Garden thoughts, plans, and daydreams are captured here while sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying some type of food that is probably not good for me.
As a child I remember my father creating a flower bed in Autumn where he would plant bulbs of various Spring blooming flowers that he enjoyed. It was the only type of gardening I can remember him ever doing but he did love his tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, and others.
In December 2020, I decided that his Christmas gift from me was going to be three large planters filled with Tulips and Daffodils. At the time my father was ill. He had been diagnosed with liver cancer at the end of October. His favorite chair where he spent most of his time either sitting or sleeping was a recliner that was placed by a window where he could look out at the back yard. Two weeks before Christmas I prepared the planters and took them to his house. I placed them in the back yard so he could look out the window and easily see the blooms that would make their show in the Spring.
Unfortunately, he died one week later so was never to see the tulips and daffodils that I had planted. My mother was able to enjoy them, and for me it became a type of garden memorial in his honor. In early February 2021, our area as did much of the United States, experienced one of the coldest winters on record. In the city where my parent’s house is located, the temperature dived to -5 Fahrenheit (-20 Celsius). I live an hour’s drive north in a different city and worried that the bulbs might not survive such harsh temperatures.
My mother messaged me when the flowers began to break the surface in the pots. To my happiness, the tulips came through and the majority of them provided a welcome burst of Spring color. The daffodils were not so fortunate. I have since picked up the planters and moved them to my home. I let the Tulips die back and then I planted them in one of my borders. Being the last thing that I ever gave to my dad, I hope to keep them alive as many coming seasons as possible. I prepared two different planters for Mother’s Day to replace them. These I filled with Petunias and a few other flowering plants all in pinks and purples.
It is the experiences above that started my contemplation today. I came to the realization that I not only garden for my own personal enjoyment, but for the relationships and experiences that have left deep roots in my life.
For example, when my father passed, I was given his old truck. Several members of my family have made use of it over the years. It is a Chevy S10 that I now use as my garden truck. I used it to pick up a load of compost from our city’s compost facility at the beginning of April. I used it at the end of May to pick up a load of shredded wood garden mulch at the same location. It is the vehicle I now use to pick up gardening supplies from Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart and Tractor Supply. It is also used to pick up plants and other items at the local commercial nurseries and Farmer’s Market. The truck has sentimental value to me because not only did it belong to my father, but my grandfather had purchased and installed the bed liner that is in it. Both of them have since died.
My grandfather was one of the main gardening influences in my life. Several tools that he used to grow vegetables and fruits were passed down to me and I use one or more of them almost every day in Spring, Summer and Fall. My grandmother grew a rambling rose bush that now has descendants growing in my mom’s and two siblings gardens. I have attempted to root cuttings twice but have been unsuccessful as yet, but I will continue trying, and will eventually figure out what I need to do to watch that rambling rose grow in my back garden.
When I think back over my life I can remember so many experiences where plants and other gardeners have played a huge role in my life. As a child, my siblings and I would leave school at the end of the day and walk a few blocks to a baby sitter. The babysitter’s husband was an avid gardener.
Although he grew a large vegetable garden, it is the fruit trees that I most remember. There were three plum trees with small plums, a cherry tree, and one plum tree that produced large plums the size of small peaches. Our babysitter would make plum jelly which we enjoyed many times on her homemade buttermilk biscuits. At the back of their garden shed, was a fig tree. This was my first introduction to figs. And I can say that I currently am growing and maintaining three fig trees of my own. As of yet, I have not acquired a plum or cherry tree, but they are on my mental wish list.
While we’re on the topic of fruit, I also am wanting a pear tree, blackberry canes, blueberry bushes and strawberries. All were grown by my grandfather and were a part of the gardening abundance that I happily consumed for many years. For now, I am concentrating on successfully growing figs and will add the others as I feel I am ready to master their basic needs and requirements.
I think it is fair to say that when I am gardening I feel close to many people that I love, many who are no longer with us. To those who are still living, it brings me joy to visit them and present a basket, bucket, or Walmart sack full of fresh vegetables, herbs or fruit that I have personally grown. How deep do the roots go in your garden? I hope you are as fortunate as I have been to have such experiences as I have described.
Banana Nut Muffins Recipe
I can’t remember where I first found this recipe. I have been making it for years. I buy bananas every week and make muffins out of those that over ripen before I can eat them. This recipe is very easy. I use the ingredients I have on hand and have made substitutions as needed.
INGREDIIENTS:
1/4 cup butter softened ( 1/2 stick for 12 seconds in microwave for me.)
1/2 cup sugar (I have also used brown sugar, molasses, or a combination of the three)
1 egg
3/4 cup bananas (I never measure, I use 2 or 3)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring
1 cup all purpose flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder or 1 TB and 1 tp
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon ( I use more because I like cinnamon. I have also added a little nutmeg.)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I have used pecans, English walnuts and almonds. I like English walnuts the best.)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients (butter, sugar, egg, bananas, vanilla flavoring). I usually dump the five in the bowl and then mix until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Blend well.
Fold in nuts. I have forgotten the nuts a few times and didn’t realize it until I had already filled the muffin tins. On those occasions, I took large nut pieces and poked 3 to 4 into the top of each muffin.
Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. I use olive oil cooking spray. Fill each muffin space 1/2 to 3/4 full of batter. For me this will usually make 10-12 small muffins.
Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes. I found that I need to bake for 30 minutes in my oven.
If you decide to try this recipe, please let me know in the comments what you think.
The Coffee I enjoyed with these muffins in the pic above, was Extra Dark French Roast by Allegra which I purchased at Whole Foods.