By Natalie Gilbert
Staff Writer
The frantic scramble for keys and use of the pocket cash as you race to the local grocery store for last minute dinner items is not a rare occasion in the life of a Coppell family, but for the Hulmes the solution can be solved with the crops growing in their backyard.
Ever since he was a child, Coppell ISD trustee Thom Hulme has grown herbs, fruits and vegetables from the convenience of his own yard and has continued the task since his marriage to Kelly Hulme in 1993. Starting with tomatoes, the Hulme’s variety of produce has grown immensely.
“With the help of Kelly, we are able to work together to accomplish things I normally would not have done,” Mr. Hulme said. “She does things I can’t and vise versa, and it has shown in the growth of our garden.”
Now you can smell the strong scents of oregano, lemon bomb and dill, see the fruitful blooms of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries and anxiously await the taste of beans, squash, a variety of peppers and his newest addition: corn.
Despite the degrading theories of failure, Mr. Hulme planted multiple corn stalks in his garden, but along with the rest of the vegetables he hopes for success in their harvest.
According to Mr. Hulme, part of their crop’s success has come from the home-mixed soil used in the past two years made out of recycled material and manure from the horses owned by their neighbors, the Longoria family. The garden itself improved along with their crop as the Hulme family constructed a 15 x 15–foot garden with a 24 inch lift and gated walls.
This was to help keep out the nibbling rats and rabbits that have been making themselves comfortable with a steady food supply from the Hulme garden. However, with the addition of the new food groups such as the strawberries and blueberries, the food plants have spread outside the gates and throughout the whole yard.
Lately as the food has been harvested, the Hulme family has incorporated the homegrown food into their meals.
“We had tomatoes in our meal for the first time recently,” Mr. Hulme said. “But previously we have had salad with arugula and cilantro, dill sauce on the fish and even mint and lemon bomb in our tea. It adds a fresh flavor that you normally wouldn’t find in your food from the local grocery store.”
Foreign exchange junior Mercedes Rodriguez has participated in the family gardening activities throughout her stay at the Hulme house and is able to compare the taste to her summer home garden back in Spain.
“At home I mostly live in an apartment, so even if my father wanted to grow tomatoes space would be limited,” Rodriguez said. “And in our summer home we only have tree blossom fruit like plums, so we don’t enjoy them as often as we would with a garden like this.”
According to the Hulmes, the garden is no longer just a food source; it is a unique way for their family to bond.
“We’ve spent days gardening together, collaborated on what herbs we want to add and even put our minds together on how to catch the animals eating the food,” sophomore Marin Hulme said. “At first I didn’t think much of having a garden, but as I’ve gotten older, I see the ways it makes our family unique.”
Although this hobby is unique for families around Coppell, it just so happens that neighbors of the Hulmes grow a few crops of their own, and the two families occasionally trade certain foods with one another.
Due to the costs of water systems and upkeep, the production of certain crops does not necessarily save the family money, but the garden-fresh taste and sense of accomplishment with every juicy bite makes the hard work worthwhile.
