Gardening and Farming

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Comment by Tipper on August 28, 2010 at 7:04pm

Lovely thoughts about your Mom-John. Thank you for sharing them. It is funny when you love to grow things- you do begin to think of them as friends.

Comment by John Dilbeck on August 28, 2010 at 11:51am

You may be right about "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I've seen Mom and Pop take something that looked like a dead stick, soak it in water, and then plant it in a pot in the kitchen. At least half the time, it would root and start growing for them. They were amazing.

Mom knew more about plants than anyone else I've known. She could walk around the yard with someone and tell a story about all the flowers, herbs, fruit trees, bushes and grasses and even tell you where she bought them, found them, or who gave them to her. It was like each of them was a personal friend.

Every year, she would start talking about climbing the mountain to see the naked ladies. When I first heard that, I was interested, too. Then I learned that she was talking about little bitty flowers. I wasn't as interested after that. (grin)

When she got to where she couldn't make it up the mountain, and later not even into the yard, I'd help her into her wheelchair and take her outside to the ramp so she could see some of her plant friends.

When the jonquils started blooming, I'd go out and cut fresh flowers for her every other day or so, all through the growing season. Since she had planted so many different kinds, there was a parade of lilies, roses, mums, mountain laurel, and quite a few others.

I won't even get started on talking about growing fruits and vegetables, freezing, canning, drying, making jams and jellies, baking, and cooking all they grew, what their friends gave them, and what they bought. I don't know how they managed to do all they did.

Comment by Arleene Ward on August 28, 2010 at 11:17am

Maybe they got their green thumbs by planting by the signs! :)

Honestly, though, I do believe there is something to the old folklore. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Comment by John Dilbeck on August 28, 2010 at 7:39am

On her Blind Pig & The Acorn blog, Tipper wrote about the results of this year's Planting by the Signs test.

When I was a teenager, Mom and Dad claimed that gardens planted by the signs out produced gardens that were planted on the wrong days. So, I set out to test it. They planted on the good days and I planted some on other days.

Mom and Dad's part of the garden did much better than mine. But, I don't know if that was because of the signs, or if it was because they were always much better at raising plants than I've ever been. Both of them had green thumbs and loved growing things. I don't have a green thumb and barely manage to keep tender green things alive.

So, what do you think about growing by the signs?

Comment by John Dilbeck on May 23, 2010 at 12:17pm

Good afternoon, Tipper.

I really am interested in your planting by the signs test. Maybe there'll be a big difference and some of you will have bumper crops and others will have huge bumper crops! (grin)

Comment by Tipper on May 19, 2010 at 12:16pm

Hey John-glad you're interested in my planting by the signs test-hopefully we'll see a difference in the squash or at least I hope we all have a bumper crop : )

Comment by John Dilbeck on May 18, 2010 at 10:37am

From their Facebook page: Cherokee County Cooperative Extension -- May 21, 10:00 AM - Flowers in Your Garden Seminar-No need to register. Marta Mead, UGA Research & Education Center technician. Learn from this local expert which flowers will thrive in our mountain climate. GMRE Center auditorium.

Comment by John Dilbeck on May 18, 2010 at 10:09am

From their Facebook page: Cherokee County Cooperative Extension -- If you are interested in coming to a workshop on food preservation, Teresa Wiley will be holding one on Monday, May 24th, at 2-4pm and again from 6-8pm, at the Little Brasstown Family Life Center. This workshop will be on pressure canning, freezing and drying. The cost if $5.00. Call our office to pre-register at 837-2210.

Comment by Jim & Debbie Burch on May 15, 2010 at 6:44am

We`d be interested in that. In particular, Carolina Jasmin, tomato, black berry, straw berry, and blue berry would be my favorite.
Debbie`s list is much longer, and includes more flowers than food!

Comment by John Dilbeck on May 12, 2010 at 7:47am

Do you want to buy flowers, plants, and herbs from a local grower and help The Learning Center at the same time?

Support Local School; Support Local Growers

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