Recent discoveries in quantum physics, microbiology, and ecology verify something gardeners have long known.  Everything in nature is related.  There are no solid lines between the plants’ roots, the soil, and the bacteria and fungi tying it all together.  To help understand why garden crops do or do not thrive, we are led into the enigmatic field of companion planting.

The story is told of an elderly lady who was in the market for a watch dog. Eventually she purchased what was described as an excellent guard dog. To her dismay the dog had a hard time staying awake. Instead of barking and scaring off varmints and thieves, this highly recommended guard dog would sleep. She told her story to a friend, who quickly solved her problem. “I’ll tell you what,” she said, “I’ve got a duck who is a buddy to my watch dog, and everytime my guard dog tries to go to sleep, the duck pecks him on the nose and quacks.” So she continued, “Come over to my house and get my duck and  he’ll break your dog of his sleepy habits.” She did, and her friend was right. Peck, quack, peck, quack. Soon the dog was weaned from his sleepy habits.

I’m often asked questions about gardening, and enjoy responding as best I can. Many of my students have far surpassed me in their knowledge and gardens, thank goodness. Through the years I’ve gradually developed a curriculum and am ready to share it with a wider audience.

The culture of African people greatly affected the history of Tennessee gardening. Many of the two hundred thousand slaves here grew gardens for themselves and their owners. We still grow crops from seeds brought here from Africa.

I’m told that one of the oldest methods of catching a monkey is to cut a small hole in a gourd, tie it to a tree, and then fill it up with seeds in the hollowed-out gourd.