Mother had a green thumb.  This little plot was next to our front door. Just above it you can see the coal chute (that was later used to fill the oil drum).

One memory of this plot was one day when I got home from school on the bus, she was kneeling down weeding the plot.  That day I had found a small garter snake and kept it in my pocket. I dangled it in front of her face and said, "See what I found".  She was not happy and I paid for it!