Rain, Rain, Go Away!

We’ve gotten so much rain that the weeds are growing faster than the wanted vegetable plants lately. This isn’t discouraging the hardcore gardeners we have tho! They’re finding windows of sunshine to sneak out to their gardens and pull a few weeds, pluck a few early vegetables, and snap a few pictures.

Our Community Garden at Grigsby Heights is now divided up into four different patches that are being tended by four families. They’re out there come rain or shine and the folks in the office are pleased with their enthusiasm, which is important so they can continue this garden in coming years.

Dale Jacob, Edith George, Wanda Thacker, and Sharon Slone have pots and patches outside of their apartments that look amazing too.

Kathy Spears is growing by leaps and bounds this year with her sweet little granddaughter by her side again. She got a jump start on planting this year and she’s sharing her bounty through pictures and meals. Sweet peas, delicate lettuces, broccoli, two kinds of potatoes, and tomatoes and beans. It all looks so yummy!

Mitchell and Katie Van Hoose are young gardeners that definitely know their way around the garden. They’re tending a large family plot with glorious views and sunshine galore. Their photos are magazine quality and I can’t take credit for them, but I had to share. Beautiful lettuce beds, purple tomatoes, Passion flowers! I’ll get out there to see them myself very soon and I’m looking forward to it.

The Ratliff family garden is legendary again this year. Bruce loves working the garden with his family and his granddaughter Kadee loves learning by his example. His smile when talking about gardening is brilliant and you can see his passion and love for it. Cabbages two foot wide, a new crop of celery, and corn that’s tasseling early and has the bees happy and drunk on pollen.

Bill and Betty Risner are excited beyond measure to be joining us this year and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more and more of their gardening successes. These pictures were taken early in the season and I’m sure their plants are flourishing. Garden visits will be beginning this month once monsoon season passes…….

Becky & Jimmy Derossett have expanded their garden this year from raised beds to a large patch as well. They’re excited to plant a larger area and reap more sweet veggies. They started off on a small scale, but they’ve upgraded on a GRAND level! They are such a wonderful example of how gardening should grow and grow over time.

Chris Steele is an expert gardener that sells some of her bounty at the local farmers market. She’s teasing us with zucchini, tomatoes, and yellow squash already.

Our Grow Appalachia group this year is a wonderful group of eclectic gardeners! Young and Old alike we garden where and when we can; yardens, raised beds, acreages of plantings, and small hanging basket gardens, but more than that, we’re a Community of gardeners that all have the same passion, to grow our own food. Enjoy!