v. tend·ed, tend·ing, tends
v.tr.
1. To have the care of; watch over; look after: tend a garden.
welcome to tend where you will find weekly thoughts and images from five gardeners. each growing in different soils and climates but who all share in the joy of tending a garden.
shari - mondays
abby - tuesdays
natalie - wednesdays
julia- thursdays
amy - fridays
please visit our resources page for more garden inspiration, tips, and ideas.
zone 6 (pennsylvania)
with more than 15 years experience in organic agriculture, amy's passion for farming began in college when she took a food crops class and instantly fell in love with the idea of growing food. after several years of agricultural internships she started red hill farm, a 120-member csa, where she worked as farm director growing food and community for nearly eight years. she has since moved on to director of outreach for a non-profit dedicated to connecting communities through food, farms, and education. amy does not live on a farm but rather in a small twin on a corner with a postage stamp size backyard with her husband and two daughters. she decided a few years back to stop wishing for more space. instead she started to embrace the challenge, get creative, and work with what she had. She manages to fit in vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers, rain barrels, living rooves, chickens, and a rabbit. She is still trying to figure out how to fit in a goat and a greenhouse.
tend contributor 2011 & 2012
zone 6b (Kansas)
Each spring when we plot our garden it seems bigger than the last. My husband digs and plants and I tend and weed. I simply like to watch things grow. Plus the flavor of homegrown veggies and fruit like green beans, edamame, okra and sun-warmed strawberries cannot be equaled. When I'm not working in the studio or teaching, you'll find me in the garden.
zone 4 (vermont)
I grew up helping my grandfather in his large, southern garden, and it's one of my fondest memories. Now, I garden with my husband. We have two gardens actually: a small backyard garden and a larger, field garden with poor soil that has been a challenge. My favorite plant to grow is garlic. This year I'd love to grow more medicinal herbs and flowers.
zone 6 (arkansas)
my husband & i share a passion for growing food & i am thankful for his knowledge as we dig into the soil together. i am a program coordinator for a non-profit organization that focuses on healthy lifestyles at a young age through gardening clubs, cooking classes, and farm to school initiatives. for now, my husband & i reside in a rented home with a big backyard. in our home, we grow enough food to feed ourselves throughout the year & raise a small flock of chickens, all named & all loved.
julia
zone 4 (minnesota)
growing up in new york city, there wasn't much opportunity for gardening. after a few years in vermont, and then berkeley, i settled in minneapolis in 2006. that spring, i planted my first vegetable garden in the community garden across the street from our apartment and i haven't looked back since. six years later, i still work in my plot at the community garden, even though i've moved a few blocks away, and now have a backyard garden as well. i love rising to the challenges of urban gardening, whether its the limited space or pulling my wagon full of supplies through a busy (and occasionally shady) intersection. i love gardening because it brings neighbors and friends together, over a shared love of watching seeds grow into plants, into food, and onto our plates.
Zone 8b (Oregon)
My interest in plants started in my late teens, when I began studying medicinal herbs and the healing properties of whole foods. In the following years there were attempts at keeping tiny gardens with friends and house mates, but it wasn't until my partner and I settled into our own home that my enthusiasm and love for gardening was fully revealed. We tend a small and slowly expanding garden on the central Oregon Coast, where we grow food year round. We also make our best efforts to plant and maintain a landscape that focuses on herbs and edibles, and can withstand regular visits from the deer and other wild things we share our space with.
{banner art by Heather Smith Jones}
