You may wonder too when I reveal my childhood landscape...basically, one devoid of anything but lawn, tomato plants and the mulberry tree out front.
Photo courtesy of Stig Rossby Photographs
I love my parents, but they were not gardeners. My mom had a slightly green thumb when she grew her favorite food...the tomato (but do you really need any gardening knowledge for that?). She plopped them in the only exposed soil between the concrete walk and house foundation.
Photo courtesy of Krystle Reeves Photography
To make matters worse, I didn't even like tomatoes (I'll eat some now). Basically, our yard was empty...perfect for baseball, kick the bucket and mulberry collecting (all very good childhood memories).
Does not having a glamorous landscape make a child yearn for one?
I wouldn't classify my folks as "gardeners" either, but as a kid, a large vegetable garden was a must for a large family and one income. In later years, Mom always grew some greenbeans and tomatoes and peppers, but my most memorable experiences with plants was her yearly trek to the woods with kids in hand discovering all the spring wildflowers. Fortunately, I was also the "go-to" person for trimming the lilac hedge and all other outdoor tasks for which I am eternally grateful.
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