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Gardening is fair play

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." — Audrey Hepburn
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell, Editor

Talking to Patty Webb and her success at the Priddis-Millarville Fair brought back some fond memories.


Like Patty, I am a ribbon winner, thanks to my expertise displayed back in 1972 at the Eatonville Fair (or maybe garden show) in Washington.


We were visiting my grandma who was giving a flower arranging course for the event and said: ‘Oh, it would be nice to have a boy in the class for a change.’’’


My dad took me aside and calmly said something like: “You are going to take this, and you are going to like it or else you’re walking home.’”


Parenting was different in those days.


So while my brothers were herding cattle and driving old tractors, I was trying to decide “should I have a little bush or some grass in my little lasagna tin plate?”


The big day came and the submission went in anonymous. The judges were stunned to find a boy had earned a third-place white ribbon. (It was one of those events where you are judged on merit, if it is worthy of a ribbon you got it, no ranking. My understanding is there were only 787 white ribbons awarded that day in Eatonville.)


Fast-forward 47 years and I am gardening again.


I have gone this summer from ‘Will this spinach ever grow?’ to “How do we give this stuff away?’’
Popeye thinks I have a spinach problem.


I can’t help it.


I’m just a natural, and myself and all those other ribbon winners in 1972 have the knack.


Grandma would be proud, but I still can’t drive a tractor.

 

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