I grew up in a gardening family. My mother always filled her yard with beautiful flowers, and one of my earliest gardening memories is of planting hyacinth bulbs with her. I was so thrilled to see them come up in the spring. I remember rushing outside every morning to see how many had come up and reporting the number back to Mom with great seriousness. I still get a thrill when I see green things starting to peek out each spring.
My grandmother had a little farm in rural Nebraska, and that's where I learned the basics of vegetable gardening, as well as how to can and preserve what you grow. It stuck with me, and thinking back, I realize that there never has been a time in my life when I didn't have something growing somewhere. Even in my college days I kept a tomato plant in a pot on the balcony.
When we moved to Spring Hill, I was finally able to try food gardening on a larger scale, and my family and I put in a big vegetable garden and vineyard. We grew fruit and vegetables for the table and sold the excess at farmers markets for several years. I've downsized the veggie garden quite a bit lately, though (bad back), and started planting flowers for hummingbirds and butterflies, which my family enjoys, too.
I'm fascinated by all the things going on in the garden, and I like to study up on whatever plant, insect or animal catches my eye at the time.
Meg MullettMy family is no longer surprised to find a jar with a bug in it on the kitchen table on any given afternoon. My latest fascination is with
orchids. This picture shows me next to my current crush, a Dendrobium Spectabile. The fragrance is heavenly.
My gardening style is "casual", which in my case means haphazard, diverse, and a little weedy. I choose my vegetables by taste and my flowers by their flamboyance, and I don't mind mixing the two together.
I've been a Master Gardener since 2002.