I grew up in a small country town in Central Florida in a very close-knit neighborhood called Tucker Hill. You know, the kind of neighborhood where everyone claimed everyone as a relative – even if you were not blood-related. And although it has been decades since I left Tucker Hill, my love for living simply and maintaining a strong sense of family and community has been ever-present; no matter where I have lived.
I was raised by who I think was the most incredible cook and homemaker to grace the planet, my grandmother, Lula Duncan. Born and raised in Georgia, this very petite woman, was for me, the epitome of what it means to live “good”. She married my grandfather, who was, in the early years of his life, a sharecropper in Georgia. As a young married couple, they moved to Ocala, Florida, where he made what would become our family home. He also had a farm in the country where he grew sugar cane and vegetables, raised livestock; which included chickens, goats, cows and pigs.
At our home in town, my grandmother kept a very large kitchen garden in addition to fruit and nut trees and from this she formed the foundation for the amazing recipes that graced our kitchen table. She was for me the ultimate example of how to create good food through love.
It was on Tucker Hill that I developed a love for the garden and where the secrets of creating amazing landscapes and good food was born. And although I have traveled to some of the most fascinating and intriguing places in the world, toured some of the most spectacular gardens and eaten at some pretty amazing restaurants, my basic understanding of love and good living always takes me back to my Tucker Hill home.
When my husband and I purchased our farm in the city homestead over two decades ago, it was always with the intent of creating a haven, our very own Tucker Hill, for our family and friends with all the elements of simple, country living; in the midst of the hurried lives being played out all around us. Having an abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs for my kitchen and beds of beautiful flower gardens surrounding our home, has through the years, been an integral part of who I am.
A gem of a house with good bones and expansive grounds on which to plant flowers, trees and grow all the foods we love to eat, this special place has been the inspiration for all that I have been able to create and share as a part of my good living brand for over two decades.
This journey has been amazing beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and it gives me such joy to be able to impart my gifts of home with you. Thank you for tagging along. It’s going to be quite the adventure.
Because life should be good. How good is that…