Wisdom while raising onions

I am loving eating fresh lettuce from our garden. Wow! I forget how much yummier even the simple lettuce leave is when fresh. I came home from our 10 day trip to Bishop (yes, I can hardly believe it myself - I was just at 10,000 plus feet high in the Sierra mountains with no less then 13 rugged granite peaks 13,000+ feet high surrounding us. Backpacking is so rewarding in the Sierras!) and found potato plants almost as tall as my 6 year old...tomato plants thriving and lush and cute bundles of carrot sprouts bursting forth.

I couldn't wait to get home and weed my herb and onion garden...mound the potatoes....plant a double row of beets....and build some more cages for our zucchini.

Broccoli sprouts have poked their head out and my onion patch had green scallions growing towards the sky that are nearly 2 feet long. So, on this observation I thought, "can I just snip off a few inches and have myself some yummy scallions for sauteeing?" I don't know. Will this kill the onion? Will it keep growing more green sprout? Do you just leave it alone? They are all toppling over they are so tall?


So, I called my dad. The green thumb. The guy that can grow anything, and does. The biologist. Plus, my dad, like so many dads, seems to know facts and how tos on anything. He has always been my walking and talking, live encyclopedia. And it is Father's Day - so I will call the ever wise one - my dad.

"Dad, my onion patch has gone nuts...." I explained the onion predicament.

"Well, what's growing out of your onion is simply a scallion."

"I know Dad. Can I eat it?"

"no...no that wouldn't be good for the onion. I am sure of that. You oughta leave it alone."

"But all 50 onions are bent over and top heavy - this couldn't be good?"

"No, it probably isn't."

"So, I can't just trim off the greens?"

"No, I wouldn't recommend that."

"So you are sure 'bout this? Are you growing any onions this year?"


"OH no. I've never grown a good onion bulb in my life."

Well, what more could I say. I quickly hung up and laughed for at least the better half of dinner recalling this wise dad of mine that had just talked to me about raising a good onion for at least 7 minutes to conclude with that zinger.

I'll let you know if I can grow an onion any better then my dad can, using his sage advice.

Good dads just come with an aura that says I can protect you from all things, I can fix everything, talk about anything, I know all things, and I will love you no matter what.

A good dad makes it easy to understand the nature of an unconditionally, loving Father.

Don't you just love dads!!?

Happy father's day daddy. You are still the wisest man I know.