June 2020

I can’t believe yesterday was the first day of the sixth month of this year. Time is flying by and our garden is growing by leaps and bounds as it goes.

I expect to have my first zucchini and cucumbers by the first of next week. The beans are climbing and the tomatoes are blooming.

We replanted a few things that didn’t come up the first go round. A few beans here and there, a couple of squash and a couple of melons. We replanted an entire row of okra. I’m not sure if none of it came up or if we somehow forgot to actually put the seeds in and just covered the empty row back up 🙂

I hope to succession plant squash, zucchini, and cucumbers this month.

I’m always wishing you could actually see my garden. Is a video garden tour something you’d be interested in seeing?

Tipper

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25 Comments

  1. Please share a video of your garden with us Tipper. I appreciate everything you do and share with us. Our garden is doing good. We also had to replant so cumunber plants and a couple of squash. We got 2 squash out of our garden yesterday.

  2. Tipper–In 50+ years of gardening experience, I have always found okra to be a bit problematic (not only when it comes to getting it to sprout but also for being slightly prone to affliction by root rot or nematodes). On the other hand, once it gets going and the weather gets hot you have to hustle to stay ahead of it.

    Three tips on planting and getting a good stand might help. (1) Soak your seed prior to planting. After 24-36 hours in the water they will begin to break open and you can actually see the hint of a sprout or (2) Give them just a touch of rubbing with some fine sandpaper. (3) If you save your own seed, and I do, store them in the freezer.

    Jim Casada

  3. Yes, Please, Tipper. If it is not too much trouble for you, please post pictures of your growing garden! With some “encouragement” and a bit of advice from this OLD growing-up-in-the country at Choestoe, Union County, Blairsville, GA, I was “raised up” on my father’s beliefs and going by “planting by the signs.” I can remember as a child he had to replant his whole corn crop because plants were up and growing well in May, and a snow came. I don’t remember what year that was, but sometime in the 1930’s. Of course, the cornfields were replanted! My father was one of the first to get a posthumous award in Union County, GA for “outstanding farmer” for being the first farmer in Union County to get a yield of 100 bushels of corn per acre! He did that consistently for many years. He was also the champion sorghum syrup maker of Union County, GA for many years of his long life, making our cane acreage into beautiful honey-colored sorghum syrup, and making the cane into syrup from farmers who hauled their cane to our mill to be processed. One of my father’s yearly aims for our garden (and green bean patches) was to “have a mess of green beans by July 4 each year” for our kin who came to our house to celebrate our Glorious 4ths! I am thankful for a happy and memorable childhood/youth on the farm. “Choestoe” is the Cherokee Indian name, left behind when those friends of our first settlers, had to go on that terrible “Trail of Tears” prior to and in 1838. Some of my ancestors were already settled in Choestoe before the Indians were forced to remove. The natives who hid out in the mountains and remained behind became life-long friends to my Dyer/Souther/Collins/Hunter/Nix and other early settlers. They learned much about cultivation of crops in the mountains from the Cherokee, and especially of native plants to be used as medicines. Let us be grateful for a goodly heritage. And oh, even though I live in town now, my daughter next door to me has a “raised” garden in her fenced-in back yard. Already we have small green tomatoes on some of those plants, and peppers have little peppers/blooms. The okra is looking good. We”re thinking of preparing the second “raised garden” soon. Best wishes for a good summer. And remember to pray: For COVID-19 victims, and the caregivers; we are not through this pandemic yer. Pray also for the much unrest, protest movements, riots, looting, damaging property, injuring and killing. America is in chaos. Let us keep level-headed, and remember to pray daily for our leaders, families–even ourselves, that we all may survive and be stronger for coming through this time of trial and widespread unrest.

  4. Okra is fussy. I love it, but it does not like cool nights. Looking forward to gardening more than usual. Love the way your family works together for the garden.

  5. Yes, please! I am always intrested in seeing anything grow. Currently we are having a problem with an unusual amount of Poke Salad coming up in the garden. Tempted to call it Poke Weed… We have some small squash, tomatoes, and the cucumbers are starting to bloom/run. The corn, beans and okra are not happy. Will have to see if that changes this week. Stay safe and well.

  6. Of course I’d like to see a tour of your garden! Tell me how you got such a quick start from your plants. It’s been cold and cloudy here up until about a week ago. My beans are up and my sweet corn to a lesser degree. My cucumbers are up as well as that Chinese Okra that Bill Burnett donated. The tomatoes I started in peat pots are finally growing (one storm we had beat them down bad). The wind and rain actually broke three of them off at the soil line. My cabbage seems to be doing the best ( I don’t want to jinx it). I have it under a fabric cloche. This is my first time to try that. I hope it keeps those pretty little butterflies (whose eggs turn into cabbage eating machines ) away!

  7. Always enjoy seeing a garden! My little raised troughs are doing great. Yellow squash has ballooned out and so has the zucchini and the tomatoes too. The blossoms have just started on the yellow squash. Yea!

  8. You have shown us peeks into your garden and I would love to see more in a video. It’s hard to believe you will be eating vegetables from your garden next week. My garden flooded, froze and was deer food for a month after I got it planted. It has been replanted many times and is starting to take off after the rain stopped for a few days. My friend put up a deer fence and tilled it for me over the weekend. I am so proud of my weed-free garden that includes 30 plus tomato plants I started from seeds.

  9. As for me ( and I feel I can speak on behalf of your readers, ) I would adore seeing photos of your garden and of all vegetables and fruits you’ve grown! Getting bounty already is a true blessing. My cucumbers got a bloom or two yesterday I saw. You’re WAY ahead of my growing area (further north in southern WV.) I figure you’re close to Biltmore (one of my favorite places to visit. I think I’ve been 4 times now.) Again, God bless you, your family and you garden! BTW, why don’t you come to GALAX and bring your talent to compete and add to the fun!!!! I support the DRY HILL DRAGGERS!!! Lol

  10. Yes, I would like a video tour. Your garden is ahead of mine. I do not have squash or cucumber bloom yet. I do have small Contender beans. Still waiting to see how the okra will prove out since it got started in the cold. Pulling up lettuce today. It was nice while it lasted.

  11. Would love to see the garden video. Even tho I cannot garden any more I so appreciate the work that goes into a successful one.

  12. I would like to see the garden. always looking for ways to improve mine. Is there still a link to Sow True seeds on your site?
    I had 3 zucchini plants killed by frost night before last.

    1. Harry-You can visit Sow True Seed here: sowtrueseed.com The Affiliate program I was part of a few years back fell apart and they never restarted it. Can’t believe you’re still getting frost!

  13. I think a video is a great idea! I don’t think I have ever seen a garden as beautiful as yours and I know you’ve put untold hours into it and the cattle panels are amazing with some stretched long ways and some in an arch. It’s just a garden wonderland!
    Yes, a video is a great idea!

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