The Alaskan Lafleurs: Gramma Farming, Inc.

Gramma has a passion for gardening. Maybe passion is a little understated; thorough absorption? complete immersion? I don't know the exact word, but it is whole body and soul. Every year the garden expands just a little more, in that a dump truck arrives with new soil, and the fence is extended just a little further.

Grampa is worried. He's begun calling it a small production farm. He's probably not far off.

The garden begins in November when dreams of the perfect heirloom tomato are in her brain, and Gramma orders her seeds. Then in February, she plants the seeds in leftover meat trays, misting them daily. March brings transplanting those itty bitty little starts into bigger trays and all sun loving windows find themselves adorned with little plants. It is a tedious process that makes me want to pluck my eyeballs out. Most importantly, Gramma is giddy.

I think that I have been a great disappointment to her, in that I am excited she's excited, but past that feel a lot of apathy. So she has taken Amelia under her wing; her goal was that Amelia would love to dig in the dirt (accomplished!) and graze on vegetables like it was candy (accomplished!). Watching Gramma plant all spring, somewhere along the line she told Gramma what she was going to plant in her own garden. So Gramma built her three boxes to fill with whatever she wanted. Have I already told you this story . . . . . ?

Here is a 'panoramic view' of most of the garden.

Mila LOVED to take anybody into the garden to show it off. Anybody see her shoes? Negative; she hits the edge of the lawn and leaves them there. She finds it physically impossible to wear shoes on the grass. She actually says that . . . .

There was a serious bounty of tender lettuce this year. It grew faster than we could eat it (I know, complain, complain).

After a tragic winter accident, Gramma re-purposed the trusty canoe for broccoli.

Mila's raspberries (not Grampa's, despite what he tells you!)

Gramma is getting a pretty serious system going; she has a few of her beds covered in this netting to protect them from the vicious noon rays.

When Gramma goes on vacation, it is often my responsibility to water. I dread every minute of it. She cannot understand why, especially after she devised her 'slick hose system'. She gets grumpy when she gets back and I've turned random hoses off and on; it should be clear, right? IT IS NOT! But it does make watering a much quicker task (an hour, as opposed to the three it used to be!)

Gramma even grows her own dill to make her own pickles!

Through it all, Amelia has learned a lot this summer. She treats the plants tenderly(ish). She is a great waterer (although very unsafe with a hose in her hand!). She can spot red from a mile away. Nobody else has had a raspberry or strawberry this year. Here are the wild strawberries that came into season first (yes, these are full size).

I took these next pics at the beginning of August, so that you could see how luscious it all had gotten. Don't mind Stripy Striperton helping out with a tour.