It’s time again for an update on my dad’s garden. He has been very busy this year, between his Georgia garden and his North Carolina garden, tending to both of them as well as he can. You would think an almost 88 year old would slow down a bit and relax during the heat of the summer, wouldn’t you? Not my dad. He thrives on growing his garden every year and I think he would just have nothing to live for if he had to give it up. So, we encourage him within reason to keep gardening. It’s his passion and that’s truly what keeps him going. I don’t know how he does it, as being outside during the sweltering heat that we’ve had lately, just about kills me. I can’t take that heat nearly as well as he can.
My idea of fun right now is floating in the pool or lake to beat the heat.
This guy takes it all in stride and loves watching his garden grow and showing off the fruits of his labor.
It is looking much different that when I showed you an update a few weeks ago.
This was the end of April after he got everything planted. Â Now look at it!
We have luckily gotten a lot of rain in May and June and that helped it grow. Â The rain is starting to slow down now, so we are needing more with all the heat and humidity in GA this time of year.
But, so far he is bringing in plenty of veggies and mom is cooking it up. Â They share with us all we want of squash, zucchini, green beans, tomatoes and cucumbers.
He’s got plenty to share.
He planted one row of corn in Georgia this year, but the bulk of corn he plants in NC. Those are green beans in front of the corn.
Squash has been plentiful this month, but he says the heat is drying up the vines.
Now, this is what gets me excited every year….homegrown tomatoes coming in. We all anticipate the first tomatoes and eat our fill of fresh tomatoes. Â There is nothing like a homegrown Better Boy tomato and that first tomato sandwich of the season.
Last week, I made my first for this year, which made me a happy girl.
There are plenty of green ones on the vine all getting ready to ripen up.
He has placed an owl in the garden to deter birds and I think it works pretty well.
Last time Parker was home visiting, Lauren got her overalls just so she could get her picture made with her great grandaddy in the garden, so here is that priceless photo. Aren’t they both the cutest?
And here’s the bounty, the tomatoes rolling in this past week.
Squash, cucumbers, and eggplant are also coming in.
Dad wanted me to be sure and show you the rutabaga he has grown. Â He’s proud of all of it!
This was the feast that my mom prepared for lunch last week. Â My sister and I try to go over and eat lunch with them once a week and mom always cooks up a great Southern meal like this.
Meat loaf is one of her specialties and she’s been making this for years. Â Fresh mustard greens, green beans out of the garden, along with fried eggplant (I’ve shared his recipe before) and tomatoes and cucumbers round out the meal. Â Yes, it’s as good as it looks! Â If you follow me on Facebook you often see these meals that I post over there. They are legendary and get everyone talking on my Facebook page! Â My mom has been cooking like this my whole life and it never gets old. Â We are truly blessed to still have her and my dad.
Many of you have asked for the meatloaf recipe every time I post it on Facebook, so here it is, as close as I can get from her memory of how she makes it.
Iris’s Meatloaf
2 lbs. ground beef
1/3 lb. pork sausage (she uses the roll pork sausage, just a portion of it, mixed with the ground beef for flavor)
Add about 1/2 cup of regular breadcrumbs to bind.
1 egg
Salt and Garlic powder
Mix all together and form loaf. Â She then spreads a can of diced tomatoes on top and adds chopped green pepper to the top.
Cut up potatoes and carrots and place in baking dish around the meatloaf.  Bake at 350° for at least an hour or until cooked through.  The meatloaf makes it’s own juice and flavors the potatoes and carrots.
We celebrated Father’s Day on my back porch with a cookout of hamburgers and the fixings. Â I made homemade strawberry ice cream in my little ice cream maker and we all enjoyed that. Â Dad’s face here says “hurry up, I’m ready to dig into this ice cream.” He loves sweets, as do I!
So, that’s an update on the garden this year. We Southerners do love fresh veggies and eating out of the garden and I’m so happy that my dad still does it all. Â I know it won’t last forever and truly treasure these memories of garden eating that we have had all my life.
Your parents remind me so much of my parents. They are on the go with their outside work outside. They had their 69th wedding anniversary last week, and I wrote a post about their flowers and activities.
Janette, that is amazing, 69 years! Congrats to them!
