About Patrice

You may be wondering who I am and why you should take time out of your day to read Gibby's Garden. Chances are we have lots in common. Here’s a little about myself as it pertains to this blog.

Each year I grow a large organic vegetable garden, something I’ve done for the past ten years. Over the years I’ve tried different gardening techniques, had some hits and misses along the way, and have gathered a list of easy to follow techniques that I’d like to pass along to you.

Organic vegetable gardening is one of my passions and has been since I can remember. I grew up on a dairy farm in Maine and though those cows are long gone, my passion to be self-sustainable is still with me.

My grandparents taught me how to garden. Each year they planted a large vegetable garden across from the barn and out of site from the Jersey cows. I remember being a little kid and helping them to weed the garden after dinner before the sun went down.

Each year as I grew up, I was allowed to do more and more in the garden. I have a specific memory of getting off of the school bus and running up the long dirt driveway at a full sprint. I tossed my purple L.L. Bean backpack in the dust and skipped into the garden.

I remember my grandfather leaning against the garden hoe he was working with and resting his folded arms across the top of the long handle. He was dressed in his navy blue work uniform and told me to run in the house and get myself some of my grandmother’s homemade molasses cookies, and then I could help him in the garden.

I stuffed my face in a hurry then ran back outside with my grandmother joining me. Together we dug up a crop of potatoes. I didn’t realize it then, but my grandparents were teaching me how to garden and inspiring my passion for gardening.

My grandmother would rise before the sun each morning to help milk the cows and feed the other animals. She’d also toil away in the kitchen to make sure all the farmhands had a hot meal come lunchtime in addition to raising three kids and keeping the household in order.

Somehow, she still found the time to run her own vegetable stand. She’d grow row after row of sweet corn, tomatoes, lots of cukes, and rhubarb. I know she was a busy women but she was never too busy to let me help out, though I’m sure I slowed her down. Sundays were her busiest selling days after church let out.

One time she even headed out to the corn field with a flashlight after dusk because a man had stopped by and needed some corn for a family dinner. That’s the way she was. Her name was Gibby.

I take pride in knowing my grandmother passed down her strong work ethic and gift for gardening to me. I don’t garden because I need to, I garden because I love to and it makes me happy. Gardening is in my blood.

My grandfather was a farmer as was his father before him. Before that I don’t know whether my kin farmed or not, but somehow, some way, my love for animals and for growing my own food was ingrained in my body - that I am thankful for.

There’s something about digging my hands into freshly tilled loam, breathing in its natural earthiness, and letting the soft soil sift through my fingers that puts me at ease. When I’m working in the garden I can think about anything I want or nothing at all without being bothered.

I love sowing, weeding, and harvesting until my hearts content. It’s a great stress reliever for me and gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing I can provide a little extra something for my family. I still get excited at the sight of my first seedlings of the season sprouting from the ground. I like to watch them grow as the summer moves along, watch them vine out, flower, and in the end, produce.

I’m not alone when it comes to vegetable gardening. Every spring millions of people head outdoors to sow their seeds and gently place their seedlings in the ground. Gardening, whether it’s a passion or a necessity, is a rewarding and enjoyable hobby - something I want to share with you.