Seemingly overnight, our way of life has changed, and a lot of us have been feeling anxious for ourselves, our loved ones, and the future. When businesses, schools, and workplaces closed in March, I found myself retreating to the garden for comfort and to observe some of my early blooming flowers. These early spring flowers that surrounded me brought me comfort and peace. It was only a matter of days when the trees would start filling in and the weather would start warming up so I could get my hands in the dirt again to dig and plant.
Wisteria March 18-25, 2020
There has never been a better time to grow your own food and cultivate a garden. Looking at this pandemic through the lense of gratitude, I am grateful that this pandemic started/is happening in the spring.
Looking back in March, when grocery stores started experiencing shortages in supplies and food, it was understandable that some folks would start putting two and two together. Even if you have a healthy supply of food now, what would happen this summer and into fall? Will there be food shortages? Will my family go hungry? Maybe it was time to revive the Victory Garden – to plan for the future, just in case.
US government War and Victory Garden propaganda posters from World War I (left) and World War II (right), respectively. Images reproduced under Public Domain
Historically, for the average American during World War II, the Victory Garden was a practical way to contribute to the war effort. The ideal Victory Garden produced fresh vegetables in season and plenty to be preserved for winter and produced a significant amount of healthy food, allowing agricultural produce to be used for the military and the Allies, and reducing the use of tin and transportation.
(Source: Lingeman, Richard R. Don’t You Know There’s a War on? The American Home Front 1941-1945. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1970.)
Today, a Victory Garden doesn’t need to be big, nor does it need to have everything under the sun and provide for the masses. It can be as personal and as intentional for todays modern families. This is our third year or gardening in North Texas, and we continue to modify our plans each year based on what we’ve learned, loved and didn’t like from the year prior. For our family, we know what vegetables we love to eat with almost every meal, so we based our garden plans this year on those preferences: tomatoes, basil, peppers, herbs, beans and peas. Personally for myself, I love flowers, so I knew I would always grow flowers in one of the garden beds.
The Process
In March, we cleaned up the backyard and our raised garden beds to get them ready for the new season and new seedlings, while making space for annuals that would reemerge. To get started, we sowed some seeds indoors, kept them warm and gave them plenty of light and water.
In April, we moved the seedlings outdoors and planted them in the dirt and in containers. We also took a lovely social distancing drive out to the countryside to support one of the local farms selling seedlings and brought home a few more. With folks self-isolating, self-serve farm stand stations and honor systems were a godsend. We planted a mix of homegrown and store bought seedlings in our garden beds for companion planting, and added some pollinators to attract bees and butterflies.
Honor System
Pepper containers
Pincushions as pollinators
It’s now May and in just a month and a half’s time, I’m enjoying the peace and beauty our garden brings. John added these string lights to add some ambiance to our garden oasis. Even though crops aren’t ready for a while and flowers haven’t bloomed yet, it is this little plot that brings us joy every day watching the progress and growth during this unique time. The butterflies and the bees are doing their job and now we let nature take its course.
I can’t wait to see what June brings to the garden and how it will shape up by then.
What are some new things you’ve planted this season? What are you growing in your Victory Garden? Share in the comments below!