Gardening in Chickasaw Country
By no means do I have a green thumb, unless you want to count growing succulents! Growing up, my Grammy and Gramps kept a large garden where I would spend countless spring and summer days helping them (helping as much as a four-year-old could!). After growing up and moving away, I always said that the vegetables from the garden always tasted better than any store-bought vegetables I’ve ever tasted. The garden green beans will always be one of my favorite foods. Especially with my Grammy’s mashed potatoes!
Recently I took a trip to the Chickasaw Cultural Center, where I fell in love with the gardens on the grounds! And it kind of inspired me to get back to my roots of gardening! I’ve spent hours on Pinterest looking for the perfect houseplants and just the right herbs.
After arriving I climbed on the Aba’ Aanowa’ Sky Pavilion. This provides a 40-foot view of the entire campus! From this viewpoint the gardens were even more beautiful!
The Spiral Garden is near the Inkana Bridge that connects the Chickasaw National Recreation Area and the Chickasaw Cultural Center. This is a beautiful garden full of all different types of vegetables. The gardeners keep up the garden daily and the vegetables are used in the Aaimpa’ Cafè. The fresh vegetables are a must try!
If you want to try gardening, this summer is the perfect time to start! Summer is the ideal time to plant squash, okra, corn, sweet potatoes, cucumber and peppers. Here are some tips that I’ve learned so far: Keep the garden free of weeds, insects and diseases. Don’t water too frequently because then the soil will become too wet. When possible, harvest the vegetables during the cool hours of the day. Trust me, it will help! If you don’t have room or time to plant a garden outside, you could always plant a few plants inside. That’s the route I’m going!
I hope I’ve inspired you to pick up the gardening tools and get to work! And if not, visit the Chickasaw Cultural Center’s gardens. They are the perfect relaxing getaway on a summer day.
Garden away,
Kalli
(Originally published on June 12, 2017. Updated on April 23, 2019.)
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