the spring and rototilled the garden so that Dad could plant his seeds and did take him to the plant nursery for tomato plants. Other than tomatoes everything else is from seed.
Every year his garden looks like this. I was just even more amazed this year considering he is still recuperating.

Thanks, RITA....I knew you especially would enjoy this post.

Celeste
pat_tea
11 years ago
I have to thank you too for sharing your dad and his garden. I will NEVER complain about having to drag my hose around AGAIN. And what wonderful children he has to take care of him in this season of his life and to allow him the pleasure of his garden. . . just wanted you to know your post was a blessing.

Patti
shive
11 years ago
Your dad has an amazing garden! Working it probably keeps him in good shape.

Debra
newyorkrita
11 years ago
Celeste, I am only 65 and couldn't keep up with your dads veggie garden. Yes, your dad has an amazing garden but even more important, your dad is an amazing person. Hats off to dad!
terrene
11 years ago
Wow, I am so glad I opened this thread. Your Dad's garden is amazing! Very beautiful and bountiful.

I've been gardening organically for 25 years and not sure my veggie garden ever looked like that. I would love to pick his brain for some of his gardening secrets. Clearly he has figured out how to deal with the assorted pests and wilts and such.

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