Putting down garden roots

As family legend has it, centuries ago, our ancestors were dwelling in Scotland during a famine. The local peasantry was starving in the countryside, while the local lord was cozy in his castle.

With the help of his knights, he had taken whatever food there was from the peasants. In addition, he had a substantial garden within the castle walls, so he and his were eating well. The peasants would have been wiped out if it wasn’t for one person within the castle walls ? the lord’s gardener.

Every night he would go to the castle garden and harvest what he could and toss it over the walls to the peasants outside. Obviously, he left enough in the garden so that the lord didn’t become suspicious; otherwise, he would have lost his head, and our family wouldn’t have come into being since he is our ancestor and why we bear the name Gardner.

I don’t know if it’s something in the genes, but I have always enjoyed gardening. I never tried it until we moved to Corona del Mar since it was impossible to grow anything in the sand of the Balboa Peninsula, but I planted a garden as soon as we moved, and I’ve always had one since.

There’s a certain challenge to gardening in this area ? namely the adobe soil. I’ve lived in my house more than 50 years, amended the soil every year and, every year, it’s like breaking up concrete when I first get started.

I should state that when I say garden, I mean vegetable garden. I’ve never had any interest in flowers. I know people who are passionate about orchids or roses, and I admire their enthusiasm, but for me, I like to be able to eat the things I grow.

I have experimented with various crops over the years but tend to plant what I like to eat ? some sweet corn, bell peppers, string beans and tomatoes.

Do I grow tomatoes. I grow so many tomatoes that about halfway through tomato season, all my neighbors hide under the beds when they see me coming. They probably have a party when I pull out the last tomato bush.

Each year, at the end of the season, I promise myself not to plant so many tomatoes, and I start off on the right foot, buying one or two early girls and planting them. A few weeks after they’re in, I get a couple of midseason tomatoes. A few weeks after that, I add some late season tomatoes. And then, I don’t know what happens but, by June, I’ve got a tomato jungle out there, and the neighbors are all making desperate vacation plans.

This year, I have promised myself to be disciplined, and to help me keep this promise, I have taken some of the space I usually use for tomatoes and planted artichokes. I grew artichokes for years. I had four plants in the backyard that produced bumper crops each year, and everyone raved about their flavor.

Other gardeners begged me for my secret. I hated to tell them that it was a beagle named Sam.

The artichokes were his favorite watering spot. After Sam died, the artichokes were never the same, and I finally pulled them out. Now, I’ve planted new ones, and I have great hopes for their success. After all, I am once again the owner of a beagle.

My neighbors will be delirious with joy when they see me coming over with something besides tomatoes. That is, if they don’t know the secret of my artichokes.