September 5, 2015
Late yesterday evening Chitter asked me if I’d walk down to Pap’s big garden with her. She wanted to look for wild apricots, some folks call them maypops. They typically grow wild along the edges of Pap’s cornfield. I told Chitter even though there’s no garden this year we’ll go look around and see if we can find one.
Neither of us had paid the garden much attention this summer and was surprised to see the weeds had grown taller than either of our heads.
Even before Pap’s accident the hard decision to not plant the big garden had been made-at least for The Deer Hunter and me. For the last several years we’ve used the garden for beans and corn and planted the rest of our garden items closer to our house and Granny and Pap have done the same.
The trees surrounding Pap’s big garden have grown till they shade it too much for it to produce as well as it once did. The Deer Hunter is handy with a chainsaw but these trees are so close to the power lines the local EMC would have to cut them and we just never can seem to get around to calling them out to look at the trees. One of those things you mean to do, but don’t.
During the aftermath of Pap’s accident I counted it a true blessing that the big garden lay fallow with nothing but 2 rows of taters growing in it.
As Chitter and I walked the edges and poked into the weeds on our search she said “Will we plant the big garden next year?” I said “I don’t know. I don’t know if any of us will want to fool with it and Granny and Pap can’t do it anymore for sure.” Chitter said “I just know how many times I’ve helped clean it off in the spring of the year not to mention the planting and the infernal weeding.” Letting her words sink deep into my mind I said “Well letting it lay fallow this year will probably be good for the soil. So maybe we can get those trees cut and we’ll see about using it.”
After Chitter’s gentle prodding, my gardening eyes saw the big garden full of new possibilities. More than that, my heart soared to realize any teenage girl who worried about the land lying unused had surely inherited my gardening eyes and the hope of feeding herself and her family with things grown by the work of her hands and the sweat of her brow.
—September 5, 2015
We didn’t plant Pap’s big garden the following year. His health problems continued through the winter.
By February of 2016 Pap decided he was done with hospitals and procedures. He spent the last months of his life at home surrounded by his family, still going to church and community events when he felt like it. He died April 19, 2016 at home.
That spring we helped Granny take care of the early vegetables Pap had planted at their house, but we were too sad to even think about planting Pap’s big garden.
Since the garden lay closest to my brother Steve’s house the following year he asked if it would be alright if he planted some fruit trees in the area. None of us minded, so for the next several years Pap’s big garden served as an orchard.
After Steve moved and Chatter and Austin bought his house we decided to once again grow food for our family in Pap’s big garden. In the years since Pap died the trees had grown even taller. We were able to get them all cut in time for planting.
Seeing Pap’s garden once again standing full of corn, beans, and taters brought great joy to us all. And although the garden wasn’t the best ever, the corn tasted as good as any we ever grew with Pap.
Tipper
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The land that your parents believed in, worked to keep, to improve and ultimately to share with their children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren is the anchor that all of us seek. Sure the patch may have been overgrown, over shaded and even considered fallow in terms of a physical harvest. But while while the soil was being replenished with nutrients unused in growing vegetables, it was also being replenished by the love, tradition, memories and yes, grief, of your family. I believe the land can heal us, but it also needs the healing power that we, as its guardians are called upon to provide. Your grand babies will feel and touch the same grit between their toes that you, your daughters and Granny and Pap felt between theirs. I believe this is part of what we think of as “dominion” over the Earth.
We like to say, “The soil has memories.” So many of them it’s a pleasure to just be outside with it.
I wish I could have known your precious PAP and get to meet all of you in person now. That ground was ready for YOUR touch. I don’t think I ever read about what Pap’s accident was… could you tell me , plz. He seemed so strong in all the best ways.
Your post today is so beautiful and heart-warming. I just came back from visiting with my father. He is in rehab right now trying to get strong enough to come home after having a heart attack. At 85, I am not sure he will ever get to come home again. It’s so hard to see this frail, old man, who used to work in the garden everyday—just trying to learn to walk and go to the bathroom again. It makes me so sad for my mama too. They sat for two hours today just holding hands. Like Miss Cindy said to y’all, we just have to wade through it. This was a beautiful memory you shared with us today. Thank you so much.
