If you ever want to know where I am on the farm, and the temperature is above 50, look for me in the garden, on the Toro cutting grass, driving my John Deere 140 hauling stuff around, or working in my garden shed. I would rather be outdoors any day.
In St. Louis, I was a member of the Missouri Botanical Garden and Chesterfield Garden Club. There I learned a great deal from degreed Master Gardeners as well as my mom, a farmer's daughter who had "soil in her veins". Mom left us at age 96, to garden in heaven. Miss you mom.
When we got to Virginia, i immediately looked up the Extension Office and signed up for the state Master Gardener program. I am now in my 3rd year and love the camaraderie of fellow gardeners. That is the thing about gardening, every year is a learning experience.
In addition, I found a source for mulch, as long as you are willing to shovel yourself. For me that is part of the fun. Each load, I get not only the woodchips, but an immense number of natural organisims which help to improve the soil.
And it seems, when i am gardening, my little helper, Little Bit, is never far away, watching over my work or taking a quick snooze.
