A LABOR OF LOVE

Russ's gardens, measuring about 800 sq. ft., are in his front yard. Even though it is well known that he grows vegetables, "…neighbors still stop by and drop off vegetables," he said. “I do learn a lot of tips from neighbors stopping by and seeing me working in the garden.”

a labor love of

Photo by John Riddle

as everyone well knows, American's lives have changed dramatically in the past several months. Before the pandemic, most people spent much less time on lawn care and gardening and more time socializing. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the breakdown of how people spent their time on different daily activities in 2019 included housework (0.53 hrs.), hrs.), sports and exercising (0.34 hrs.), and socializing and leisure time (4.64 hrs.). However, Google trends show that interest in gardening has almost doubled in 2020. With more time on their hands at home, people have been filling it with household chores and maintenance and even trying to grow their own food.

It didn’t take a pandemic to jumpstart Russ Deavours’ interest in gardening. He's been at for 30 years. "The thing that got me into it was that our families were farmers. It's a hobby, but it's something I love to do. When Spring and Fall come around, something inside me tells me it’s time to plant a garden,” Russ said.

STORY BY JOHN RIDDLE

George “Russ” Deavours and Libby Carter Deavours live in Lake Park on a sandhill next to an 80-acre lake that has been in Libby’s family since her Dad, a pro baseball player between 1914 – 1921, bought the land and peat moss lake with proceeds from his baseball career. “When he came home from traveling with baseball, he would buy land. He mined peat moss out of the lake for years,” Russ explained.

That sand hill is the reason he went to raised gardens. If he was going to have to bring in compost and topsoil, he only wanted to do that for a small area that would produce all the vegetables he and his wife needed and provide plenty to give to his family and friends. But that’s not how he started gardening. He used to have a bigger garden near his home until he was golfing with a friend one day that showed him his raised gardens. That sparked the idea of converting to that concept. He never looked back.

Why does Russ continue gardening at age 79 when he readily admits, "…you might be able to buy vegetables cheaper at a local grocer…," referring to the time and cost of growing your own?

"We keep our great-granddaughter three days a week while her mom and dad are at work. Before she was born, I told her mother that I couldn't wait until she could help me in the garden. Now, she has a little hoe and loves being in the garden with us. We're bonding, and it's teaching

her something I love," Russ explains. And there's another reason. "At my age, I'm not in the greatest shape, but I would be in a lot worse shape (physically) if I didn't garden. It gets me out and moving." He adds, "It also provides a lot of vegetables that we know are safe.”

Russ doesn’t do all of this alone. Gardening is one part of the equation. There is also harvesting, canning, freezing, and cooking. Libby heads up that very vital part of preparing the food to ensure they enjoy fresh vegetables all year round.

At the time we talked with Russ, his gardens were bare – waiting for Fall planting. However, tilling and planting is not all that's involved. He showed us the binder with meticulous notes and reports from the UGA Cooperative Extension Office, stating exactly what his soil needs to produce the best crops. In fact, he said the essential thing in successful gardening is to send soil samples to the local county extension agent to learn what your soil needs. "Do exactly as they say. I've tried getting around it and it and it doesn't work," he said with a laugh. Of course, he also contributes that he has learned a lot from neighbors dropping by with tips as they see him working in the garden.

While gardening might not be for everyone. It certainly has been a fulfilling endeavor for Russ Deavours. And, he’ll be the first to encourage others to give it a try. To that end, he offered some tips on establishing your own raised gardens and adds, “…it’s not too late to get started this Fall.”

Another generation of Deavours is learning pleasure in gardening. Russ and Libby's great-granddaughter, loves being in the garden.

TIPS:

Russ plants about 30 tomato plants annually. He picks them just as they're turning red but not ripe yet. Then they go on a table inside to finish ripening—Libby cans as many as 40 quarts of stewed tomatoes that last them all year.

- Use pressure-treated wood (2 x 6’s or 2x 8’s) for your frame, not cross-ties. Russ tried those initially, but vegetables didn't grow close to the crossties due to the creosote.

- Determine your area and measure the square footage. That will be important when fertilizing.

- Fill the frame with topsoil then with 2 – 3 inches of compost. Till in the compost. Russ uses chicken compost that can be bought locally.

- Most importantly, have a soil sample tested through the local county extension agent. Collect samples from various places in the garden but combine them in the sample.

- Take the recommendations from the soil report and add the suggested nutrients with a broadcast spreader.

- After the raised beds are constructed, Russ spends a couple of days to prepare and plant each season. He checks water daily during the growing season. Weeding is the main thing which can take up to an hour a week.

- Fertilizing through the growing season is also essential. Russ uses a 10-10-10 (equal parts of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash) for most vegetables – not tomatoes - when he feels it's needed.

- For tomatoes, Russ uses a 5-10-15, because they don't need too much nitrogen, and only when they're the size of a golf ball. Another tip he learned from a friend is to place a Tums (yes, the kind you use for antacid) on each side of the plant to provide extra calcium. It cuts down on the blossom end rot. "It works for peppers too," Russ added.

- Seeds or plants? Russ likes using plants instead of seeds for tomatoes, but he uses seeds for turnips, mustard, squash, and okra.