It never ceases to surprise me that there are people expending energy to criticize and diminish rather than celebrate and seek abundance. I'm happy to see you let that slide right off of you. Their negativity is not your burden to carry.
This year, my pear tree, that usually gives me hundreds of pounds of fruit, lost its blossoms to a storm. I was already feeling the overwhelm of all of our apples and plums, and I remember thinking, "oh, thank God, I won't have to deal with all those pears this year." We just do what we can, with the time and energy that we have.
Last our very old, very large apple tree gave us about 100lbs of fruit. Friends and neighbors knew, if the apple picker is propped up by the fence and bags are hung on the wash line, please help yourself! This year we got nothing. It needs pruned back hard but we just didn't find the time last fall. You're right. We just do what we can. ❤
The fact that ALL farms have so much food that does not get eaten by people is something lots of people don’t know about. Since I have TikTok I have noticed that happens. I see lots of fallen fruits and those are the natural fertilizer the ground needs. 😊❤
I imagine when your kids start to approach adulthood, it feels a lot like a September garden. You’ve spent all this time cultivating this life and now you get to watch it do what it’s going to do all its own. ❤
Forget the criticisms !! You are a blessing to us all, we are lucky that you choose to share as much as you do with us! Negative Nancies can be composted :)
@@stormienotstormy 😂😂 yea I thought it was a leaf or something but when it fluttered around I thought “she’s about to notice the little guy!” 😂 too funny lol, I was surprised no one else commented about that!
Jess, you don't know me but you've held my hand through some of the most horendous times in my life just by showing up and being you! I'm working hard to be able to pay that forward. Love ya!
Another way to look at the late summer abundance is nature providing next year's volunteers. I know you celebrate volunteers in the garden and that doesn't seem wasteful at all. Enjoy the change of seasons ❤
So so glad you did this video! Just yesterday - when I was exhausted and overwhelmed (and thankful) by the abundance my garden has produced this year - I caught myself trying to pick every single cherry tomato that was ripe and I realized, wait! The bugs and birds and compost can benefit by those fruits that fell and split and didn't get picked and processed by me! There is no such thing as "wasted" in the garden :)
Daniel’s music is such a huge part of this channel for me. I’m struck by it continually. Sometimes if I’m looking through my own seeds or weeding I go to his channel and listen. It’s like a much loved garden tool. ☺️
Jess, there's always be the naysayers. There's so many of us that enjoy ALL that YOU share with us always looking forward for the next episode. Keeping ALL of in prayer
Jess my mom and dad used to get us to gather blkeyed and purple hull and cowpeas and we would shell them and put them in a big pillowcase, tie it up, and put it in the freezer. Then mom would send me to the freezer to untie the pillowcase, and dip what we would fix for supper. Dont know if yall put up peas in a cotton pillowcase without washing them til you were about to cook them but we did. Harvest time was just so busy!
Time for all of us to let go of shame and should. The earth is very abundant. Not getting pressured into picking every last thing has always been part of the joy of doing it for me.
The garden tour videos are my favorite regardless of the season or state of the garden. I especially love seeing how you guys handle problems and issues. I have learned so much from how you overcame those challenges.
Honestly, it's a total pleasure to see your beautiful, productive mess of a garden. Our garden was a total fail this year and I'm feeling pretty bummed about it all, so seeing your incredibly productive mess is really uplifting to me. Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm looking forward to seeing how you regroup and change things up for the spring. Should be really interesting. You're so appreciated!
People should not give you flak for letting some of the produce go to waste. Truth be told, we all waste when we’re too busy with life. I bet the naysayers do too. I love ya.
Jess.... can I please just take a moment to say how much I appreciate your channel being about what you do, even in the quiet parts where we just hear you driving the land, the cows mooing, the roosters crowing. Today I have finally unsubbed from 2 channels that fill all of the parts in between with LOUD, BLARING LOUD, music that is not even music I can stand to listen to. Constantly regulating the volume button while trying to watch a video and having to mute and go back because I missed where the talking started again.. UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH. Your channel is so pleasant, calming, and positive. I feel better off for having watched you, every time. You have taught me so much about gardening, canning, cooking, and living a peaceful life. ~~Thank you!!!
Seeing your garden jungle helps me to feel less discouraged and overwhelmed. I'm try not to do a little something after work every night because the weather isn't cooperating on my days off
OMG😂 I laughed so hard when you brought up Peppergate! I bought only 2 pepper seed packets; Carnival Bell, and lunchbox snackers, and grew banana peppers that sadly ( for me) weren’t sweet they were HOT! I was so baffled, thanks for solving that mystery!!!!
