Our garden is coming right along. We’ve been enjoying spring veggies for several weeks now and are looking forward to the bounty of the summer harvest.
While I’m anxiously awaiting the tried and true things we grow like Cherokee Purple tomatoes and Greasy Back green beans I’m also excited to see how the new varieties we planted will do.
After the new varieties of tomatoes we grew last year turned out to be a total flop I swore I was going to stick to our favorites this year, but I was wooed by the seed catalogs and the generosity of folks who sent me seeds.
We’re trying: Black Russian, Giant Italian Paste, Yellow Gooseberry, and Golden Nugget. The last two are tommy-toe or salad tomatoes.
We’ve never grown many peas other than the spring sugar snap until last year we grew some of Jim Casada’s crowder pea seed he shared, which we greatly enjoyed. A dish I found on the church table of food over in Suches GA made me want to try some other peas this year.
We planted: Mississippi Pinkeye, Wando, and Little Marvel.
The Green Arrow we planted earlier are climbing up the cattle panel so hopefully we’ll have some of them to try soon.
Along with the winter squash we usually grow I planted a few new ones. Chitter got Sweet Meat and Mrs. Amerson’s seed for me. I can’t wait to see how they do. I’m also trying Long Island Cheese Pumpkin thanks to the generosity of a subscriber. Thanks to Larry Griffin I’m trying Cocozelle summer squash for the first time too.
The only new melon I’m trying is Hales Best. It’s a cantelope type melon. I’ve tried several over the years and the only one that really produces for us is Minnesota Midget. Hopefully Hales will too.
I love Jing okra so we always grow that one. I tried an okra called Silver Queen last year but none of it came up, I’m trying it one more time. Also planted some Alabama Red for the first time.
Peanut beans are really popular in this area. They are a bush type green bean. We planted one long row of them for the first time ever.
I’m attempting to grow some other herb or flower things that I’ve either never tried before or never had any luck with. My Fox Glove seeds are up so I’m hoping that will be a win. Still no sign of the Nettle and Feverfew I’ve started, but I’m hoping they’ll come up. I always grow basil but never Holy Basil so I’m trying that.
Hope you’ll share what’s new in your garden.
Last night’s video: Making a Garden in Appalachia & An Easy Trick for Staying Cool.
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Wow, your plants certainly grow quick! You intrigued me about the nettles. What sort of nettle is that, it mustbe different to the ones we have. Our nettles sting, although you can pick the leaves for soup or salad leaves. They are a native wildplant but are quite invasive so get called weeds. At the bottom of my garden I have the wild garden where I let them grow as they are used by one of our butterflies, to lay their eggs on. I received my three grafted tomatoes plants 3 days ago. One died Sunday, one yesterday and I am not too hopeful on the third! Love the new book. Thanks Tipper.
Margaret-that is the same nettle I was talking about 🙂
Tipper, you inspired us to try growing a Cherokee Purple this year. We are in Florida so this might not be the ideal growing environment but so far our plant is about 3 feet tall and is producing tomatoes. We’ve enjoyed watching your garden videos and look foward to seeing how is progresses during the summer.
This year I am trying an heirloom green bean called ‘Strike’. My Amish neighbor and I shared garden space for 2 year and she grew these. They were delicious. Hope mine turn out as good this year. Got them from Shumways. My daddy grew the Hale’s muskmelon. Yummy. I’m also growing a yellow tomato. given to me by friends near Abington, VA. It was so good, I saved the seed. This is the second year for it. It doesn’t have a name so I call it the Yates Yellow. It did well in the heat and dry spell we had last year. I like the heirloom Sweet Million cherry tomato but it is so hard to find heirloom seeds so I have Camp Joy from my sister and Sweet 100’s hybrid. By July I will be worn out but having fun right now!!
