Gardens 2020

[DirtDiva]

Willis is great. Have ordered off and on with Stark. My Dad always counted on them. He got his degree in horticulture from OSU. I sure miss him. I’ve ordered most of mine from Willis. Got some fruit trees from them too as well as blackberries. Isn’t it the truth about them running out early?! I expect it to get worse too. The local co-op owner was telling me what a phenomenal spring she had with sales. Said she’s had nothing like it before.

Yep Everyone is a prepper and everyone is a farmer now A cop car pulled up to my back fence yesterday and asked if he could bring his wife to look at my garden this weekend Lol. I told him yeah if they social distance and wear masks. It was so funny he pulled up and I was bent over with a pistol strapped to one hip. In my own little world.

 

[DirtDiva]

You are so sweet and thoughtful to look! Thank you!! I picked up a Razzmatazz vine from Home Depot a few weeks ago. It’s doing well with no issues.

Haven't tried that one yet.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Yep Everyone is a prepper and everyone is a farmer now A cop car pulled up to my back fence yesterday and asked if he could bring his wife to look at my garden this weekend Lol. I told him yeah if they social distance and wear masks. It was so funny he pulled up and I was bent over with a pistol strapped to one hip. In my own little world.

LOL. Oh my gosh! You must have been a sight! And no doubt your garden is amazing!!

 

[DirtDiva]

Greatest Blackberry ever! I had these on my farm in Missouri and they were wonderful but pricey. $20 per plant. Hardy to 20 below. 40 foot canes can be trellised or go on a fence. Grows in all 50 states and produces big time. They grow in clusters like grapes.

https://www.fruitsandberries.com/doyles-thornless-blackberry-plants/

 

[DirtDiva]

LOL. Oh my gosh! You must have been a sight! And no doubt your garden is amazing!!

Scared the crap out of me is what he did So much for staying alert. I have a poisonous snake back in that corner and was armed for bear Lol.

 

[Brent S]

Watch out at the big box stores. The raspberries I bought were mislabeled and were blackberries. Also many of the varieties they carry aren’t suited for the areas they sell them. Most of the Part time store Associates don’t have a clue about the plants but give out advice freely from the 10 minute class they had to take....

 

[DirtDiva]

Watch out at the big box stores. The raspberries I bought were mislabeled and were blackberries. Also many of the varieties they carry aren’t suited for the areas they sell them. Most of the Part time store Associates don’t have a clue about the plants but give out advice freely from the 10 minute class they had to take....

Brent honestly I try to steer clear of the big box garden sections. Notorious for diseased plants, insects (aphids, spider mites) Rarely labeled correctly. And never take their advice. I just pay more and order online or go direct to a nursery. There are a couple little local nurseries that I try to throw my business to when I can. Pay a little more but I am willing to spend in my neighborhood. They pay the taxes that support my community and keep it alive. It's an investment. Occasionally I will buy sprays or thing like bags of vermiculite there, grass seed. Bulky things that are hard to ship.

 

[Brent S]

I have a box of cucumbers for the food pantry today. I kept enough to make a few jars of pickles too. I used to make dozens of pickles each season but never ate them all so am only going to make about ten jars this year. I picked enough beans to can a load today. They are soaking right now for cleaning and hope to get snapped and canned today. Green beans are one of my fav canned staples throughout the year. Hopefully with the additional ones I just planted Yesterday I will load up before the end of the season. Still waiting on that first ripe tomato to happen. I have way too many plants but should be able to stock up on all the tomato products soon too.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Brent honestly I try to steer clear of the big box garden sections. Notorious for diseased plants, insects (aphids, spider mites) Rarely labeled correctly. And never take their advice. I just pay more and order online or go direct to a nursery. There are a couple little local nurseries that I try to throw my business to when I can. Pay a little more but I am willing to spend in my neighborhood. They pay the taxes that support my community and keep it alive. It's an investment. Occasionally I will buy sprays or thing like bags of vermiculite there, grass seed. Bulky things that are hard to ship.

You described my philosophy to a T. Support local businesses, buy bulk when you have to at chain stores and utilize solid mail order businesses. The other Georgia nursery I use is TyTy Nursery. They have not let me down. They have nice plants.

 

[Brent S]

helping to keep your local community going is a good thing. Getting better product is a great thing.

 

[DirtDiva]

You described my philosophy to a T. Support local businesses, buy bulk when you have to at chain stores and utilize solid mail order businesses. The other Georgia nursery I use is TyTy Nursery. They have not let me down. They have nice plants.

I will have to check that one out. I like to get plants from the Georgia, Tennessee, north Alabama area. Appalachia. I tend to have better luck with plants that are acclimated to this area as opposed to shipping in from Florida or California.

