My Inspiration for Gardening

My passion for gardening came from my father who has had a garden for as long as I can remember. He immigrated to the United States from his native home of Trinidad and Tobago in the late sixties. He eventually settled in St. Louis, Missouri and met a young nurse for whom he wed shortly thereafter. Three years after their marriage I was born and we moved into our first home.

As a native of Trinidad, my father grew up in a tropical environment and was accustomed to year round warm temperatures. The winter seasons in St. Louis were a challenge for him. He would take full advantage of the spring and summer seasons by planting vegetables and ornamentals in his backyard. I have vivid memories of my father cultivating his garden after work and on the weekends. He would till the soil in early spring planting seeds and starter plants. His vegetable garden consisted of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and various other vegetables. He also planted marigolds and geraniums to beautify our home. I particularly remember him using the green garden hose to water his plants and chicken wire fence to keep the squirrels away. My father had great pride in harvesting is vegetables and serving them as a salad or side dish.

As a child, I could never understand what the “big deal” was about gardening. In fact, when he was unable to water the garden, guess who was tasked with this responsibility? Me! As a ten-year old, my preference was to play outside with my friends rather than water plants! In retrospect, I wish I had appreciated my father’s love for gardening. It was not until I became an adult and began gardening years later that I would understand why gardening was a “big deal” to my father. He is in his eighties and has been gardening for well over forty years.  He is the reason why I have a backyard garden. Because of him, I now have my own green garden hose and chicken wire fencing. Because of him, I have great pride in sharing the beauty of nature with my family and friends. I titled this blog post, “Where it all began?” The answer is my father.