I bought purple bell seeds and got the hot peppers, too. They weren't just hot....they were HOTTTTTTTT!!! I can't do hot, and it's just me, so rather than waste the space and the water, I ripped the plants out at the end of June.
I bought what I thought were sweet banana peppers, intending to pickle them, and ended up with some unholy cross with Hot Hungarian Wax, which I found out when I gave one to a friend's child, who took a bite, paused, and gave me the dirtiest look as she said, "Excuse me, that is NOT a sweet pepper." Thankfully the rest of my peppers were what I intended to grow.
I have guilt wasting food (Jess is helping me work on that) even if it’s inedible to me! One son-in-law likes hot so made him some hot pepper relish. Dang though, nasty surprise!
@georgianamcglinchey573 if it wasn't what I planted AND I can't eat it, I don't feel guilty. I am a senior and have spent years feeling bad about things that weren't even my doing. I be darned if I am going to spent one single second feeling guilty about 4 pepper plants being ripped up so that I could plant something I could enjoy in its place. There's lots to be concerned about in this world, and lots to be thankful for and enjoy. I prefer to do more enjoying with the time I have left.
There will always be those who criticize! That is the worst type of waste, not your garden. There is nothing as beautiful as the first fruits of the spring and summer garden, but that fruit that survives the harshness of summer and waits to be found is the most rewarding when at last it is found and its purpose is fulfilled. Oh the saddest are those who sit and criticize others undone missions, for their lack of zest to embark even the slightest of task lends no reward at all; here on earth or in the hereafter.
We scaled back this year. We did a back to basic based on our families needs. I just allowed myself 1 spot to try something new. It ended up being the best garden we have had in a very long time. It gave me the time I needed to work on what we really needed.
My garden is such a mess, but your mom is so right - there is so much harvest when we just go look for it. I see your garden as beautiful, even in its crazy!
Jess, I would love a video on The Farmer’s Table of ways to eat Jerusalem Artichokes! I have never grown them, simply because I’ve only really eaten them as canned. Much love from Spartanburg! ❤
It is a sad thing,in this day and time, that it has to be explained to people how that food is part of a cycle that keeps your farm regenerating.In short,it turns into eggs and bacon and meat that feeds other people as well as your own family.Do not,Jess,feel as you need to explain or justify yourself,most get it.Those people who negate such things need to spend time educating themselves on such things instead of instantly judging on things they do not understand. I do the same things as you,I find other ways to use things if I can't,and my hens love everything they get gifted.
Love you standing up for yourself to people complaining about you wasting your own vegetables. People that have that much time on their hands, has no clue. This is my first huge pepper year. I can not possibly use them all. Having said that, many years I planted Alot, but had a low harvest. So we have no clue on what kind of harvest on what vegetables we are going to have. Don't listen to mean people. You can walk through your loaded garden and feel great. I want to see your loaded plants.
Hi Jess,l don't comment very often sorry 😊 but lve followed you for about 12years.lve had lots of good tips and information from you about gardening and life over the years thankyou.Just wanted to say hello ,you are such a beautiful person inside and out and your videos bring me so much joy and happiness thankyou again ❤ Joyce uk England.
Jess- I’ve been watching since that first garden tour so many years ago. Thank you for showing things you don’t get done. This year my health has made gardening challenging and often not an option, but God is gracious. When I do plant or harvest, it’s a gift. Anyway, living in freedom and grace encourages others to do the same (and sometimes it’s a battle and we need the encouragement.) Also, kudos on prioritizing family always. Eggplants may not keep, but goodness knows our young children don’t keep either, so prioritizing them is a gift we give them and ourselves. As always, you inspire me. Thanks for letting your light shine from a sister in Christ. I bless you!💜🙏🏼
No matter how hard you try to pick, you can never not lose some. My compost bin appreciate it. I can only do so much. Don't let people criticize you, your kids are the most important thing. The rest is just stuff
I'm glad you did this video. I'd usually be obsessing over my own garden, but life intervened. Our baby came 3 months early, and we've been living in a Ronald Mcdonald House every since. This does soothe the ache of no garden 💚
Jess, I think it's this video I meant to leave a comment on a week or so ago. I gardened in SW Colorado at 7,000 ft in a fairly small space (due to deer pressure - fencing was critical and we couldn't afford a lot of it) for 10 years while working full time. I then moved to SE Washington, with an increase of about 70 days of growing season and a larger area and way less deer pressure, and I started out growing ALL OF THE THINGS 12 years ago, and turned it into a small business. And sold at farmers markets, and had a commercial kitchen to offer value added products. And for a while, I kept growing all of the things. It took me a while to finally realize that my squirrel tendencies had left us with about a years worth of dried, canned and frozen foods, that I was mostly eating fresh seasonally, and so we weren't really getting through the preserved stuff all that fast. I also hit a wall with the business where I realized I either needed to go bigger (invest in a much larger space, and get employees) or scale back, because I'm 58, and I now knew exactly what I can grow and process on my own, if I go full tilt all season. I was EXHAUSTED and honestly, not making that much $ for the amount of work I was doing. I've now scaled back considerably. I don't regret exploring that MORE looked like. But I am choosing (and have the financial luxury) to slow down at this point. Downsized away from our sheep, our rabbits, reduced poultry flock size by about half, planted a MUCH smaller garden. I think when you've wanted more space for a long time, you can't really conceive of what "enough" looks like. But you've reached the same conclusion as I have. It's a new season. And there's nothing wrong with that!
