Featured Gardener: Threse

Chapter: Calaveras-CA

How long have you been gardening?

I am a new gardener! I live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of 4,800 feet. In the winter we can get up to 6 feet of snow. I have grown flowers in barrels over the years, but have never attempted growing vegetables. We have such a short growing season here and not a lot of sun because we are surrounded by very big trees. This year I decided why not try to grow vegetables in my barrels along with flowers and I can use the GeoGardenClub app as a helpful tool!

What are your “must-grow” crops?

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes! Lucious Tomatoes! I planted 2 varieties of cherry tomatoes and 2 varieties of big tomatoes.

Herbs. It’s so wonderful to be ale to walk outside and pick fresh herbs for your meal that your cooking.

Cucumbers. I have to admit that I think of my 4 year old grandson when I eat cucumbers. My daughter-in-law’s garden is amazing and my grandson loves a bowl of fresh sliced cucumbers straight from the garden. Every time I look at my cucumber plants I think of him and I get a big smile.

Flowers. Lupine is my favorite flower. Last summer I collected Lupine seeds from the flowers growing around here. I planted them in the spring and they are just now popping up! It is a tradition that my mom and I to go buy flowers to plant in my barrels after the last snow fall, although you never know when that will be! We pick out as much color as possible. I have planted Dahlias, Cosmos, Petunias, Hollyhocks and many more.

One piece of advice for beginners?

Being a beginner growing food, I would advise others to not be afraid to try! It can be overwhelming learning about all you need to know and do to make a garden successful. One step at a time! It’s so exciting to see the day by day changes in your garden. Using the GeoGardenClub app has helped me to track my progress and get information from other gardeners.

Favorite feature of GeoGardenClub?

I love being able to look at other gardens all over the country! It's so cool to be able to share observations and learn from other gardeners!