What a nice description of that corner of SC...and your own personal childhood experiences. It sounds like your father had an important job...were you ever able to climb up in that tower with your father? That would have been a unique experience for a kid.
Imagine your asking that question, Sjoerd. I was between 2 and 3 years old. Daddy put me on his shoulder and climbed up into the tower. I remember how it seemed we were at the top of the world. I have such great memories of living there, and the day we left. Daddy and my brother went back to live there for maybe a year. He could take my brother all over the mountains with him, but he couldn't keep a little girl. My older sister lived with people who could send her to school. He wanted his family together, so he had to leave the mountain.
What a moving account, GP...poignant. It must have been a big deal to make such choices in those days. I can see that you cherish those moments.
Sjoerd, I really did get off topic. On a gardening note, I have a potato peeping out of the soil. YAY.
Chortle...I don't mind. I also have to chuckle because our name for potato's is "piepers". I am way jealous that your spuds have shown their first leaves already...I look for mine every day, although I know that it is still too early and too cool. Good for you though--chapeau!
LOL Of six hills, there is only one tiny potato plant, so far. I planted them March 25th. so they're about due to surface.
BTW GP--did you tell me what sort of spuds you planted this year? A small beginning, but at this stage, it is a great victory.
I bought Organic Russet potatoes at the market this year. It's 8:24 P.M. in mid USA. It must be early morning in your area, right?
Yes...really early. I should have been in bed, but felt that I had to come on here first, since I had not been here for a coupla days.
I looked really hard but did not see any spuds above ground yet. I am sooooo jealous of you. I had a walk about over the lottie complex and saw that there are some allotmenteers with spuds above ground already too.
I am a very patient person. I do not know if I will out-perform you guys, but when I see the first little "mouse ears" appear above ground I shall be pleased with what I get. One of the hallmarks of the season for me is the appearance of the first spud leaves.
https://www.lehmans.com/p-4385-steel-broadfork.aspx This might be and alternative to your min-till method my gardening guru, Sjoerd! I believe the French call them grenillette (sp?) We call them broad fork's. I've spent the better part of an hour looking for a long handled furrowing plow to no avail. Now I shall be searching flea markets, farm sales, and junk markets for one.
Now I wonder if I will actually have spuds. Wanting to check moisture level, I stuck the instrument in the soil,. Thinking it was stuck in a hard lump of dirt, I pulled out a nice potato. I quickly returned it, covered it with soil and mounded more around it. Wish me spuds.
