We finally managed to get our tomato and pepper plants in the ground. It’s such a relief to have that chore done.
The plants were getting so big and their roots were getting really tightly bound inside the solo cups we had them growing in.
Our potatoes are growing like crazy. The green onions, lettuce, spinach, and kale are growing wonderfully. The radishes are almost gone and the beets never showed up at all. Our carrots are about 4 inches high so hopefully they will make.
I noticed tiny apples on one of our trees this week. The largest tree doesn’t have but a few and the other small tree is just now leafing out.
There’s blackberry blooms everywhere so I hope that’s a good sign of a bountiful harvest. I haven’t seen any blooms on our elderberries but I’m hoping they produce for the first time this year.
I’ve been peeking through the row cover and the cabbages look like they are fairing well. I sure hope we have a better crop of them than last year.
The whole world has come alive again in the mountains surrounding my house. There are flowers in bloom everywhere and the trees are fully leafed out. It’s a beautiful start to this year’s growing season.
Last night’s video: My First EVER Book Signing was a HUGE Success!
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Your garden looks beautiful & looks like y’all will have a bountiful harvest this year. We planted 12 – 5 gal. buckets this year with a little variety. Hope all grows well for us.
I continue to pray for Miss Cindy & the rest of your family each day!
Thanks for showing the trip to book signing. Due to handicaps May never get back to my mountains, but I recognized several areas. Good to see you the girls and Jim at the signing. Praying for Miss Cody, understand the initial mental anguish on hearing you have cancer. Thanks to the Lord and a good surgeon I have been cancer free for 15 years. Happy Mother’s Day and I know you are proud of your girls.
You make mountain living sound wonderful ,I enjoy reading about your life and family. how can I get a cook book signed by you? Thank you Sue
Sue-thank you! I am sold out again but hope to have them back in my Etsy shop soon. You can see the shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlindPigAndTheAcorn
Sue-you can find the books here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1467868257/celebrating-southern-appalachian-food There’s a little drop down just above the add to cart button you can request the book be signed there 🙂 Thank you!
I only have my tomatoes planted here Tipper. I’m planting my cucumbers and squash tomorrow. I usually already have them in the ground but the weather here has not permitted me to do that. The mountains there reminds me of the mountains I was raised up on, here in Tennessee. Your garden looks great and it shows you all have put alot of hard work into it. God Bless and have a wonderful day Tipper.
What a lovely photograph, Tipper! Makes me wish I had tried to make a garden this year. At my age the work would be impossible, though.
I got my cookbook today. It is one of the best cookbooks I’ve seen! Thank you for signing it and for getting Jim to sign it too. I’ve already been through it once. I will continue to go through it and will try as many of the recipes as possible.
Give Miss Cindy my kindest regards and greatest respect for her courage and for holding up such a fine example for everyone. I pray that God will give you all the strength to go through this, especially Matt.
Blessings to all . . .
Your garden looks so lovely! It is such a blessing to join in your family’s lives! Praying for Miss Cindy!
Happy Mothers Day, Tipper! I am sure that your girls bless the day that you became their mother! On a side note, since my husband and I will probably never get back to Western North Carolina again–too old and flying is too hard, if you are ever around some valley, mountain, river, landmark that would make a good show for you, I would love to see them however I can. You mentioned being in Swain County in Bryson City. If you see or hear the name Cogdill, McKay or Welch that may be a relative of mine. (A very distant one but a relative all the same.)
Hubby and I are headed to a concert tonight, thought you might like it, since it’s grandchild carrying on their grandparents music (which reminds me of your girls following so closely in your footsteps.) It’s Conway Twitty’s grandson and Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter.
Tiper, I viewed your book signing today. Congratulations. Tried to order book via ETSY, but no luck, although I did find one other. I noted where several others have succeeded in ordering. I can order OK through Amazon, but want to get you to sign it for my wife.
Thanks for the garden update Miss Tipper. Sounds like everything is off to a great start. It’s definitely GREENED UP down here in our neck of the woods too.
Praying for Miss Cindy!!
Everything looks so green and lovely! Enjoyed seeing the video last night. The book signing was a huge success as I know the rest of them will be. That’s my kind of store. Wish we had one close by. I also watched Katie and Corie’s video last night and it was deeply touching. I cried along with them. Their faith and how they are coping are amazing. The angel story just so heartwarming. You and Matt have raised two fine girls. Praying every day for all of you and especially, Miss Cindy. What a strong, courageous lady she is. God bless you all.
Up here in the north country, anything coming back is a blessing. We had terrible losses with a strong ice storm followed by a horribly heavy snow. It completely knocked over one of my redbuds that I had nurtured for the past 20 years. Heartbreaking. It also did extreme damage to its sister redbud, but she may make it. One serviceberry is toast and both our flowering crabapples sustained heavy damage. It even knocked down a 40 foot tall cedar! That’s why when I looked into one of my pots on the deck and saw a goodly amount of chives reemerging I almost got choked up. Here in the woods I can’t grow too much, but anything that decides to thrive shows what a hearty spirit can achieve.
