Kathy Riedl, Business Assistant in the JVC Northwest office, reflects that values of simple living and community as she shares her excitement for growing her own food and tending to her (intergenerational) garden:
It is now officially summer which means strawberry season in Oregon has begun and the crop in my backyard is flourishing!
My strawberry patch started the first year I moved into my house. The plants were a housewarming gift from my parents’ garden. The strawberries have been very happy in my garden, so much so that they are now used as groundcover. This year my parents redid their own strawberry patch and I was able to reciprocate their gift from years ago by sharing with them starts from their original strawberry plants.
There are other plants that I have received from the gardens of family and friends. The iris and Christmas cactus were originally started by my grandparents, who shared with my parents, who then shared with me. The peonies and crocosima are from friends. I love being able to look out my window to see the plants thrive and remember family and friends.
It’s difficult for me to throw healthy plants into the recycling bin so I try to find them new homes. I’ve also shared extra packets of seeds, and the seeds I’ve collected and dried. It’s not only plants, but also garden tools that have been traded and loaned. The savings add up and great old tools stay out of the garbage.
As summer begins, the plants grow and multiply. Strawberry season will end, but the rest of the garden will produce. Let the sharing begin!
