Another year, another garden! We’re thrilled that Daddy feels like gardening again this year. This time last year, he was about to come down with c-diff, something that would change all of our lives forever. We didn’t know for about 3 or 4 months what was going to happen to his health and all of you following along were praying for him and we SO appreciate that.
We didn’t know if his health would ever be the same and even though he’s not as strong as he was a year ago, he’s doing well enough to get out and plant his garden this year and that makes us all happy. We’ve encouraged him not to go so big, but apparently he can’t NOT plant that plot of land that has been his garden for so many years and so it’s full once again and will soon bear the bounty that his hands produce.
A little more about his health. He’s still on a lower dosage of antibiotics to keep the c-diff at bay. That has been the only solution we have found to keep him healthy and happy, with care from his gastro doc. He doesn’t want to do any surgeries and at 90 years old, we just want him to live life and enjoy his days as best he can. He takes them 4 days a week and is still on probiotics too. His appetite is better than ever and he eats like a horse. His sweet tooth hasn’t gone anywhere either and mom is constantly feeding him, so all of that is good. At this point and after all he’s been through, we’ll take it!
As you can see from that smile, he’s happiest when he’s in the garden, so we are happy that he’s out there again this year. Cutting back from 2 gardens to 1, just 2 years ago was a major big deal for him, but it was time. This one is all he can handle now! And as you’ll see below, this is not a tiny little garden.
As you’ll also note, he’s using a cane now. We’ve yelled at him enough that he needed it, so he’s finally using it all the time when he’s outside and when he goes places, which makes us all feel better. He has a garden stool that moves in the garden with him so he can sit and do things on it.
The rain has been abundant so everything is growing, which means the weeds are prolific too. He does have a tiller he can run through the rows to keep the weeds down, but as you’ll see in the videos below, a good old fashioned hoe seems to be the preferred method of keeping those pesky things in check.
The garden is doing well. He has planted just about the same crop as he always does, starting with tomatoes and corn.
Looking on, there’s 2 rows of corn, peppers, and squash rows that you can see here.
Squash here and green beans to the right with okra down the way at the other end.
I think this is the pepper row with something else at the other end. I heard eggplant in there too.
Corn is looking good.
One long row of tomatoes are looking good too, this is my fave and I can’t wait til around July 4th when they will start coming in. I always look forward to that phone call from mom…the tomatoes are in, come and get ’em!
This is potatoes and something else down the row. I’ll do another post once everything starts coming in so you can see what it all looks like. There’s also cucumbers growing in another spot up a fence.
He’s a master gardener when it comes to growing veggies and about 60 years of growing will do that to a fellow. I’m so proud to have a gardener daddy who knows how to grow food off the land and eat home grown produce. We’ve been so spoiled and I know one day Mark and I will be growing a few things of our own. Mark’s dad also gardens and this year he only planted tomatoes, about 50 plants! Between both our dads we are set on tomatoes! What a blessing to have them both.
Here are the grapevines daddy wanted you to see. These are muscadines and scuppernongs, both Southern grapes that are very sweet. Last year, Mark’s daughter, Traci and I picked a bunch of muscadines and took them to Mark’s dad and he made homemade muscadine jelly that we all got to share in. What a treat! There’s no way to eat all the grapes that come in on these vines.
Dad and mom have blueberries too and it will be nice to have some fresh blueberries if the birds don’t get them first. They have to cover them up with a net. See those pretty oakleaf hydrangeas in the distance? I love those and just transplanted a couple of baby plants to our house and hopefully they will grow this big eventually. One of those plants came from my backyard in Birmingham.
They are pretty loaded though!
A big freeze killed dad’s fig trees down to the nubs a couple of years ago and we didn’t know if they would survive the cutting back he had to do to them all, but as you can see they are growing like crazy and they have plenty of figs on them this year. They had a few last year too. See the one to the left, above? That’s right behind his swing, his favorite spot to sit.
We’ve spent many a moment on this swing pondering life and talking. He’s such a good daddy!
Both our parents are so precious and I know how much you enjoy seeing them. Salt of the earth doesn’t begin to describe these two and I know you appreciate that so much. You won’t find two finer people on this earth than these two. They are loved by many, far and wide, you all included!
That’s an update on the garden! If I was a better videographer, I would know how to edit and make these videos really cute, but that’s a skill I have yet to master. In the meantime, enjoy these little video snippets from last week in the garden. Be sure to listent to the background banter going on, it’s the best part! One day I think I’ll just turn on the video camera and let them talk, you never know what’s going to come out!
So sweet & precious are your Dad & Mom! You are blessed! It is great they are still at home & together – send my love to your parents! My Mom will be 93 in August and I am blessed to have her close by now. 🙂 I love that you all are a close knit family & share trips, dinners, etc. together!
Thank you, Bonnie, how wonderful that you still have your mom too!
This just warms my heart! I am so glad he is able to get out in his garden again. And what a garden it is!! Just adore the conversations between them 😉
Thank you, Lauren, their banter is so funny!
Such a nice garden! Glad your daddy can have a garden that he and your mama enjoy. You are so fortunate to have your wonderful parents. My daddy also had a nice garden in the county that he and my mama enjoyed so much. They both passed away in their 90’s a few years ago. I hope your parents continue spending lots more time doing things that make them happy. I like your blog so much. Thanks for all of your interesting and beautiful posts.
Thank you, Barbara, I’m happy to share my family and so glad that you all enjoy that too.
Just love any post with your parents in it, and I always look forward to seeing your Daddy’s garden!
Thank you, Eleanor, I tell them they have a big fan club out there!
