Every girl needs a good sharp hoe

It's June, and garden season is in full swing. What else is in full swing? Weeds! They are all over the place-and it takes some persistence to keep 'em at bay. My dad tells me that my Great-Grandma Annie used to wield her garden hoe with a menace-she didn't play around when it came to weeding. Her vegetable garden was a showpiece that provided food for the winter months, and she was very proud of it. My Great-Grandparents brought their children to Oregon during the The Great Dust Bowl of Oklahoma and the Great Plains Regions in the 1930's. Farming and gardening were very important and integral parts of their lives. Knowing that Great-Grandma Annie would be proud of me following in her footsteps, I got one of the old hoes out of the garage and tried it out on the weeds encroaching on my tomatoes and peppers. It worked OK, but after a while I realized that I was working way too hard. The reason? That old hoe was pretty dull. I asked my handy husband to sharpen it for me, and voila! I was able to weed with ease. Farmgirl (and guy) friends, never underestimate the importance of having at least one good, sharp hoe.
Happy Gardening!