Mother's Day Memories Part 1

This year, to celebrate Mother’s Day, we asked the Vego community to share photos and stories of the knowledge, gardening tips, garden-to-table recipes that moms have passed down, and to tell us what motherhood means to you. No matter who your maternal figure is, whether a biological mom, a stepmother, or a mentor who guided you along the way, their impact is so important, and the stories the community shared have blown us away. To all of us who shared stories with us, thank you. We are touched and inspired, and we hope to honor your stories and memories by sharing them here with the Vego community so that all of us can grow.

Jayati S. :
“So I started gardening as a therapy to deal with daily stress as a new parent after my 1st child. It was refreshing to go out in the open air and spend some time with yourself in the midst of bees and butterflies. Before I knew it, I got addicted to it. My day would not end if I didn't go out in the garden and check upon my plants. But when my daughter was just 2 yrs old, she started enjoying the garden and doing activities outside. I did not have to struggle with her to give up on her screen time and come out with me. She herself chose to do it. She enjoyed growing food outside and picking it up. This, I feel, is an achievement for me as a mother. This is when I truly learnt the power of nature. How amazing it is to see this.” 

Maddie G. :
“Being a mother to two young boys means always being on the move. We try to put our energy to good use by gardening as a family. Regardless of how efficient the boys are, they both love peering over the edge of our gardens and putting their hands in the dirt. As a mother, I hope to continue to encourage our boys to have an existential connection with where food comes from in the garden and out. I hope that sustainable gardening can continue to teach our children concepts about humans' unique connection with food. I believe this is one of the central concept to my motherhood and something I wish to pass down to all of my children.” 

Jessica W. :
“One of the gardening "tips" my mom imparted to me: "Plants will talk to you if you take the time to listen." 

Lauren B. :
“Teaching my son to build, grow and eat a garden has been so rewarding and educational. I couldn't think of a better way to show him how to be a hard working contributing person in our world. As a mother it is amazing to watch and see through his eyes what gardening means to him and how magical it a seems in his world. I couldn't be more grateful for Vego Garden to bring my family closer and help educate my son on building a better brighter future! Thank you from this mom's heart.” 

Susan H. :
“My mom passed away in 2013, at the age of 84. But not a day goes by that I don’t remember something she said or did, or that I wish I could tell her. She was the member of our family that we called “the energizer bunny.” Always going and doing. And right now, I so wish I could show her my new planted Vego beds. She would probably think I was being extravagant, but she just never understood what I meant by rock hard Georgia clay. It seemed that whatever she planted, either when we lived in Massachusetts or when she and my dad moved back to Tennessee, it grew. It grew enormously. She mostly planted flowers, but also had cherry tomatoes in pots on her back patio. One of my favorite memories is moving into an old farmhouse in Massachusetts in 1966. The very first thing she did was to clean up the rock bordered garden of weeds, and plant alyssum. I always remember thinking how beautiful it was, and it came back every year. Her advice would be to never give up, despite setbacks. And use what you have first, then buy whatever else you need. I still have the raised planter I “inherited” when she died. It looks a bit worn but it still works fine, and today my lettuce seedlings are popping up! I’d love to show them to her. Her back and knees were weak, but she still gardened standing up, lol! Thank you for reading my special memories of my mom.” 

Erin F. :
“I treasure motherhood the most in the tiny beautiful fleeting moments. The gifting me a dandelion, pulling up carrots, counting the worms, and growing hope together as we plant bulbs in the soft damp earth and wait for signs of springtime moments. Motherhood is the greatest gift of experiencing the world together through the beauty and innocence of little wondering eyes.”

Dana B. :
“My then two and a half year old helping me prep our first family garden at our Vermont home (that’s a plastic hoe in her hand). We had this photo up on our family memory cork board for years, which we captioned, “But how will feed the children?” Fast forward almost three decades, and now I’m helping her prep for her July wedding on the New Hampshire farmstead she owns with her fiancé. They are planning a big party under a tent in their field, next to their vegetable patch.  Our son is an organic farmer, and designed our system of chinampas for our new home, which feed our orchards. My first Vego Garden went in this weekend next to our kitchen porch. It will soon be filled with herbs. What does motherhood mean to me? It is the world wrapped in a wee bit of worry and a whole lot of love.”