I guess Dad developed his love for gardening from his Mother, Grandma Slater. She always had a garden as she grew up on her father's homestead in South Dakota and was accustomed to the reliance of having home-grown vegetables on hand at all times (especially tough times in the harsh Dakotas). My Grandpa Fairclough raised big gardens, as well----so did his oldest son, Uncle Arnold (Fairclough) and my Grandma Slater's brother-in-law--Uncle Don (Slater).
Dad grew primarily fruits and vegetables--things that you could eat. He didn't put much stock into flowers and ornamentals. I never knew Dad not to have some swisschard, onions, romaine lettuce, or some type of melon or cucumber growing somewhere about. A couple of occasions Dad even grew his own alfalfa (when he had a horse and a cow--in Washington State-- and whenever he raised rabbits).
In Montana, on high arid & rocky sagebrush ground, (absolute dry-land prairie) Dad had a huge prolific garden. All the old-time ranchers and farmers would marvel whenever they drove by, on the county road. They would exclaim, in town, that they had never seen such a garden on this land before. Dick understood his fertilizer potentials and the best how-to of when the right time was to water. Dad taught us kids that pigeon and rabbit manure wasn't hot and could be used at any time. Chicken poop and steer manure (as well as horse & donkey crap) was too "hot" and required decomposition for a season or two. Using "hot" fertilizers would scald and burn up your tender plants.
Dad loved to grow radishes, tomatoes, strawberries, squash, cantaloupe, egg plant, and watermelon. He probably could have easily supported himself by simply raising fruits and vegetables had he wanted to, but Dad was a visionary and was always thinking up new projects and new ambitions.
Because he often had to deal with limited space Dad taught himself how to be successful utilizing raised beds, containers, and trellises. He liked to use railroad ties and short lengths of re-bar in supporting the sides of his raised beds. Dick could skillfully fashion a productive raised bed on top of a concrete driveway--and on many occasions he did just that.
If Dick Slater wanted to do something, he would always find a way and he would "git 'er done".