The Waterworks

Our large garden in Bakersfield often served as more than just a space for growing fruit and vegetables. We have a picture – several pictures, actually – of all of us in the garden area, on the day we refer to as the waterworks. It must have been just after dad tilled the garden, and before we planted, since it shows all dirt and muddy children. We all look dirty, muddy, and happy in that picture. Mom is working, and Dad is taking the pictures, but the rest of us are playing in the dirt.

The waterworks started with a river. Digging a trench in the dirt and filling it with water can be so much fun! I have watched preschool children play for hours in dirt and water. We were no different, even though some of us were way past preschool age. With all of us out there, the trench soon became much more. We built elaborate buildings, moats, fences, and rivers, and kept pouring more and more water in to fill all the trenches we made.

I think our waterworks happened on more than just one occasion, but we only have the one set of pictures. (We can tell the pictures are all from the same day when we compare the clothes we are wearing. Sometimes that was the only way to figure out who was who in baby pictures, but that is a story for another time.)

Our time in the garden always started out as working, but as I look back, what I remember most about that garden space is all the fun we had there.

More than just plants

Early each spring dad tilled up the garden area in Bakersfield and we started planting. Some years we planted one big family garden, other years we divided up the garden and each child had our own garden space. We could plant whatever we wanted – corns, peas, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, watermelon - even zucchini or eggplant if we felt like it. (None of us ever planted eggplant!) On those years when we did individual gardens, Mom and Dad would start the “family” part of the garden, and the rest of us would pitch in on that section after we took care of our own little plot. I didn’t realize it then, but our individual “little” plots covered as much space as many modern day gardens I have seen.

Lots of planning went into that garden each year, but probably none more than the years we did individual gardens. Should I plant peas or carrots? Should I plant a whole row of corn, or should I plant hills of watermelon? If I plant both, what else would I have to leave out? The planning part was so much fun!

Planting was fun too. We all enjoyed watering. Sometimes we set the sprinklers, and sometimes we watered by hand with the hose. The years that we had individual gardens we probably used the hose more than setting the sprinklers. Watering our gardens was not enough. We always seemed to end up watering each other as well.

Somehow having our own gardens really kept us interested and involved. Seeing those little sprouts poking up through the ground, then checking them regularly to see that they had enough water and that the weeds were not choking them out.

I don’t remember eating much out of our garden, although we planted every year. I do remember fruit from the fruit trees, and eating fresh tomato and onion sandwiches. We did eat some radishes, and I know we had zucchini, but I don’t remember anything else from the garden. Even without a memory of tons of garden fresh veggies, that large garden space sure provided many wonderful memories of working and playing together as a family.