Jess, you are such a blessing to me. You have given me the confidence to be an imperfect gardener, mother and child of God. From my ADHD people pleasing heart, I thank you. ❤️❤️❤️
You feed many many people and bless those around you with food as well. And when the plants and their fruits leave the garden beds, they’ll bless the animals and soil. I’m grateful to see you share the realities of an abundant if imperfect garden…we’re all imperfect people. And that’s wonderful too.
OMGoodness. Just started watching your channel…. Thanks Ben and Meg. Your garden is beautiful. I really appreciate your sharing and hard work. Going to binge watch the past ones you have posted. Can’t wait to follow your story, nice to find a real person, interesting, intelligent, kind. I am picky about those I share my time with. Just wanted to say thanks to you and your family for the time you share. I am just beginning to understand the time spent for the family’s to post content and open up to the negative things that people dump just to be mean. This was up lifting to watch in the wake of the horrific storm Helene. Thanks
Very much understand the "cutting back" on planting. As we age and take on more and more responsibilities, we can easily get overwhelmed and anxious about the garden. That's not really what I believe is healthy and enjoyable. Sooooo, plant what y'all need and love and use the unused space for other things. Thanks for the tour Jess! ❤
I'm actually having to come to terms with aging. I guess this is typical of turning 40. Also, the fact that my family is aging and changing in needs. I've heard people talk about this but experiencing it first hand is definitely different!
@@RootsandRefugeFarm I totally understand. I will be 72 years old in December...What? Now that is alarming and satisfying at the same time. I'm getting a new personalized "Helping Schools" tag this year that says "IIWII" (It Is What It Is), something I seem to be saying more often these days. Have a great day Jess! ❤
The surplus is never too much. In nature there is no waste. Everything is recycled and rotten surplus is compost and food for the microbes. Even at this time of the year your food abundance is awsome. I am just envious.😊
Bc of a video you posted years ago I feel allowed to let my garden to go wild to appreciate it in late August and it’s now my favorite time in the garden! ❤
One thing that I like about this video that people can see how many vines and foliage exist st the end of gardening season. There will be a MASSIVE amount of work just getting the garden out! I wish that some channel would show that:)
Love the wild garden. I only get a few weeks of harvests due to short season, and I can get overwhelmed with what comes in. I can't imagine the volume and the burnout from a few months worth of harvest. At least any fruit left in the garden has a good chance of becoming next years volunteers. We have had one light frost already and the killing one will happen by the end of Sept, so I will take a deep breath and keep enjoying the garden full of food and wildness until it is gone for another year.
When you are talking and the guineas walk by, it reminds me of that old vaudeville gag where some stage hand walks by in the background with a potted plant randomly. cracks me up. what can I say, I'm easily amused. :)
I do not feel bad at all about the disaster my garden is or food I did not pick. I planted it, I work full time, I’m old and slow and live in the south. Arkansas. It’s hot and humid. Health, children and other obligations happen every year and sometimes you just don’t feel well. I also had blight really bad this year and squirrels take a tomatoes. Keep it real. We love your wild chaotic garden and love you.
I’m hoping we have a better fall garden than our summer garden this year. We had a ton of pest pressure and hardly grew any food. It’s awesome to be able to see the possibilities through your channel and keeps us from giving up 👍
❤️Just because we watch and learn thru your eyes does not give anyone the right to pass judgement. Judgey does not lend to growth to our soul in a productive way…I love your show and look forward to our walks❤
My husband asked me if I watch you so I don’t get discouraged. I have been gardening for almost 15 years here in SW Florida. Although people say we can’t garden here in the summer, I have found your videos to be inspiring. You can grow in the summer. It’s just a wild mess. I do get discouraged, but somehow, you always make me feel better about my garden mess. Thanks for your videos. They truly inspire me (year after year).
