Gardening Memories: Petunias, Potatoes and Purple-Hull Beans
My daddy was born in 1903 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. About four years later, his family moved to Louisiana and settled in the Bayou Boeuf area of northeast Louisiana. I say "area" because they moved a lot. My grandfather had early childhood memories of the pain and sadness his family experienced when they lost their home during the Civil War. So he was determined that his family would not get too attached to a home or property and possibly experience the same pain that he had.
Lawn Care
One of Daddy's favorite stories was about Haley's comet and yard work. Apparently in north Louisiana in the early 20th century it was considered "tacky" to have grass in your yard. A nice yard would have small plots for vegetables and flowers, fruit trees and at least one chinaberry tree. (Daddy said anyone who was "anybody" had a chinaberry tree.) Children had the job of hoeing out the grass and literally sweeping the yard around the plots and trees.
When Haley's comet appeared in the winter of 1909-10, there was a rumor that the tail would "sweep" the earth. A neighbor child with yard responsibilities said, "I hope it sweeps our yard so I won't have to."
By my lifetime, grass had become "acceptable" and on mowing day, Mama, Daddy and I would take turns with a push mower. Sometimes the day would turn into an humiliating experience for me. When Mama would be pushing the mower and Daddy would hear a car approaching, he would grab a board or stick and walk behind her holding the object in a position that communicated that he was a "slave-driver." Mama would be oblivious to him walking behind her because of the noise of the mower. The neighbors enjoyed the antics and I would be so embarrassed.
Flowers and Vegetables
In our front yard were a number of perennials that I was told my grand- mother had brought from Mississippi and had always dug up and moved with them. There were day-lilies around a pin oak tree, white lilies on either side of the yard, spider lilies near the house and snow drops in a corner. The snow drops were the first plants to bloom in late winter, then the white lilies around Easter and the day-lilies for Mother's Day. In September, I was always delighted to get up one morning and find that the spider lilies had popped up over night. I still look forward to their magical appearance each fall.
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