This made me tear up. You have a beautiful legacy.
Beautiful words . Precious story / memories. Love & Blessings to all .
This was such a sweet post, Tipper. Although emotional, it brought sweet memories for sure. It made me think of my own dear parents and the place where I grew up. I’m so glad to have found you on You Tube. I was searching for a video about chocolate gravy. I liked that video which lead to others of course and on to The Blind Pig and the Acorn. You and your family do seem like family to all of us!
The road to our home at the head of Wiggins Creek was so unused that the maypop vines would often grow all the way across it. The mailman and the school bus turned at the old Jeff Wikle place so there was no routine vehicular traffic. The maypops bloomed and even produced their little grenades right there in the middle of the road. Only peddlers, and strangers looking for somewhere else, disturbed their peace and dashed our hopes.
This story was happ, emotional , sad all in one. One I guess I’m emotional now. The lady I’m taking care of is declining. She is 95. She battled cancer for 4 yrs. She’s a fighter for sure. She’s has Hospice now. I’m there 5 days a wk. It’s hard to see them going down.
Gigi, you are providing a great service to all humanity and the Lord for the kindness you show to those souls as they pass from this hard life into their next life of eternity.
“There is a time for every season …..- …..a time to plant and a time to uproot….”
Thank you for sharing such a sweet story. Precious memories for sure.
Tipper, once more you have touched the hearts of your followers. Your videos are fantastic, your writing is very moving whether it be sad or happy. I almost feel like a member of the family! Luckiest thing I ever did was finding your video channel on U Tube. I wish you and yours and all your followers a most blessed day! May God bless each and every one of you!
Patricia-thank you for your kind words!
Ok Tipper-this story has me choked up and fighting back tears. It breaks my heart to hear of your struggle and when I drive past the old home all dilapidated and in disrepair, it breaks my heart but the memories of that well kept little house and the people who once were within those walls will stay in my heart forever… And the grandchildren are wonderful indeed and how often I’m sure you want to say “look Pap! He looks just like you when he turns his head that way!” Or whatever comes to mind when you know he’d be proud or happy… and we March on into an uncertain future certain of a secure past…
Morning everyone. Hope this week is a blessing to y’all. Precious memories and the love they evoke. Such a lovely and sad memory today. I think it could also bring joy in knowing your Pap would love that garden too and how Matt and your work last year has brought it back. Watching over each and everything y’all did. Miss Tipper, God bless you and Matt for all your labor and love put in Pap’s garden. Love to all dear friends.
Thank you for sharing the beautiful chapters of your life. Joy and sorrow are interwoven in every season of our lives, but love seems to hold it all together.❤️
I’m certain that your father would be very pleased to see y’all working his big garden spot again.
I enjoyed hearing your memories on the big garden.
I imagine Pap was smiling down from heaven knowing his big garden was once again providing food for his family.
So many emotions in this post. Life takes so many turns and a garden just goes in line with them. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow.
Please pray for us. My husband and I are going three hours away for him to meet with a pastor of a church for the assistant pastor position. I’m so torn because I love my garden and my yard that we have worked so hard on. It makes me sad to think of leaving it all.
I never knew I had a green thumb, but I should have known because my daddy and grandpa both had large gardens.
God bless!
Laura Lee- I will pray for you and the situation 🙂
Heavenly Father we lift up this situation into Your providential care and ask for Your best for all. Amen.
I know the reasons and circumstances were different for letting Pap’s garden lay fallow. I think it is in the Bible that you should plant a spot for six years and then let it lay fallow in the seventh year. My father in law loved having a large 1-2 acre garden but since his death in 2013 his garden spot has not been worked and is now grown up with pine trees. You mention maypops, I believed this is the same thing we would call a lollipop. I have not seen these in many years. I don’t know about other areas but around here if a field is not worked it will soon be full of pine trees and sweet gum sprouts. I believe an empty unused asphalt parking lot would soon have sweet gum trees sprouting up in it.