At Home
Flori CULTURE
TACKLE BOXES & TOMATOES It seems most things in my life are tied to plants. From faded memories to calloused hands, it always seems to lead back to the dirt. I was born at the end of the last generation of gardeners who planted not by choice, but by need. Unlike my grandparents and their parents before, my generation no longer depended on Mother Nature, but instead the time clock on the wall. Having parents who chased the 9 to 5 dream gave me summers full of idle hands. I was lucky, though. We lived on a small road in the rolling hills of Kentucky with grandparents just two miles away. Summers were spent on the heels of my grandfather. The stories he told me and the lessons he taught me still echo in my memory. I learned a lot from that old man and I didn’t even know it at the time. I learned which tomato to pick and which needed another day. Which bug to leave and which bug to get the Sevin dust after. These were things I was doing just because my grandfather was doing them; thirteen-year-old boys want nothing more in life than to stretch wide paces and match their grandfather stride for stride. Never did I guess where it would lead me. Why do most of us love to plant and watch things grow? Is it the beauty or is it the memories? For me, it’s the hot summer days in the shade with an orange pop and a bologna sandwich. It’s knowing that dark purple blackberries are ready to pick and red ones you leave (and if Nan isn’t looking, she might not notice a missing handful). It’s knowing that purple fingers lead to fall jams and that you always keep salt in the truck for when you find that perfect tomato. What does any of this have to do with a tackle box? My grandfather had an old tackle box that was filled to the brim: thousands of sinkers, hundreds of hooks and every fishing lure known to man. He carried it no matter if he was after a big fish or a little one. I always wondered why he carried so much to go fishing, but I realize now that if you were ever lost on the water, he was the guy you wanted to be lost with.
Rutgers Heirloom Tomato The Rutgers Heirloom variety produces large, red fruits have a thick flesh with superior flavor. These strong vines yield a large initial crop followed by several flushes of fruit. Plant in full sun in well-drained, rich soil and provide consistent watering throughout the growing season. Even a light frost can damage tomatoes, so be sure to protect your plants in spring.
76
April 2017 | TopsInLex.com
All these years later, I’ve realized that all these memories were piling up in my gardening tackle box of knowledge. This tackle box has helped me get where I am today, and I’m always adding to it. While I may not have to call on the memory of which tomato does best sliced on white bread every single day, that memory is always there if I need it. I guess we all have our reasons for loving plants and gardening. Each one is different, but in many ways, each one is the same. My “tackle box” started filling up years ago as thirteen-year-old boy stretching to match Pa’s pace, and I cherish every memory made along the way. (By the way, Rutgers tomatoes with a touch of salt are the best!)
By Beau Spicer Louis Flower Power