The First Big Bean Picking - It Was A Good One!

The garden is thriving and providing a successful first major harvest of the year, bringing joy and a sense of connection to family and tradition despite the challenges of summer heat and pest management.

• Successful first pick — The front row yielded a beautiful, plentiful bean harvest, exceeding expectations for this point in the season [02:22].

• Pest control — They manage Japanese beetles and Mexican bean bugs by hand-picking them into buckets and feeding the catch to their chickens [20:33].

• Garden variety — The plots contain a wide range of vegetables, such as:

  • Corn, potatoes, and cucumbers [03:22]
  • Peppers, squash, and candy roasters [13:22]
  • "Mayflower" and "Mother Stallard" beans [10:52]

• Mid-summer challenges — While the high humidity and heat make gardening uncomfortable, they appreciate the season's "glory," characterized by buzzing bees and lush growth [02:40].

• Nostalgic meals — The garden inspires memories of favorite simple foods, including fried green tomato sandwiches and fresh cornbread with milk [05:53].

• Family legacy — The land offers opportunities to connect with past generations, sharing stories about their grandfather's experiences with wild "possum grapes" [31:40].

• How do they handle garden pests throughout the season?

• What are the various vegetables currently growing in their garden?