A look back at gardening in Hot Springs County

Saturday at Hot Springs County Museum, Cindy Toth presented the program Gardening Then and Now, which gave a look at gardening practices in Hot Springs County.

During her presentation, Toth noted, she spoke of the irrigation projects that were started here, and people that gardened long ago.

There are some unique gardens in the area today, she noted. Darcy Axtell uses aquaponics - the practice of raising fish and produce together. Sonja Beckers uses hoop houses, which look similar to Quonsets but also allow light in. Toth noted these houses allowed Beckers to grow some products through the winter.

Lee Campbell uses raised gardens, with wood frames a few inches above the ground and filled with soil, as well as trellises for any vine crops. Margo Skaggs yard has xeriscaping in the front and flowers in back. Toth said it is "beautifully landscaped."

Xeriscaping reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental irrigation through utilizing creative landscaping and plants that use little to no water.

Also during the presentation was information about the Master Gardeners program and the local Red Dirt Master Gardeners. Toth said the local group sponsors the farmer's market - usually Saturday mornings on Fifth Street from the end of July to the end of September.

They also have a community garden across from Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital's emergency entrance. Toth noted Chris O'Byrne or Melanie Valentine can sign people up for the garden. There are currently 31 raised beds and 12 ingrown beds, and when people sign up they will receive a set of rules and what is expected.

Just this year, the Master Gardeners also started maintaining the flowerbeds at the Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking of her personal history with gardening, Toth said she grew up in northern Minnesota and her family had a big garden. Everyone helped plant, weed and harvest the crops. Being in that area, she noted, there were short growing seasons and cold winters. Typically there was 30 inches of precipitation each year.

Working a garden can be peaceful, Toth said, and bring one a sense of connecting with nature. Of course, eating the tomatoes, squash and other good things is wonderful and provides a sense of accomplishment.

For people who want to grow locally, Toth recommends they first have their soil tested to see if they need anything such as compost or manure the local extension office can help with soil test kits, but soil samples must be sent in for testing. Once the ground is ready, Toth said, people can plant just about anything they want.

Toth explained in preparing her presentation she did a lot of research on the subject, utilizing online sites such as wyominghistory.org, books from Dorothy Milek, "The Gentle Tamers: Womeon of the Old Wild West" by Dee Brown, and agricultural program hosted by the Heart Mountain Relocation Center and "Wyoming, A Pictorial History" by Mark Junge.