The Beginning...

Last year we acquired a BCS walk-behind tractor, an Earthway seeder, a 1949 Ford 8N tractor, and a greenhouse, and we are trying to put them to good use. Last spring we created eight eighty-foot beds and grew potatoes, onions, sunflowers, beans, watermelons, cantaloupes, pumpkins, eggplants, okra, tomatoes,  jalapenos, other peppers, Swiss chard, asparagus, cucumbers, figs, and corn. Our fall garden was enjoyed by the deer mostly.

We have begun again this spring, creating 20 beds, and making an effort to grow our starts from seeds. Depending on how successful our efforts turn out to be, we would like to invite others to join us in the garden whenever that becomes possible. I will be letting everyone know what is ready to be harvested. You will be welcome to come and pick what you need at a socially appropriate distance. If you have any seeds, cuttings, fruit trees, berry vines, gardening equipment, compost, expertise in restoring old tractors, time to weed or seed, or advice, we welcome you into the community.

Because of the current health and social crisis, Robert has joined me at the farm, still teaching full-time at Truett Seminary, but online.

I came up the name, Lil’s Garden, in 2009, as part of a master's degree project, long before the garden was ever begun. It is a tribute to Robert’s grandmother, Lillie Creech. We inherited the farm on County Road 401 from her.

With a grant from Texas Parks & Wildlife, we planted eighty acres in native grasses a year ago, hoping to convert most of the place into a prairie. We have retained a few acres to grow fruits and vegetables. We feel like we are just stewards of the place, and we’d like to share.

As we are in the midst of this very serious and disturbing pandemic, it is somewhat comforting to observe that the rest of the created world is "business as usual." Although we could use a little more rain, the wildflowers are blooming, seeds are sprouting, and spring is springing. It is pretty therapeutic to have your hands in the healthy microbes in the earth. I hope that sharing these images of growth and renewal will send a modicum of hope and peace your way. And perhaps by this summer, you will be able to join us in the harvest.