I grew up 1,200 miles from my grandparents, but every summer, my family would spend a month or longer in Minnesota with my grandparents. Much of that time was spent on the farm in southwestern Minnesota.

Every summer, we’d beg Gramma to take us on a garden tour. It was a rectangular plot of beautiful black soil with thriving fruits and vegetables. Both of my grandmas were incredible women, and I’ve always strived to be like them. 

One of those dreams I kept reaching for was building a garden like my Grandma Lindstrom. I envisioned rows of strawberries, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and musk melons. But I wondered if that dream would ever become a reality.

Condo Gardening in Small Spaces

A couple of years after my husband and I got married, we bought our first home, a beautiful condo with a great view and a small yard. We moved in March and got started building our first garden.

Our subdivision was called “River Rock,” and we quickly learned how suitable that name was. After a couple of hours spent tearing up sod and working the soil, we gave up. Off to Home Depot, we went.

We built raised garden beds on the ground and filled them with dirt, manure, and compost. Then we planted tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and flowers. Friends let us dig up their rogue raspberries, and we established a delightfully productive patch.

We maximized our small space and even built a garden on the other side of the fence by the road. I’m unsure if that was allowed, but we never got in trouble and doubled our garden space.

Learning as We Went and Dreaming of More

For all my obsessing about gardening, I didn’t know much about the importance of rotating crops. And while we had the internet, it was a different world way back then, and I didn’t turn to the internet for advice.

The Basics of Gardening

Instead, I turned to my grandma. Who better to tell me what to do than a farmer’s wife and avid gardener? 

My garden kept growing as I added pots to my patio. And after several failed attempts, I finally got some rhubarb to start thriving.

Composting Is Easy

I picked up a compost bin from a yard sale, and we started composting. Composting is so easy; everyone should do it. You can overthink it and scare yourself away or just start composting. Sure, if you do it right, it will compost more quickly, but if you get your ratios of green to brown off, it will still compost. It will just take longer.

I utilized my small space and dreamt of a big garden. Unfortunately, as my grandma’s mind weakened from Alzheimer’s, her lawn choked out her garden, and trips to the farm in the summer were a little bit heartbreaking. 

I’d give my girls tours and show them where the garden was. I’d share stories about picking strawberries which my grandma would turn into the best milkshakes ever. And I told my girls I always wanted a garden like my gramma’s.

My Daughter’s Encouragement and a Dream Come True

One summer, after we came home from the farm, my second daughter colored me a picture of a garden plot. It was just how I had described gramma’s garden to her, with rows of fruits and veggies. 

My Daily Gardening Encouragement

She taped her diorama to the wall next to my bed so I would always remember to keep believing I would have a big garden.

And then, through a miracle and answered prayer, we were able to buy a house on a half acre. A half acre feels enormous to me! I lived in a Philadelphia row house for the first few years of my life and then spent the rest of my childhood in a twin house with a small — yet fruitful — yard. Then, I lived in a condo for 15 years with a tiny yard. 

Turning the Dream into Reality

This space is incredible. We moved in March, and my husband loves to make my dreams come true, so he went all in, and we built our garden together.

We’ve had one successful summer with a harvest more bountiful than I had dared hope. I wish I could show my grandma because she would be so thrilled with it. Walking through the rows on a sun-soaked afternoon, I can almost hear her scratchy voice exclaiming over each discovery. 

My garden is more than the plants that grow. It’s my connection to my grandma. And it’s one way that I carry on her legacy and remember the good times with her.