I noticed on your short hike in the woods how green and lush everything is. So beautiful! Have a blessed day! Prayers for all. Take care and God bless ❣️
Your garden looks beautiful. I can’t wait to see it all grow with lots of delicious produce on them!
I was interested in the recent segment about why you grow as much food as you do. One reason is food safety. When you grow and preserve your food, you know what is in it. Just read the chemical labels on cans and see the difference. Another reason is food security. Our recent experience with supply chain issues shows us that food may not always be available so it’s great to have your own. Also problems with power outages can cause you to lose food in the freezer but the shelf stable food you’ve preserved will last for years.
I have not planted much this year and what little I have planted has not came up well except for my “grocery store” potatoes-planted from potatoes bought in grocery store that had grown eyes. They are real pretty but it remains to be seen how well they will produce. I have not had much luck with seed bought in those little packs from the well known seed companies, especially corn. There is a place in my area that has started selling loose seed like in the old days, he will weigh out the amount you want. I heard some others say they had good success with his seed and they are a lot cheaper too. Last year the deer ate everything I tried to grow except for my tomatoes, I had them in cages made from cement reinforcement wire. Along with moisture and soil temperature, blackberries blooming were the signs my daddy planted by. It has been wet and cold this spring, but later on this summer, I suspect we will be wanting some rain and cooler weather.
Such a beautiful garden! I know life is battering you right now but isn’t it wonderful to see life blooming elsewhere in your life as well. Prayers for your family.
I agree that it is such a relief to have the garden planted. We had thunderstorms and heavy rain for several days after I planted mine. I will likely have to replant as the heavy rain either washed the seeds away or they rotted in the ground. The rain didn’t stop the deer from stomping around and breaking five tomato plants. After today, they will come face to face with a 7′ fence!
Still praying for beautiful Miss Cindy.
I’m certain your garden is beautiful, lush, and thriving! If all goes well, today, in the ground, go the Cherokee purples and bell peppers. Gotta hoe too it looks like. That will leave green beans and pumpkins. The ground is yet too cold for green beans. I’m going to lay my whole block ( a hillside) in pumpkin and hopefully let her sprawl all over the place! I own practically a block, but not quite. Lol. I’m gonna PURTY it up and hopefully make happy a few folks besides myself! If they’re not, they can look the other way I reckon. Prayers to you and yours especially Miss Cindy!
Loving the lush growth your plants are enjoying and wishing you a bountiful harvest
this year. Holding your family and Miss Cindy close in prayer.
my beets are peeking out, but I haven’t put out my tomatoes yet. and now we are supposed to get another hard hard rain this weekend. They aren’t too big for their containers yet so waiting. uou always have a beautiful garden.
I had to have knee replacement surgery on April 17th it will be about 8weeks before I can really get around but not fully healed I am so sad I will not be planting a garden this season I did get garlic planted last fall it is doing well but maybe I just concentrate on what I can grow like flowers and some vegetables good luck with your garden love to watch you and Matt work in it and see the progress
Miss Cindy is in my prayers as well as all of you God bless and comfort you
Good morning Tipper. My one pepper plant and three tomato plants are blooming also. It makes my heart happy to see all the green around me. I don’t have a lot of space but I’m thankful for what I have.
The book signing video was great and it’s wonderful that you have these signings to look forward to. I’m supposed to receive my book today!
Sending God’s blessings today and every day.
Could not help but to notice how lush & green it is there. I like!
good morning friends of Appalachia, have a great day, God bless you and your family in Jesus name, prayers for you, prayers for Ms Cindy, I burnt up my watermelon sprouts, God help!
I have been receiving the bling pig for about 6 months. So nice to have a breath of fresh air when reading things on the net. I am thankful for your prayers. We all could use more.
I will pray for you and yours. thank you. I am not from appalachia. It sure sounds like home to me. I was bored and raised in a small town in South Carolina. I have been all around the Smokies. Not much time in Tennessee but North Carolina. thank you for the word. love thy neighbor. ( Don )
Gracious, your garden is doing do well. It was a delight to see the video on your book signing. I am sure the rest of your signing schedule will be as successful. I do love mine. Hope Miss Cindy is faring well as can be. Will still continue to pray for her and you guys. God Bless you all.
Your posts are a lovely way to start the day. I never miss them.
Praying for your family.
Glad for you. Looks like we are finally settled into summer weather patterns. Now just keep the weeds down and watch to start picking. I had to do some replanting but think I am now finished planting until August. Hoping for a good year as we may need it.