Have you ever walked around with a friend or family member in their yard to check out their gardens and plants?  Next thing you know, you shared a tip, something valuable you didn’t know, or a funny story about your gardening and plant adventures!

This experience of walking and talking home gardens can be rather rewarding.

In an attempt to get this “gardening conversation” going – Cathy T is kicking off a “Walk and Talk Home Gardens“ event, featured once a month at home gardens by volunteers.

Anyone may volunteer to host an hour – and the rule is – its all informal yet informative.

You do not need a “showcase or perfect” garden.  Any small plot is of value in today’s world, and everyone’s experience with gardening always offers something to learn.

The Urban Vegetable Garden

This Saturday, June 7th at 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm, the first “Walk and Talk Home Gardens” hour is scheduled at a garden in Wethersfield, CT.

We titled this one, “The Urban Vegetable Garden,” because the property is surrounded on each side by other homes and property lines, yet this homeowner, Louise, has not only a nice vegetable garden – she raises chickens and shares the eggs with her neighbors too.

When Louise told me she was going to get chickens, I thought on her small lot – what will the neighbors think?!

Her response was, she already asked them – and they were fine with it.  She built a very nice chicken wagon – you have to see it.

Her Chickens

Here’s a photo of her chickens when they were relatively new at her home.

Growing Her Own

Louise has an intolerance for corn syrup, a common ingredient in foods.  So she thought, I’m going to grown my own food. This was part of the reason she began her urban style vegetable garden.  Like 47 million Americans growing their own food, she wants her food to be safe for herself and her family.

Louise has a passion for organics and heirlooms.  She spends as much time as possible in her gardens. I have witnessed her expand her knowledge about vegetable growing – I feel like she fits the Master Gardener personality.

When I took the program myself, I met gardeners who loved to be “in the garden” 24 x 7.  This is Louise.  She also began sharing information with me I didn’t know myself. And she plans to share these tips on Saturday with our Walk and Talk group.

One day, I told her she better watch out – she reminds me of a Master Gardener so much that she will be squishing bugs between her fingertips soon. Her response, with a laugh, was, “I already do.”

The Magnolia Hunt

One year, a treasured and huge Magnolia tree in her front lawn got toppled over from a storm.  It was devastating to Louise because she adored the tree so much, and it was one of the reasons they bought their house.

The tree was so tall, its blooms could be seen from her bedroom window on the second floor of her house.

We searched out various sources, nurseries, and special places to find a replacement for her mature Magnolia.  It was an adventure one afternoon on a very hot sunny mid-summer day when we went to a private stock on a property.  She found her replacement and it was dug, balled and burlapped, and delivered to her home as a replacement.  To hear more about this adventure, join our walk and talk on Saturday.

It is Free to Attend and Registration is Not Required

We hope you will join us – registration is not required, it is free to attend, and we will even offer up some lemonade and some miscellaneous plants will be available for sale, or you can bring a plant to swap with another attendee if you wish.

Let’s get walking and talking.

Oh and by the way, Louise is my sister.  She is a professional soprano, teaches private music lessons, and more.  Maybe we will get a solo out of the day.

Address for Saturday:

23 Stillwold Drive
Wethersfield, CT 06109

Parking is on the street.  Look for Cathy T’s Sign in the front yard.

Written by Cathy Testa
http://www.cathytesta.com
ContainerCrazyCT.com
860-977-9473
containercathy@gmail.com