Thanks for the update. I’ve been wondering how ur parents were doing and the garden. Sure makes me miss my grandparents. My parents didn’t get the veggie garden bug til late in life so they didn’t garden that long. But my grandparents did for almost as long as I can remember. Thx again for sharing.
HI, Diane, thank you, happy to share them. I’ll share again when the veggies come in.
Whew… I had been too nervous to ask about your daddy’s garden. I wasn’t sure he was up to doing that this year. HAPPY to see the greenness of everything. Wish I could taste one of those ‘maters (which is what my Pa always called them).
Becky, I know we didn’t know either, but he was raring to go early spring in his garden. It’s looking good, but I told him today he should consider planting it smaller next year. He can hardly think about doing that, but I know it’s hard to keep up with. Can’t wait for those maters!
So amazing for any 90 year old to have such a garden. It is wonderful to see God answered our prayers. I always love hearing about your precious family. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Hey, Debbie, it is pretty amazing and we are very grateful that God brought him through this terrible illness as well as he did.
I have no words to describe how much I love seeing this and hearing their banter. So thankful with you that they are both able to continue doing what they love. Thank you for sharing them with us, strangers from all over! I’m here in Western Washington State.
Thank you, Barbara! I read Dad your comment today and he just smiled and shook his head that people from all over the country are reading and commenting about his garden.
Your Dad and Mom are a blessing and an encouragement to all of us ! Thank you for sharing them with us . How wonderful it would be to have a tomato from that garden
Deborah, I can’t wait for a tomato sandwich!
Your best post and video this year! Such a blessing to see your sweet Daddy & Mom doing well and enjoying their garden. His garden puts others to shame and I don’t know any 90 year old that has a better looking garden than his.
Thank you, Teresa, they are amazing for sure and I love getting them on video! I would daresay you are right about any other 90 year old’s garden.
They are so cute in the garden. You are so blessed to still have them both. I’m very thankful to see them able, to still do the things they love to do. God is good and has blessed your wonderful family.
Thank you, Linda, you know them first hand, so it’s been a blessing to have them all these years.
Rhoda, it is a blessing to see pictures and hear from you about parents, they are an encouragement to all your readers. Your family is blessed to have this wonderful couple in your life. Garden looks wonderful, looks like everyone will be enjoying some good veg this summer. Thanks again for sharing pictures of your parents and the garden. Please give them a big hug from one of your loyal readers from middle Georgia, and tell them we enjoy hearing from them. God bless them!
Hi, Theresa, I sure will, I tell them all the time that they have fans all over the country. I read them some of these comments along the way too, you all are wonderful to care about them so much.
So great to see your Daddys health improved and to see him back in the garden… your Mom seems to be holding her own too! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Lori, they are both doing pretty well for their ages, I hope I’m doing as well when I get there.
What a wonderful blessing! Thank you for sharing your parents with us!
Thank you Lord for your dad’s health being restored nearly completely. So wonderful to see these pictures and video. Such a beautiful gatden again.
Wish I had recorded conversations when Artie & Frances shared stories of your parents. They loved them so very much.
Continuing prayers for complete healing.
Tell your precious parent’s Hello 💖
Hi, Brenda, I tell them often that you are reading and who you are to Artie and Frances. We adored those ladies and they were such good friends to our family. I miss them too!
What lovely parents! My mom and dad have been gone for almost 10 years (they died at 80 and 81), and they were avid vegetable gardeners also. We benefited from their wonderful produce all our lives (although here in Minnesota we don’t have the early and varied bounty you have!). It’s wonderful that your dad is able to get back out there this year, with your mother–what a blessing in so many ways!
Hi, Caroline, they truly are a blessing and quite the team when it comes to gardening. She’s been right beside him all these years, cooking and putting things up from the garden.
I loved seeing your Daddy’s growing garden Rhonda and so happy to see him feel that he wanted to be out there planting it! Even my husband was very impressed to see a man your Dad’s age able to grow such a large garden! Please tell him that I find his grape vines to be so very impressive too!! I know y’all will enjoy eating all of the bounty you’ll receive from it his garden and he’ll love seeing his family do just that!
I’ve loved watching his garden through your photos and descriptions over the years and am so happy that his illness has abated enough to allow him to grow this years’ garden!
Thank you so much, it’s pretty amazing that he came through as well as he did. He loves his garden, although today he told me that he thinks his gardening days are almost over. But we keep telling him not to plant so much! He’d be fine with a smaller garden, in fact we said…just grow tomatoes!
It doesn’t get any better than that!! So happy that your Dad is doing better, I know first hand how bad it can be. I had female surgery last year and contracted C-diff ( I’m 55) while in the hospital. All I can say is it will bring you to your knees and you’ll never be the same. I had a prolapse fixed which now requires a second surgery due to a rupture caused the C-diff. While I’ll love natural when it comes to cleaning bleach would have taken care of this problem, we have scared our selves sick. May your parents have many more years together and blessings on your new life!! Patti Ann
Hi, Patti Ann, oh I feel for you. Dad is definitely not the same as before he got sick but it’s pretty amazing that he came through as well as he did. That is some horrific stuff!
I love this post, Rhoda! Amazing at 90 he has planted this large garden. Hold them close while you have them! Blessings on your beautiful parents!
Thank you, Pam, they are a blessing to so many!
Wow! What a garden! I started one. Only had success with kale, collards, and peppers. My tomatoes dont survive or my zucchini. If your Dad held classes I would attend😁. So glad he’s doing well.
HI, Pam, I think that’s what would happen if I tried it. He makes it look easy, but I know it’s not that easy. One day I’m going to learn to grow tomatoes.