Happy Memorial Day weekend to you all! It’s been gorgeous here in Atlanta and the summer heat is starting to creep up on us, as it always does. I hope you all are enjoying yourselves too. We have a week of family time with those baby girls and Lauren home for a week, so that’s extra fun for us.
It’s only been a couple of weeks ago that I shared my daddy’s vegetable garden, but it’s growing so swiftly that I thought another post was in order.
April 17th, the garden was newly planted and he was hand watering the baby tomato plants.
May 8th, Mother’s Day, the garden was really taking off and growing well. Everything was looking good!
May 22nd, the garden is going gang-busters with growth. Luckily, we have gotten enough rain to keep it watered and thriving. The heat is about to set in though, so we are crossing our fingers that the rain doesn’t stop as it sometimes does during summer months.
Daddy is one proud gardener and loves showing off his crop. We are happy to look and admire with him.
First row is Irish potatoes, 2nd row squash and zucchini.
The squash blossoms were going crazy too and squash is already coming in.
Parks Whopper tomatoes are looking good as well.
He’s added cages to them so when they grow bigger and produce those big juicy tomatoes, the stems will hold up.
This is an eggplant variety.
More eggplant and sweet potatoes.
Two rows of corn. You can see they love to throw out vegetable and fruit scraps in the garden. Composting at its best. They have done this my entire life. Nothing goes to waste. That’s a leaf compost bin in the distance, right side. He’s been composting leaves and then mulching them into his garden the last year.
These are green beans, maybe Blue Lake, not sure, but I can share more on these later on.
He’s got pole beans growing on the other side of this fencing and this is another variety of eggplant.
Here were the pole beans just 2 weeks ago.
And the pole beans are climbing the fence and looking good now.
My sister’s dog, Buster, was staying with them that day. He loves the backyard. He’s standing by the row of kale that is about done for the season. Greens don’t like hot weather, so they die out when it gets too hot.
Here’s a great video I did with Dad in his garden, Lauren was shooting the video. Enjoy!
Just last Wednesday, I was over there for lunch again and dad came in with the first squash of the season. He dearly loves to garden and grow things and we are glad it gives him a purpose in life, so we encourage him and he keeps on growing (enough for 2 large families, actually!). He loves that I show off his handiwork to all of you too, so he’s happy to pose for pictures.
Their oak leaf hydrangeas in the backyard are looking so lush and beautiful this year.
One of my favorite blooming hydrangeas.
Their huge oak-like leaves and beautiful white blooms are statement makers.
Mom and dad, our precious treasures in life and both 88 years old. We are so happy they are still doing well and still with us.
Thank you all for enjoying my family so much. It means the world to me that you do like to read about and keep up with what they are doing. We don’t know when life will change, but we sure are grateful that we still have them in good health and enjoying life with us.
I’ll take some new baby girl pics (both of them) this week and share with all of you too!
Your Dad is TOPS! We treasure our Fathers so much; mine will be 92 in September and is still going…we have good genes!
Another impressive garden year! Besides the fact his plants are super sized, there are no weeds!! Your Dad is amazing!
I seldom comment, but I just had to say that while I enjoy every one of your posts, I truly love the ones with your Mama and Daddy. Thank you so much for sharing them with us!
Your Daddy’s garden is magnificent, and I always enjoy seeing it, especially when he’s in it!
Beautiful garden and your parents are precious! Enjoy them every minute you can. My Papa used to have the most beautiful gardens, like your Dad’s, and although I have tried on a smaller scale over the years, just can’t seem to care for them at the level your Dad and Papa did. It is a real feat to keep the weeds under control naturally.
Thanks for the smile and walk through happy memories!
Love the garden pics and the folks! Our garden is plugging along, so hope all this rain doesn’t overdo!
I also love the pictures of all the food on the table.. when I try to copy a meal like that my husband asks :why did you cook so much?” LOL
My aunt cooks like that too.. I am headed to her house in 10 days!! can’t wait.
Thanks for sharing pictures of your precious parents. The garden is amazing! I think your dad should offer tours or the chance to work with him. My children would love this. 🙂
We all love to see him and his garden! He has such a green thumb it reminds me of my mama when she was alive. She fed everyone and canned and froze things galore!!!
What a fabulous garden! Your Dad has the magic touch, that’s for sure. All that good, wholesome, organic food….it’s a true blessing, isn’t it?
Thank you so much for sharing your parents with us, Rhoda! What a joy it is to read about them. They are an inspiration!
Love hearing about and seeing pics of your parents. You are so lucky to have them. Would love to hear your dad talk about gardening. Maybe you could interview him, would love to see that. And your mom could talk about her recipes. Enjoying them from New Jersey.
The garden looks great! What a green thumb your father has! Your mom and dad are just the cutest!
As always I admire your Mother and Father so much for being so present and active in their lives. The garden is fabulous as ever and yes, I too wish I could share the bounty! I know you know how fortunate you are and I just want to say, “Thank you so much”, for once again devoting a post to your parents and your father’s wonderful garden! The photos are all fabulous, especially the ones of them!!
I always love reading about your Dad’s garden. I just love the last photo of your parents, something about that one that put a huge smile on my face.
Thank you all so much for the sweet comments about my dad and mom. I’m very happy to share them with all of you who may have lost one or more of your parents. This time is life is extra special, as we don’t know how much longer we’ll have them. but we treasure the time we do have and want to make the most of every birthday and holiday together. Y’all are so great to comment on these posts, thank you!
So beautiful and your Dad and Mom use their gifts from God and create such beautiful masterpieces!
I love seeing your dad’s garden. It always amazes me how he manages to do so much. I would love to have a garden, but that won’t happen anytime soon. Great picture of your mom and dad together.
Oh what great pictures of your Dad and his beautiful garden! The hydrangea is gorgeous too. So happy they can enjoy the gardening!!
Love, Love, Love seeing your dad’s garden. Oh, how much further along it is in Georgia vs. Ohio. My oh my!!! Makes me hungry for squash & tomatoes. Beautiful garden, beautiful parents. Love Buster too! Can’t wait to see pictures of the girls. I look forward to all your posts. Thanks so much. Thanks to you I really want a screened-in porch after seeing the post of yours, you and your father worked on. Great job!
Love hearing about your moms cooking and your dads garden. You are truly blessed to have them both so long. I lost my dad 28 years ago and my mom 3 years ago…..my dad would have been 89 and my mom 85 so right in the ballpark of your parents generation. Brings me pleaseure to watch your parents thrive through doing for and with their family! And does my heart good to know how much you all appreciate them!
Thank you so much for sharing your family. Daddy is 89, but not much into gardening…he does still golf 2-3 days a week, weather permitting! (Mother says he loves her almost as much as he loves golf. LOL) Mother gardens, but only flowers and ornamentals.
I may have shared before that Mother is from central Georgia. Eastman area to be exact. Her family moved here (Texas) when she was 14. Your father reminds me of her father.
M (his initial..IDK why I chose to call him that as a little one) was the middle child of 9 in a farming family. While he chose a different vocation, farming was still in his blood. Your father’s garden looks a lot like M’s. M composted as well and even “farmed” (bred?) earthworms. He had so many worms that he sold some for fishing. Ha! It makes me sad that my students are so far removed from the source of their food. Kids would probably like veggies better if they ever got true fresh ones. Maybe once I retire I’ll be like Weezer in “Steel Magnolias,” wearing a crazy hat and taking vegetables to all the neighbors.
Blessings,
Brandye
Hey, Brandye, thanks for such a sweet comment!