Mar 22

Mar 22 Gardening | Where it all began

When I was a little girl, we lived at the end of a kuldesak. This afforded us some extra yard space and when my parents decided we were going to have a garden that meant all hands on deck. At least for the first while. At some point my parents took over the tending but I was definitely the team captain for picking all of the tomatoes, adding salt and devouring them. Our grow season in Phoenix included winter and spring and allowed me a warped perspective on when fresh veggies came along. But oh how I loved it. We had zucchini coming out of our ears, basil was in every dish and the tomatoes may as well have been candy. I could hardly wait for the next batch to turn color. Our garden grew bountifully and left a warm spot in my heart.

In my 20’s I played with gardening and it was successful… but just for a short stent before I left that house and didn’t have space for gardening in my life… both physically and mentally. It’s a lot of work.

When I returned to Colorado and we found this home, as mentioned, we fell in love with the narrative we created around what was left behind. We decided the old man was very hands on, that maybe they had animals but if so, nothing large and when I stumbled upon the garden- my heart swelled. I stood in the middle and imagined what it once was.

Upon prompting from my mother-in-law, I googled their names and friends, I found internet GOLD. Their children (both in their 70’s) had created a tribute website to Dalton and Audeen Murrah. And there she was. Audeen, standing tall in her even full garden. Ah, this validated my thoughts and inspired me in big ways. As we’ve chatted with the neighbors who knew them well they tell me stories of the fullness and the harvest of her gardening. It brings a smile to their faces when they see growth here again, which makes me feel further connected to the land.

If you followed my stories during last grow season you might remember that I named my “wild” dill weed, Audeen. I named her because I’ve never planted dill, we’ve tilled multiple times and yet here she was saying hello. As we’ve begun rebuilding the garden area, Justin prompted me to share a photo of her in her garden, and share the whole story as we go through the process. Duh, Kare! I’ll have an update on the process of building our new garden soon!

Thanks for indulging in our modern day homestead life. We love having you with us.

Cheers to you, Audeen, for beginning what would host three generations of gardening. The learning, sewing, reaping, I’m so thankful. It wouldn’t be happening without your preparations. I know this. xx-karen