When my oldest daughter, Angelin, was just a toddler, she loved to collect small objects from the ground and gather them in her little hands – small rocks, pebbles, fruits, nuts, squirrel droppings – whatever small things she could find. She called them all “seed-zes” and carried them in her tightly clinched fists wherever she went – even to Church and Sunday School. “What do you have in your … [Read more...]

We called them butterbeans – Fordhook Limas, that is. They were a staple on our kitchen tables, making special showings during Christmas and Thanksgiving, or when company came. Sometimes we had them with sweet corn, as in succotash, and sometimes we had them by themselves in bowls, soaking with butter. I guess that’s why we called them butterbeans. Recently, I have been having a hard time … [Read more...]

“I’ll volunteer,” said the little tomato plant that had come up on its own. Hmmm! That could be the subject of my next children’s book, but in reality, we now have a volunteer tomato plant living with us in our bedroom, soaking up as much sun as its little vines and roots can gather. The little plant sprouted in Nancy’s above-the-ground garden beds. She saw it as she was pulling up and … [Read more...]

I looked out the window this morning and there was no green in my garden, just brown dirt. Nancy had pulled up the last of my plants. The little garden will now sit fallow for about 5 months, then it starts anew. I will have my garden tilled again, to make for easier planting, but I read that the best time for plowing a garden is in the late winter or early spring. This allows your soil enough … [Read more...]

Last week, I had to buy a cucumber. It was 59-cents, and it broke my heart. For the last two months, I have plucked more cucumbers from my vines than there are crispy oats in a box of cereal. I know I picked at least 200 pounds from the 5 vines I planted last spring, hoping that 1 or 2 vines would produce. Well, they all produced, and I have been doling out cucumbers to my neighbors like a poll … [Read more...]

I have often said that we grow small gardens not to save money, but to enjoy fresh vegetables. This year, I did both. Thanks to lots of heaven-sent rains and my kids who had my garden tilled and well-fertilized, I would have made money on several crops. Cherry tomatoes, for example. I planted one cherry tomato vine, a golden variety, and it has produced at least 600 tomatoes. I picked 100 just … [Read more...]

There is a variety of peppers that was cultivated and established in a small nursery in Clemmons, NC. They are called Door Knob Peppers because they are about the same size and shape as an actual door knob. They are mild peppers, sometimes red and sometimes green as they ripen, and were a staple in many Brewer kitchens as the Brewer Family had its beginnings in Clemmons. My Aunt Lena grew her … [Read more...]

Nancy sat in on a Tomato Growing Seminar this spring given by Master Gardener Mark Levisay, and in her notes of “tomato tips” were these instructions: “Pick tomatoes before they are ripe, not when they are ripe.” This summer, that has been my plan. It’s August in Virginia and anyone with tomato vines is picking fruit. Yes, tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables. But here’s why you should pick … [Read more...]

This spring I mapped out my small garden and actually stuck to the plan, with one exception. In the end I did not have room for cucumbers. Last year, I planted a few hills, but the cucumbers did not read the part on the seed packet about growing and producing. They quickly petered out and died and I may have picked two or three shriveled cucumbers. “But what if I planted a few hills on the edge … [Read more...]

  My tomato vines are now over 6 feet tall, and they are full of blooms and baby tomatoes. As a matter of fact, I picked my first tomato today – plump, ripe and juicy. It looks like it’s going to be a great season. I give credit to the promising crop because of three main reasons – first, Mother Nature has blessed us with plenty of rain so far, Second, I took Mark Levisay’s  advice … [Read more...]