I learned how to garden from my grandfather. In the fall he'd drive around towns where folks would bag their leaves, fill up the trunk of his Olds Cutlass, leave the lid up and overstuff it, more bags between the lid and the back window, fill the back seat, all while pulling a trailer, then drive up to his cabin, drop them all off. He'd get me to spread them in a thick layer then churn them all in with an Ariens front time rototiller. Between that and splitting firewood I had forearms like Popeye.
He had a 55 gallon drum that he had me cut the bottom out using a cold chisel. Then he set it out at the highest point in the garden, and put the top on it. He'd toss in food scraps, fish heads, some leaves, wood chips, clam shells,and an occasional "spoonful" from the "honey dipper". All summer long the sun would heat up that steel barrel and cook what was inside as he added to it. Once the weather turned cold he would tip it over and use a hose to distribute it over the garden, then get me to till it all in.
His tomatoes were as big as softballs. Grew all kinds of winter and summer squash. On occasion a zucchini would get lost in the resulting jungle and we'd find it as big as a baseball bat.
Well, now I don't feel so bad/embarrassed about my lack of success....lol