Tipper, what a joy it is to get to see your garden and all the varieties of vegetables that you are growing. My dad loved growing a garden probably more than anything else while he was able to. I love learning about all the different kinds of tomatoes and beans. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Oh good golly, Tipper! I sure wish you were closer. I have a ton (well, maybe half a ton) of stinging nettle to clear out from around the water feature we keep for the wildlife. That stuff is everywhere and I really, REALLY don’t like it. Makes it so hard to keep the “pond” clean. Stuff stings the tar outta me all the time. I have no earthly use for the stuff. I’d give you all mine with my blessings.
After my earlier comment, I googled the Petoskey cantaloupe and found that another name for it was Paul Rose. This information came from a very old seed catalog called Maule’s Seed Catalogue. I misspelled Petoskey in my first comment. Spell check is having a fit with Edisto and Petoskey
Reading your post makes me want to get out back and dig in the dirt. But my Parkinson’s says, “We ain’t gonna do that…” I miss growing things!
I have told this before, the Cherokee purple tomato was my daughter’s favorite. I can not look at one now without it bring back memories of her. My favorite cantaloupe is the Athena and watermelon is the Charleston gray. I don’t try to grow these anymore because of deer eating them up
Two of the cantaloupes grew around here in the past were the Edisto and one called Petosky, it probably had another name. The Petosky would get big but was bad to crack open on the bloom end. My uncle help develop the Edisto when he was a student at Clemson University. It was developed at the research center at Edisto and that is how it got its name. I would think the seed for both of these would be hard to find. Another watermelon at one one time around here was the Congo. You can still find the seed for these two watermelons.
Tipper you and Matt are such a blessing to your family, and you just can’t beat family working together to help each other:) Loved seeing the video of you fixing Granny’s garden after you finished yours. I know she was smiling when she looked out on it. Like her I used to have the strength and energy for years to take care of large beds of flowers and vegetables but not any more. Having realized that, I am so very blessed to have raised planters like Cheryl W., mentioned in comments, except mine are only about 3 ft long and are sitting right next to my cement covered patio. The raised beds are in full sun and it just makes me so HAPPY that I can step out on my patio and pick tommy toes and eat them right there. Of course, I pick them and the other fresh vegetables for supper or puttin up. I know exactly how you felt when you were all plum tired out and still had to set up supper even though you had delicious options to warm up. Sometimes your just so bone tired that you don’t want to have to think of doing anything else. All of that makes me treasure those who came before me even more.
Oh, I watched the next video on the PressleyGirls fantastic rock find. I remember seeing Katie showing the rocks in a previous video. I noticed the unusal indentations on them like a railroad track, and thought I’ve seen something like that but couldn’t remember where. A commenter had mentioned Katie might check with a expert on Woolly Mammoths or Mastodon as they thought the imprint might be a molar. Just might be a coincidence, what ever it is, it is certainly a fantastic find:) Good to see Katie is back from her trip out West.
For anyone growing Holy Basil, it gets very tall and large, it takes a long time to flower and before the frost you can put it in a large pot and bring it indoors to overwinter. I did the same with my other smaller basil varieties which I interplanted with my tomatoes to draw pollinators.
Thai Chinese restaurants use the Holy Basil as a flavoring ingredient for Pho as well as a garnish.
I am a Townie girl and have the opportunity to grow at my neighborhood Senior Center which has an asphalt courtyard which is unshaded all day long. I grow in recycled food grade buckets and wooden crates! When I seed my containers I put plastic forks with the pointy side up to keep out out the feral cats. At least I don’t have to contend with groundhogs LOL!
My grandson gave me a Topsy Turvy tomato kit for my birthday. I didn’t know you could still buy those things! The pack included far more seeds than the two pouches would hold, so I made several more out of some shipping envelopes. I will have enough tomatoes for the whole town. I usually stick with the same heirloom seeds year after year. I was able to get my hands on some banana muskmelon seeds this year. Haven’t raised them in years and I’m excited!
Well, with all my various garden issues I tend to stick with a small set of varieties. About 3/4’s of my garden having nematodes really hurts my branching out. Then to, I buy plants rather than seed because of limited room so I’m at the mercy of whatever the growers want to grow. It is somewhat frustrating because there are nematode resistant varieties I can never find as plants.
