Our fall garden is really thriving! We’ve had frequent rains and mostly warm temperatures during the last two months so that has really spurred the lush growth you can see just beyond the zinnias.
Interestingly we’ve had a ton of zinnias volunteering right in the midst of all the things we planted. I somehow failed to realize how many of their seeds dropped prior to us planting the fall garden.
I pulled up almost all of the radishes and shared them with Granny. I was aiming to plant more but never did. I guess I still could though.
The turnip greens are huge! I don’t see nary a turnip yet though. I’m sure I will as they continue to grow.
We planted several different little square areas of kale. Some of it has grown really thick while other varieties are more sparse.
Mustard greens are just begging to be cut and eat. I think the first frost makes them taste better, but I’m not sure we’ll wait on it to come before eating a mess.
Corie got me a pack of Tatsoi seeds for my birthday. It is a green too and is really growing well. We haven’t eaten any of it yet, but I’ve nibbled on some leaves and it’s right tasty. Sort of has a bite like mustard greens but not nearly as strong.
I’m surprised that the kohlrabi we planted is doing so well. The plants are still small but they look so good I hope they just keep right on growing to maturity.
There’s one plant that is growing well, but I can’t remember what it is 🙂 I thought it might be rutabaga but need to go watch the video of the day we planted the fall garden to know for sure.
Last night’s video: Delicious Pear Bread & I Might Have Made Pear Vinegar??
Tipper
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Have you dug your sweet potatoes yet and if so how did they do this season?
SB, We haven’t dug them yet 🙂
Oh if your unknown plant is a rutabaga, my mama would be thrilled. She and dad always grew them. The only ones I have ever eaten were the ones my parents grew and cooked. Yummy! We didn’t plant a fall garden this year, but yours sure looks wonderful. Hubby tilled up the garden the other day, but it was so dry and hard that he is planning to do it again after the rains we are getting this week and it dries again. We will be planting our garlic as soon as the weather turns a little cooler. I did manage to get five small pie pumpkins from our little patch. Three are sitting and waiting to be roasted and frozen for pies later on. I have already frozen two. Have a wonderful rest of the week and still praying for Granny. ❤️
Frost takes a lot of the bitterness from mustard and turnip greens. I don’t know how or why but there is certainly a difference in the taste before and after frost.
Your fall garden is beautiful!!
Your Fall garden looks like its really thriving, mine is doing well here in the neighboring state. I’ve got a couple a messes of greendbeans thus far from the late planting, I’ve been picking my lettuce, bokchoy and greens, my Fall squash is blooming, not sure however that it’s gonna beat the first frost. I’ve been having to water my beds here in my area, as we aren’t getting near as much rain as our Northern neighbors. I send positive thoughts and energy to Granny, I hope that her health improves.
You and your family are such good stewards of the land. Waste not, want not! I enjoy watching you enjoy the labor and the fruits of it. I have learned names of plants I’ve never heard before. However, the most enjoyable is watching those two precious little sprouts grow! Sprout was one of my nicknames from my Grandpa Elvis when I was a child!
Here is southeastern, central Kentucky we have had a drought pretty much. Finally getting some slow rain this week after a dry summer. I sure do like it!
Love to you and yours and prayers for Granny!
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row”.
We know that Corie and Katie are the pretty maids, but who’s Mary?
Mary Jane “Tipper” Wilson Pressley?
Wow! Really? I never would have guessed!
Tipper, in no way do I mean this in a “put down” type of way. I wish I had a tenth of your knowledge about gardens and flowers. You said your turnip greens are huge but yet there are no signs of turnips. This makes me wonder what variety of turnip greens you planted, some varieties such as seven top do not make turnips. Most of the older folks in my area would plant these varieties every year, seven top for the greens, purple top for turnips and my Daddy would add a small amount of mustard seeds, mix them all together with dry sand from a dirt driveway and broadcast them over about a 50 yard square like plowed up area. We tried to sow the seed just before a rain and let the rain cover them with the soil. He did not plant our greens (sallet in rows) A saying among the old timer farmers was plant your greens by August 15th if you want turnips, ok to plant later if you only want greens. I read this about a farmer saying this and thought it was humorous concerning planting by the signs- I don’t live on the moon, I plant when things get “right” – soil temperature and moisture.
Randy, no worries 🙂 The turnips we pants are purple top white globes. They usually take a while to develop a root bulb for us.
My pitiful garden was a disappointment due to the lack of rain and the few things the critters left for me. The only thing I have left is a ton of small green tomatoes and a basket of ground cherries. We finally got some rain yesterday, and plenty of it. With 3 to 4 inches falling per hour, it didn’t take long for a flood warning to be issued during the near-record rainfall. The changing weather makes me wish I had some turnips in the ground. Your zinnias are so pretty. A handful of the beauties delivered to Granny by two little boys would surely brighten her day.
