This blog is continued with my home garden visits from last month. I have many new participates this year that wanted to start growing a garden with their families. I’m learning so many different ways of maintaining my own garden through their techniques and experiments. I have been posting videos on our face book page from the Floyd County Extension office that they are encourage to watch to receive class credits. I believe it has been working. We started our in class meetings on July 6, 2020. I will be posting many pictures of continued home gardens visits, class gatherings and Farmer’s Market goodies that the community can enjoy, following the CDC safety guidelines. I sure have been enjoying the new challenges this year as a new Grow Appalachia Coordinator. I hope you enjoy it too.

Shannon & Teresa have utilized their space on their property for gardening. They have a beautiful arch at the beginning of their walkway to their home. Following behind it, they have built raised beds on both sides, growing a variety of greens for salads and cooking. They have built raised beds alongside of their mountain. Teresa is experimenting with companion planting this year to help keep the pest at bay. There was a bad storm that knocked down a big tree that they have been cutting little by little to remove it from their property. While I was looking at it I suggested her to grow mushrooms in it and maybe a couple grape vines over it. She loved that idea and said she will research on it. Along the edges of her property she mentioned that she uses container pots to grow stuff in so it doesn’t get cut down accidently. In the back yard she has a decent size garden where she plants the bigger stuff. She uses black plastic and straw for mulch to keep the weeds down. Here are some beautiful pictures from their garden.

Dee & Roger lives up a steep hill. I had a time trying to get up it. Roger had to come and run start my car up the driveway for me cause it had just been graveled.  They have planted their garden in raised beds on the hillside. Dee mentioned that she will be planting some more fruit trees on the hillside this year. They have been blessed with material that people have donated to help build their garden beds. I live on a hill, therefore, I learned how I can utilize my hillside too.

This is Clearance’s first year on our program. He has a health provider that helps him maintain his garden. Clearance said he loves coming out to his garden for a salad. His provider mentioned that Clearance would like another garden bed next to this one and maybe some planting pot to hang on the outside of his ramp. I advised her that I will check on helping them out with the materials and labor.

Buddy maintains his garden with his daughter that are both on our program. Buddy’s sister accompanied us on our tour of his garden. She asked about our program and is interested. Therefore, I told her I will send her a application. Buddy donated over 200 sweet potatoes slips for our participates to enjoy. While walking through the yard I seen a beautiful garden and thought it was his but it was his sister’s and some of the family members that help maintain it. Well after walking through the woods and over a slick creek we finally reached his garden, which was just as beautiful as the other one. He pulled off a sweet Jersey pepper and offered it to me saying that it’s the best pepper I will ever eat. It was good. Buddy mentioned that the best tool he has received from our program was the stirrup hoe. He demonstrated how it works and was happy to hold it up with a big smile on his face. I am so glad we are able to provide tools that make gardening simple and fun.

Here is a picture of Buddy’s sister that is interested in our program.

Here are many pictures from all our wonderful gardeners this year 2020. The last three pictures are St. Vincent Mission’s garden that I haven’t been able to maintain due to being busy. I have use some of my participates skills and my own research. I have done the Florida weave for my tomatoes, used aged woodchips, black plastic for my walkways and straw around my plants to keep the weeds at bay.  This week I have cleaned it up and it’s looking good now. I will post it in next month’s blog.

Patrick mentioned that ever since he has received the stirrup hoe, he has no problem getting help from his teenage daughters to help maintain the garden. This is my favorite tool in the garden too.

Floyd & Johnson County, FARMER’S MARKET TIME!

I have been so blessed with meeting wonderful people in both counties at the Farmer’s Market. I have been following CDC guidelines for the safety of the community and myself. I have taste tested everything I am selling so I can advise my customers that they don’t want to miss out on trying something new. Here I am enjoying my time at the Farmer’s Market.

CLASS TIME!!

July 6, 2020 was our first class since the Covid 19 shut down. I was really surprised of how many attended due  to the guidelines. They sure are dedicated gardeners. Keith Hackworth lead the class with a recap of Planning & Planting, Maintaining a garden and followed with Pests & Diseases. I gave out more fertilizer, seeds for their fall crop and some goodies that were left over from last year. I’m looking forward to our next class. I have learned a lot from everyone. What a great journey, I wish I would have learned this when I was younger.