Love, love this post! He reminds me of my dad, who loved this garden too. He was known for his wonderful corn. I hope your dad is able to have many more lovely gardens.
Your Daddy is amazing! So is your Mom! What a master gardener and a wonderful cook! My Momma is almost 88 and my Daddy is 84 1/2. They are slowing down in life but I take advantage of every minute God gives me with them! Do you mind sharing your Momma’s age? Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Cindy, my mama is 87. Dad is about to turn 88 in July.
They are both amazing! My Momma’s birthday is in July, as well! We are so blessed, aren’t we! Can’t wait to try your Momma’s recipe! 🙂
You are truly blessed. God has allowed you to still have the presence of your Mother and Father with their strength and mind! Always enjoy your blog especially when you give honor to your parents….
Your parents are such an inspiration. Like your parents, my hubby likes to garden and I enjoy cooking and baking we both love when our family joins us for a meal. My love for baking requires extra eaters at our table. I hope with practice we can be as good as your parents some day.
I always love to read posts about your parents. Their lifestyle inspires me to enjoy the many good things I have in life–God, family, and hobbies I enjoy. Thanks for sharing those dear folks with all of us! 🙂
Rhoda, I love when you post about your parents. That mater sandwich looks good enough to eat! I would like that picture framed for my kitchen wall. It’s that wonderful.
Both your dad and his gardens are amazing! The bounty is beautiful.
I love reading about your parents and especially your Dad and his garden. The photos are great too. Thanks for sharing the treasures of still having parents. They are definitely blessed to be so active and healthy at their ages. God just doesn’t make like that any more! However, I am blessed to have the Best of the Best for our generation!
Love your posts. FYI in Ireland we call rutabaga, Turnip! The nicest way to east it (we think) is to boil until quite soft, mash to a puree with real butter and white pepper – amazing! xx
Sandra, so nice to hear how you do things in Ireland. Food is a universal subject!
I love your Mom and Dad. They remind me so much of my parents. They loved getting out in that garden early in the morning. My Mother was the happiest when she could be in the kitchen whipping up a batch of jelly. Always putting something away for the winter. I used to do that in my past. It is hard work!
God Bless Them!
Judy
Love to see your Dad and his garden. It surely has grown a lot since you last showed it. Reminds me of my own Daddy’s gardens. Although he died pretty suddenly fifteen years ago (barely 75 yo) he used to raise a two acre garden every year. I still remember being a kid and going out there, picking a sun-warmed ripe tomato and eating it standing in the middle of the garden. The taste was unbelievable. Thank you Rhoda for including your family in your blog. I really enjoy seeing them.
So jealous of that tomato sandwich!! You made it just the way I like it….and I was surprised by your mom’s meatloaf recipe…I have never put potatoes and carrots in with the meatloaf. I am going to try that this week. Thank you for being so generous in sharing pics of your family and the bounty of the garden. It’s fun to read and remember when I lived on a farm and the garden had to be picked daily to keep up.
What beautiful produce. Eating all those healthy veggies has helped him live so long. The gardens are probably a passion of his, not work but enjoyable.
Love the garden pics, yummy, yummy lunch pics and your parents! Summertime in the South – doesn’t get any better than that.
Just one word today – YUMMY!!!!!
Your daddy is precious, and his garden is beautiful! I grew up with my daddy always having a garden. I remember having to help with the harvesting, but it was all worth it. You’re blessed to still have both your parents.
Ooohh those veggies and meal look good!! Your dad is so cute!! My dad is 83 and still going strong too!
Salivating looking at those tomatoes… I LOVE JULY just for that reason (that, and watermelon, of course).
Your mom’s meatloaf is very similar to mine, but no onion? My husband and I must have onion and Worchestershire sauce in ours. Funny, my late mother-in-law shared the pork sausage addition with me over 40 years ago, and I’ve never waivered from that recipe. May the Lord bless your parents with many more years together; they are definitely ‘salt and light’ in this world.
What precious pictures! Gardening DOES keep you young, I totally believe that, and your daddy proves it! And fresh veggies are not just a southern love, we love it all up here in the WAY up north of Minnesota….I have cherry tomatoes about to ripen! Raspberries, strawberries, onions and lettuce are already making their way to the table. And tomato sandwiches!?!? Cannot wait!!! Happy eating!