Tipper, you are an inspiration to us all. Praying for sweet Granny!
This is the first year that I have had so many zinnias reseed and start to bloom in the fall. Glad to hear that others are experiencing this as well. Overall, we had a very bountiful garden this year and I thank God for every tomato, pea, bean and pepper that we harvested. I went to the grocery store yesterday morning and was just amazed at the increase in prices. I really don’t understand how folks without gardens are making ends see each other…let alone meet! I was recently at an event where a lady said that she hoped when she retired that she would have time to garden like I am currently doing. I smiled and told her that except for one year, due to surgery, that I had had a garden for the 50 years that I have been married. I had to in order to feed our family like I wanted them to eat. I thought everyone came home from work and canned or froze food or hoed in the garden until dark! I think she thought I was crazy! Well….if so, I am proud to be crazy! I still have sweet potatoes to harvest, garlic to put in and peppers to pick. The kale and turnips are growing nicely and I am busy gathering herbs to dry for winter. So thankful!
O Tipper, you all put me to shame. I did not plant a fall garden, first time to n I don’t remember how long. Like Randy, the critters destroyed so much of the summer one I got plumb disgusted. I’m still not over it. I’ve spent enough in fencing to have bought as much as I can grow for probably 5 years, if not longer. (I know. To most gardeners the money is not the most important thing, but I’m just saying as one example.) Those critters ever find your garden, look out. I have scattered volunteer mustard plants, enough to do for us, along with parsley and cilantro. Still have a few baby watermelons but doubt they can ripen. Field peas, okra and even green beans still doing a little.
One of my favorite topics. I told myself I would not plant anything for the fall and winter because I was so disheartened by the lack of tomatoes and cucumbers this year, but here I am with cabbage, kohlrabi, rutabagas, spinach, kale, bok choy, collards and mustard. You will love the tatsoi. Treat it like you would spinach. It grows all through the winter. When it gets cold it will lay flat and then when it warms up it will puff back up again. Super easy to germinate, and the seeds keep for a few years.
Looks beautiful!
Your fall garden is beautiful. my kale didn’t do well at all.
Beautiful!
You’ll not believe me, but our okra is just now coming on. It’s the strangest thing. We still have maters, peppers and a few straggling cucumbers. This has been the craziest year. We didn’t plant a fall garden because it’s been dry, but it probably would have worked. We did finally get a couple of inches of rain and hopefully that will keep off the burn ban.
The temperature is gonna fall off today and get pretty chilly at night. Our 41st wedding anniversary is Monday and we always go on a picnic in a park they call the little Smokies. I’m so glad it’s cooler for that. We’ve been in the high 80s and hit 90 a couple of days.
Prayers for precious Granny!
Debbie, congratulations on 41 years! That is wonderful 🙂
Thank you! I’d choose him again! He’s been so good to me!
Dear Debbie, Happy Anniversary to y’all. What a sweet celebration. A picnic in the park. Loving it.
Thank you Jennifer! I’d do it again! He’s been so good to me!
Mornin’ and it is a lovely morning. The moon is so full and a pleasure to see this fine day. I will say, getting old is not for sissies, and I will let it go at that. Please say hello to Granny and them babies. I do wish we could see them as they grow and I do understand why we don’t. God’s Blessings on all you guys.
I don’t have a fall garden, we haven’t had enough rain in the last month or so to even settle the dust. My son planted some food plots for deer 4 weeks ago in dust and very little of the seed has sprouted. Looking at the weather radar just now it looks like Tipper may be getting a light rain right now. I tease my son and tell him to plant a garden instead of deer food plots, a garden is a sure bet for attracting deer!
Hey, Randy…The best food plot I ever saw was a field of turnips. Just turnips. The deer ate the tops and all of the turnips they could gnaw. I have pictures of that field. It was planted by a friend in Edgefield. Tell James turnips are a sure thing and easy to grow. Deer smack their lips over them.
Hey Gene, he knows the trick about turnips and has got turnip seed mixed in with his other seed. I know of someone that has killed about as many SC deer as anyone that would buy the bags of dry grocery store black eye peas and plant them along oats in food plots. He said the peas will come up and put on a few leaves before the deer would eat them. That is all he wanted them to do. By the way, gun season for deer in upstate SC opens Saturday morning. Primitive weapon season has been open since Aug 15th. The SC season is open until Jan 1st. James is chopping at the bit.
I’ve never had Kohlrabi, I hope you talk to us more about growing it and cooking it. TY for all the beautiful tours of your garden and times in your kitchen. I’m looking forward to some more fireside chats too. I love y’all.
Raw Kohlrabi works great diced and added to salads. I’ve eaten it with a little salt many times. I don’t remember ever cooking any.