Small But Productive

Here it is the end of June and I haven't posted in some time. Things here are busy as usual as we continue to work on our little house and garden. I have been down for some time with of all things allergies. According to my doctor the pollen counts this year in this area have been record breaking. I am surrounded by four towering hickory trees around my house that have all been blooming. It has truly been a miserable couple weeks. I am hoping that as I live here longer that my body will adjust to the new surroundings but we shall see. I have never suffered from allergies in the past so this is a new one for me. 

Our little garden has done wonderfully. This area sits right on top of the Cumberland Plateau and is notorious for shallow and infertile soil. Our solution was raised beds for the time being while we contemplate this whole lack of soil situation. Our raised beds thrown together of native lumber has exceeded our expectations.

Remember our old stand by the Jade variety green bean that we grew every year in the past. Those saved seeds came up beautifully and are loaded with blooms and beans. Seems they like Tennessee too!

Our Purple Hull field peas above are huge and healthy and we hope they will bloom soon. An old southern staple found throughout this area. In Missouri I was the only one around that grew them.  A heavy producer two beds should provide is with enough to can some for the winter.

One bed of yellow summer squash and we already have squash coming out our ears. I have already started blanching it for the freezer.

O Wise One built a frame above the cucumber bed out of native lumber again for the plants to run on. We strung it with nylon string and trained the runners upward.

Shouldn't be long now!

Nothing like cool sliced cucumbers on a hot summer day.

Is there anywhere zucchini doesn't grow?

Here and there we tuck in sweet peppers 

And Basil for my pesto

And no southern garden is complete without okra.

While in the process of planting our garden O Wise One did a good deed for an elderly  neighbor lady and pulled her lawnmower out of a ditch. In appreciation her nephew showed up the next day with a mason jar full of water and some tomato plants stuck in it.  In appreciation for our assistance to his elderly aunt he wanted to return the good deed. He called these tomatoes Arkansas Red and Arkansas Yellow tomatoes. I am unsure if they are the heirloom variety called "Arkansas Traveler" that I have read about. But so far they have done well and we will see if they are keepers.

They are the larger tomato plants in the pictures. The smaller plants are Amish Paste type tomatoes saved from crops in Missouri. All of the tomatoes in the beds are simply staked with scraps of native lumber that the guy at the sawmill gave my husband for free. Said that is what he uses for his tomatoes. 

We are well on or way to a tomato crop.

With the extra paste tomato plants we planted a dozen plants down the back fence. This is some of the richest dirt we have found on the property thus far.

Just stuck in the ground with no tilling or soil preparation and mulched with some chopped leaves. They are already blooming and we shall see how these produce in native soil. 

Thus far we have not had to use any sprays for pests although we have noticed some minor insect damage from Japanese beetles that we pick daily and drown in soapy water. We've been blessed with good weather and ample rainfall so far.

How is everyone else doing out there garden wise? Anyone else picking yet?

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter