TAM IN THE GARDEN: In the Garden, Talking 'bout the garden.... #5

I didn't do much last week... was feeling a little lazy. In spite of a lack of activity, I was still able to spend time with some amazing people. I am fortunate to have so much positive energy pouring into my atmosphere.

I was absolutely delighted to have Natasha Bowens stop by the house on Sunday, March 25th. She's working on a photo documentary that will illuminate farmers of color across the US. Per her website, "The Color of Food aims to connect, amplify, and preserve the voices of Asian, Black, Latino, and Native American farmers and food communities". I had the pleasure of meeting Tasha while volunteering at the 2011 Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference in NYC. At the time, she was fundraising and planning for her journey. I could have never imagined that she would be sitting at my dining room table six months later talking with me about TELMORE Gardens, my thoughts on living in a food desert, and memories of cooking with my grandmother. My new friend in food, Stef Paige Reese, who has a history of farming in her family along with her own passion for growing food also joined in the conversation. My mom even added her thoughts and memories to the mix which was FANTASTIC! It was an inspiring day and one that reminded me that there's so much possibility in simply doing what you enjoy. You never know how your purpose will present itself or where your passion will lead you.

Natasha Bowens - Brown.Girl.Farming.

Tasha, Tam & Stef

On Monday, March 26th, I made my normal rounds through the yard. While checking on my flower bed, I noticed a lady walking her dogs. I immediately thought the little dog, a jack russell, was one that I saw barely escape with his life after being attacked by another dog last summer. I started telling the lady the story of what happened only to find out that it wasn't her dog after all. Somewhere in the midst of that conversation, she said she liked my flowers. To say that made my day would be an understatement! We went on to have the best conversation which covered everything from dogs to the neighborhood and of course gardening. I've offered to help her with flowers and vegetables for her yard very soon. I look forward to spending more time with her and those adorable pooches!

Ms. Helene, GG (jack russell) and Jasmine (hound beagle mix)

As a part of my adventures in composting, I've asked friends and family to help me by saving fresh fruit & veggie scraps, coffee grounds and egg shells. Everyone has a storage bucket which I randomly stop in to collect for my bin. On Tuesday, March 27th, one of my besties and blog contributor, Tonya aka Naturally Pebbles stopped by to check on my progress and more importantly, pick up her bucket. Tonya is very serious about our composting and took action when I didn't return her bucket in a timely manner. On, Saturday, March 30th, I stopped by Toni's house where she handed over a bag of goodness for the compost. I'm so tickled by how she always separates everything into individual sections - avocado peelings, then egg shells and finally strawberries. This soil is going to be good to the last shovel!

Fast forward to today, Sunday, April 1st and I was in the company of yet another great friend - Millie who indulged me by spending at least an hour in Home Depot looking at fencing, flowers and reel lawn mowers. After purchasing a few items, including paint samples, we headed back to the house where we proceeded to debate color options for my shed for the longest time. In the end,
she convinced me that Asparagus green was definitely NOT the right choice. Over dinner, we had the best conversation about situations that connect people and opportunities in totally unexpected ways. It was the perfect end to a great seven days.