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2009 Vegetable Garden of the Year Runner-up: Elton DuBose
By Jonathan Devin, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Friday, September 18, 2009Elton DuBose's neighbors were quite concerned when they saw wolves guarding the vegetable garden at his southeast Memphis home.
Kyle Kurlick/The Commercial Appeal
"This is my form of exercise, relaxation and enjoyment," said Elton DuBose, a vice president with Juice Plus. His one-third-acre plot won runner-up in the vegetable garden division of this year's Garden of the Year contest.
Elton Dubose, Special to The Commercial Appeal
Mounded rows improve drainage in the Southeast Memphis garden, where wolf cut-outs (seen here) ward off hungry geese that visit Dubose's pond.
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DuBose, whose garden was named runner-up vegetable garden for this year's Garden of the Year contest, was quick to allay their fears. The wolves standing sentry around the garden are actually cut-outs on posts designed to frighten off the flocks of wild geese that visit DuBose's pond each day.
"When I first planted my corn the last week in April, (it) came up good, then I came in one day and (it was) all gone," said DuBose, a vice president for Juice Plus.
DuBose's one-third-acre vegetable garden yielded okra that was 7 feet tall and a larger than usual crop of corn. Apparently the wolves did the trick.
"I have to pick it every other day," said DuBose.
DuBose is a lifelong gardener who grew up on a farm in Tifton, Ga. He has lived with his wife, Carolyn, at their current home for about 20 years. A co-worker lends a hand in the garden from time to time.
"You could tell that (DuBose) was creative and he's been a gardener for a long time," said Donna Olswing, assistant floriculturist for the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, who helped judge this year's contest.
"I also loved the way he did his flowers," said Olswing, noting the mounds of orange and yellow marigolds sprouting up at the end of each row. "Besides being decorative, putting the flowers in there draws the bees, which do the pollinating."
DuBose had another use for the flowers in mind.
"I've heard (marigolds) ward off bugs every year," said DuBose. "It looks good, and it may work."
Most of the vegetables are given away to friends, neighbors, and co-workers including DuBose's boss with whom he has a standing vegetable rivalry. This year, he raised two kinds of green beans, corn, peas, butter beans, okra, peanuts, squash, peppers, onions and his favorite, tomatoes.
"I put (the vegetables) up on mounded rows and the reason for that is if you have real wet weather, it will dry out quicker and won't drown out your crops," said DuBose pointing out the straight trenches separating each row.
The garden backs up to a large pond with a fountain spray in the center and a cozy deck along the edge.
"I love to share what I grow," said DuBose. "It's my hobby. This is my form of exercise, relaxation and enjoyment."
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He not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk. Juice Plus doesn't replace eating right, but bridges the gap from what we eat to what we should eat. He makes sure his family has the best of produce right out the back door. Plus, its hard work and he gets plenty of exercise...
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