Our Vegetable Garden, 1985

On a third of an acre in Ipswich, Massachusetts my husband, Ken and I began to grow vegetables and fruit in the early 1980’s. The years from the purchase of our first home in 1978 were punctuated by the births of two sons and an advanced degree. We were fully engaged in small town New England life. By the time these photos were taken, our oldest son, Tim was four and a half and Andy, two and the garden was reasonably well established.

We inherited a small orchard of established Baldwin apples, a pear tree and an enthusiastic patch of raspberries. We added compost bins, grapes, perennials and shrubs to the property while updating and painting our new home inside and out.

In 1977, my husband, after receiving his PhD, began teaching chemistry at Gordon College. We were young, energetic and readers of New Shelters—always looking for ways to save energy and the environment. Members of the Clamshell Alliance, we protested against Seabrook and nuclear energy. We scavenged, split and stacked wood to keep our wood stove going through the chilly winters. All this activity was fueled by the energy of youth.

Raised beds were an innovation in the 80’s. The soil would not be walked upon and I gathered salt marsh hay to keep the weeds down along the paths. Vegetables (and weeds) grow rapidly in New England with frequent rains and a fleeting growing season.

I was an avid fan of Crockett’s Victory Garden on Boston’s WGBH TV and dug into the details by reading Jim Crockett’s book of the same name.

A walk down the path of family and garden memories.