 

[DirtDiva]

I have a box of cucumbers for the food pantry today. I kept enough to make a few jars of pickles too. I used to make dozens of pickles each season but never ate them all so am only going to make about ten jars this year. I picked enough beans to can a load today. They are soaking right now for cleaning and hope to get snapped and canned today. Green beans are one of my fav canned staples throughout the year. Hopefully with the additional ones I just planted Yesterday I will load up before the end of the season. Still waiting on that first ripe tomato to happen. I have way too many plants but should be able to stock up on all the tomato products soon too.

I like to can atleast a 100 quarts of green beans a year. They are a family favorite that everyone eats. I grow a bush bean called "Jade". Been growing it for 20 years. Have lots of saved seeds and no strings. Super heavy crops too. Everyone around here plants running beans but I stick with my bush beans. I have plenty planted and they are blooming to beat the band. My cucumbers are just starting to bloom. I am hoping for some bread and butter pickles this year, just a few and some refrigerator dills. The rest we eat fresh all summer. I plant them every 3 weeks.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Greatest Blackberry ever! I had these on my farm in Missouri and they were wonderful but pricey. $20 per plant. Hardy to 20 below. 40 foot canes can be trellised or go on a fence. Grows in all 50 states and produces big time. They grow in clusters like grapes.

https://www.fruitsandberries.com/doyles-thornless-blackberry-plants/

Those are pricey, but from the look of the picture they put off a ton of berries!

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I will have to check that one out. I like to get plants from the Georgia, Tennessee, north Alabama area. Appalachia. I tend to have better luck with plants that are acclimated to this area as opposed to shipping in from Florida or California.

Yeah, I hear you! Was stupid and bought some grapevines from a place in California at the start of my adventure. Paid a lot for them. None of them did well enough to keep. I should have known the climate difference was a big no no.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I like to can atleast a 100 quarts of green beans a year. They are a family favorite that everyone eats. I grow a bush bean called "Jade". Been growing it for 20 years. Have lots of saved seeds and no strings. Super heavy crops too. Everyone around here plants running beans but I stick with my bush beans. I have plenty planted and they are blooming to beat the band. My cucumbers are just starting to bloom. I am hoping for some bread and butter pickles this year, just a few and some refrigerator dills. The rest we eat fresh all summer. I plant them every 3 weeks.

Ive only been growing climbing beans, but the output is nothing like my mother grew. Since that was in a far colder area up north I haven’t tried them here. Will look for some Jade beans and see how they do here.

 

[DirtDiva]

Ive only been growing climbing beans, but the output is nothing like my mother grew. Since that was in a far colder area up north I haven’t tried them here. Will look for some Jade beans and see how they do here.

I did plant a climbing bean last year. Old man down the road gave me a hand full of beans that he called peanut beans. Said his family has grown them for generations. Planted them on my fence. Good Lord those things made and made. Was a shell bean looked just like a peanut. Have been experimenting with them as far as how to cook. Unique flavor. In a survival situation these beans would be the bean to plant.

 

[KateMTx]

Yep Everyone is a prepper and everyone is a farmer now A cop car pulled up to my back fence yesterday and asked if he could bring his wife to look at my garden this weekend Lol. I told him yeah if they social distance and wear masks. It was so funny he pulled up and I was bent over with a pistol strapped to one hip. In my own little world.

I would want to see your garden too. It sounds like you really know what you're doing.

The only time a cop ever took interest in our garden. . . when I was probably about maybe 15 or 16? We had a lot of trouble with deer getting in the garden so we would go out periodically at night just to scare them away. Once, about 3 o'clock in the morning a sheriff's deputy saw my and my brother when we were out there checking on it. That was an interesting conversation.

 

[DirtDiva]

I would want to see your garden too. It sounds like you really know what you're doing.

The only time a cop ever took interest in our garden. . . when I was probably about maybe 15 or 16? We had a lot of trouble with deer getting in the garden so we would go out periodically at night just to scare them away. Once, about 3 o'clock in the morning a sheriff's deputy saw my and my brother when we were out there checking on it. That was an interesting conversation.

I bet it was!

 

[DirtDiva]

The guy has visited with me before. Once I found a wad of used needles etc that someone had thrown out the window of a car on the little rural road beside my property line when weed eating. He came out and tested them and dusted for fingerprints and we walked up and down the ditch and made sure there were not any more for some kid to find. He took them and disposed of them at the station for me because you are not supposed to throw them in the trash. This must be his area to patrol.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I did plant a climbing bean last year. Old man down the road gave me a hand full of beans that he called peanut beans. Said his family has grown them for generations. Planted them on my fence. Good Lord those things made and made. Was a shell bean looked just like a peanut. Have been experimenting with them as far as how to cook. Unique flavor. In a survival situation these beans would be the bean to plant.

Wonder if it’s that red peanut bean? It’s an heirloom seed. I would like to have some. Want to see, a few? I understand if you don’t...