Today is 15 days without rain here. That is not unusual for May. Garden is mostly just very slowly growing while it waits for water. My poor lettuce wilts down every day now. I have Wando peas also (nematode resistant) and they have pods which are waiting for rain to fill out. But the heat will get them just any time now. I knew it was a gamble to try to squeeze them in.
I do have two red Cherry hot peppers I grew from seed I saved from peppers I bought at the farm market. Trying an alternative to jalapeno because its genetics have been so tinkered with in recent years one can’t know what they are getting. The heat level has really dropped.
About your peanut beans, my brother-in-law who lives near Cumberland Gap grows those to. He had a hard time finding seed this year though. He finally got some from a local.farmer he buys from at the farmer’s market. They plan to save their own from here on out.
Like several of your readers, I marvel at all you manage to grow on a shaded slope surrounded by woods. I know enough to know that is very challenging. And to meet and overcome it implies a lot of know-how and effort. I know you have had to watch the shadows not just through the day but even through the season to pick what to plant where. Available information is typically not very useful in deciding how – or whether – to take a risk with some combination of sun and shadow. Gardening info almost invariably assumes “6 hours full sun”. I have that too much shade problem also.
I grew the most delicious spinach I’ve ever eaten this year in a Greenstalk. It left a butter taste in my mouth every time I put a fresh leaf in. I’ve not gotten any to the stove yet, just eat it raw, picked fresh with morning dew. Oh so good. I’m trying an extra meaty, thin skinned and extremely sweet big tomato called Belgian Giant – keeping my fingers crossed. I also started a new paste called Jersey Devil. From rave reviews it was bigger, meatier, sweeter, and thinner skinned that Amish Paste so again, I’m crossing my fingers. I also tried Frog Finger Eggplant which I would have tried just from the name. My grandson will be so excited to try it. I have Honey Nut winter squash along with Candy Roaster which are both new to me. I usually get acorn squash or butter nut free from my compost without fail. I also tried Soy Bean in a grow bag. I love to eat edamame and thought I’d give it a try. The seeds came up great, plants are healthy and produced lots of pods which are almost done filling out. Fun experiment.
Everything you planted sounds great! I’ve always planted the same basic garden salad veggies just about every year. After read and watching you and some others gardeners on YouTube, I was inspired to try new veggies varieties. I’ve already mentioned several time’s about the new varieties so I don’t need to list them again. I’m excited to see how your new varieties turn out. It’s going to be a fun experience for us all.
Happy gardening! 🙂
I enjoyed your garden planting video! My granddad had orange groves and strawberry fields in Florida 1930’s-1950’s. I remember him showing me the bandana trick to stay cool. To cool the air in the old house, grandma would soak old sheets in water, wring them out and hang them in in front of an electric fan that was placed on a doorstep or window sill. The fan blew the outside air through the wet sheets and into the house. I wonder if Granny would enjoy using raised beds. We built 3 large ones,3 ft high, 4 ft wide and 10 ft long, with old lumber and old roof metal for the sides. Filled them half up with rotting wood from the woods, then dirt from the yard, and topped them off with aged compost and bagged garden soil. Last year I canned 50+ quarts of greenbeans, plus several of beets and carrots from those beds.
Tipper, you are a garden guru! You have to try the new because you’re an adventurous, courageous gardener out to learn and maximize all wonderful things in the garden. I have a guy I know who’s working on his MASTER GARDENER thing. He was a teacher (who it got too hot in the kitchen for) so he is reinventing himself so good, right? I think big titles are just that for big heads and big egos… oh look at the master! Lol anyway your giant paste tomatoes should do great! I got Amish paste and they took me over last year. I’m trying Brussels sprouts for the old man this year. Got tomatoes, cukes ( take a hike google.) banana peppers, Cherokee beans, rattlesnake beans, squash, pumpkin, creole onions, carrots and “let us” not forget lettuce. Best wishes to you dirt lovers as you garden and get grounded as the new Agers say when you go barefoot outside. Lol Old is new again so get crackin’!!!oh yeah stuff will cross pollinate like crazy and you’ll end up with all new varieties of stuff. I got weird peppers last year but they were tasty.
Isn’t it fun trying different varieties? Some are a big hit while others are quite the opposite but you never know until you try. If you don’t try you might miss out on something really good. Thanks for previously explaining why greasy back beans are called that; I have seen them in catalogs and wondered about them; I will order them in the future. Our favorite peppers are Marconi Red. I tried Feverfew from seed last year but didn’t have any luck; I like their flowers to use as cut flowers to bring inside.
Tipper, I do appreciate your garden information. You’re very helpful with bits that work well in our gardens. Our place is quite similar to yours. This year I had to let go of the idea to plant a traditional garden as I am still recovering from some major back surgery. I do have a green stack that I’m going to plant with some okra and other hot weather veg. It’s too late to start the tomatoes. I hope to put in a Fall Garden in August with collards, kale and rutabagas. We’ll see how fit I am to do that come July.
Tipper it’s wonderful watching the stages of your garden. I always appreciate the care and generosity of gardeners. It’s hard to beat a home grown tomato sandwich, fresh pot of green beans, all of it. Looking forward to seeing what you harvest.
I’ve noticed how much shade your garden has and I believe that’s why your garden does so well. All my garden space is right out in the blazing sun, no shade in sight. So my soil drys out so fast and the heat really takes it’s toll on my tender plants. But it is what it is and God is Good All the Time !
Good Morning Tipper! Some excellent choices there. Long Island Cheese, delicious & a great storage squash. I still have some left from fall harvest & they get quite big too. I am trying Pak Choy for the 1st time this year. Due to the food/store issues this year, I am mostly sticking to tried & true & storage crops. The weather in CNY has not been ideal & I don’t have much in other than potatoes, peas, lettuce. Spent all day yesterday getting walk ways weeded & wood chipped, and beds turned over to be prepared for this weekend. Planning on lots of Indian Corn to grind for meal, dry beans (lina sisco are one of my savers), green beans & carrots for canning, cabbages, ground cherries, etc… I have a huge garden that mostly provides us for the year. I bought another apple tree & was gifted another pear for mother’s day. I hope your garden provides for you in more ways than one. For me, its not only about the food, but the experimentation, being in nature & sun, getting exercise, & reveling in God’s glory.
I’m almost finish planting our garden, I have the potatoes left to get in the ground which will happen later today and tomorrow. The new crops we’re trying this year are golden beets, which I’ve never tried to grow beets in the past, turnips and 4 different kinds of potatoes that I ordered from a company in Maine. And I’m trying some new types of peppers, a paprika, hot cherry variety and Muraski pepper. Of course I can’t remember any of the other names since it’s early in the morning for me! The turnips are a round globe variety, normally I grow a variety that is used for the tops only. I did plant Thai basil, which is new to me. I planted it in between our tomatoes so see if it really does help with production and taste as I read recently. We also have cucumbers, rattlesnake greenbeans, watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard green, carrots, and I have an herb bed that has sage, oregano, more basil, onions and garlic. The way things are going we are way beyond thankful for our garden this year!
Denise-that sounds great! Your comment reminded me of one more new thing-a viewer sent me some candy cane pepper seeds and I planted one of them too 🙂
It was fun watching last nite as to all the different kind of veggies you grow and how wonderful you three were to plant =-Granny’s garden. If you introduced the lady that was enjoying your resting at the end, I must have missed her name. I know the planting was a lot of hard work, but the joy of the harvest will be so rewarding. God Bless….still looking forward to Friday and the new book we will hear.
Glenda-thank you! I should have said who she was 🙂 It was Miss Cindy Matt’s mother 🙂
Tipper, it is amazing how many things you grow with the limited sunshine you have coming in on the side of the mountain where you live. Yet, every you have a bumper crop and enough to share with me….a big THANK YOU!