Thank you so much for helping me feel better about the “wasted” food. It’s really been weighing on me lately to the point where I’m like ready to not garden at all. I need to hear this. Although I do my best to use up everything I can, I now feel better about not being able to use it ALL all the time. ❤
Love to see.your garden❤ I gave up weeding, its too hot. Using heat and drought to ripen my tomatoes so I can pull and start Autumn crops and cover.crop.
Try making Laab sometime, it’s a great way to use up mint! Cook some ground pork or chicken, then toss in some lime juice, fish sauce, sliced scallion, toasted and ground rice (preferably sticky rice) then add in torn cilantro and mint. If you really want to amp it up, grill a pork shoulder that has been marinated in 2 parts oyster sauce and lime juice and 1 part fish sauce. Let it rest then thinly slice and toss with the same dressing as the laab. It’s called Waterfall pork and it is my absolute favorite!!
The food is not wasted. It feeds something, even if it is only earthworms. Feeding the earthworms is a great idea. I am sure other local wildlife come for dinner in your garden. Harvest what you need. Preserve what you want or need. Do what you need to do for your family.
Wildness lends itself to beauty if you know how to look for it! I’m planting my fall crops now, because being up north they need to be well established before the day light gets too short. Now I have to be honest this time of year is rough for me. I love Autumn, but I don’t want to let go of summer. I feel torn as silly as that sounds. I manage through it each season. ❤
What an amazingly good problem to have, more abundance than you know what to do with/ have the energy to do anything with! I always love your videos, seeing the abundance you have been able to cultivate and you always have the best attitude about everything!! I absolutely love to see it, you are an inspiration to me and my gardening aspirations!!
Hey Jess, I don't know if you've ever seen or tried it, but I put mint in my salsa and its DELICIOUS! I roast my tomatoes along with onion and jalepeno. Then blend them with salt, cilantro and mint. It's so refreshing and I'm so excited to be growing the ingredients at home now 😊
Wow so interesting Jess as we here in Sub-Tropical Queensland Australia we let our garden rest sort of, we can grow some things but the heat is so extreme- I luckily have a large shade sail over main garden but still they suffer. Great Video Jess Thank you cheers Denise- Australia
The last few sentences of this hit home for me since my garden is currently full of knee high weeds and I just don't even want to go out there. But I will tomorrow just to see what is out there. 😊
Thank you so much for sharing each and every season of your life! It helps me sooo much to not be so hard on myself 😢just let it be ok 👍 thought something was wrong with me because by August I’m tired of gardening? But because of your courage in sharing, I now know it’s pretty normal 🥰❤❤❤
I feel better. My garden looks like yours and was feeling overwhelm and sad about it. It’s ok. I got a lot out of it and will make it bigger next year knowing it’s ok when it gets wild. Thanks for showing this beautiful mess. Love.
Always a pleasure! The forest does not scale back its growth and I'll never forget hiking. It just hit me that only God knows and sees much of the wild places. I think he must enjoy those peaceful, wild places. Maybe we should too. Thank you Jess!❤
I literally went though this last week. For years I have been putting off going through things as I am house hunting in this crazy insane pricing. Feeling temporary and overwhelmed. I sat there one day praying for the right property or home to come along and it just clicked that I thought maybe I'm not finding my next home because I am not taking care of what I do have. And exactly that sorting things to daily needs, seasonal needs and not being able to let it go yet container. It felt so good to push through the "I dont wanna" pity party. To feeling accomplished getting some of it started. If tomorrow the world comes crashing down where we all live currently might be it for a very very long time so I switched to a mindset of staying connected instead of feeling dismissive and Ill worry about it when I move attitude I need to embrace it IS part of "preparing".
I agree that Pippins Golden is a great pepper. It's on my must grow list, too. I also love Nadapeno and Murasaki Purple peppers.The smaller peppers do much better for us in our eastern NC gardens than the bell types do. I liked your lima bean music.
Thanks for sharing your wild and beautiful garden, fruit and vegetables left on the plants are how we get seeds and mother nature in all her glory will send the wildlife to enjoy the fruits of your labour and that's where the volunteers come from. ❤
This very well could be, my ALL TIME FAVORITE Roots & Refuge - Garden Tour video ever!!! I love the wilderness of a late summer garden. Its a beautiful fruitful jungle in there Jess!!! 😂🙌💯
What a beautiful garden!! What an amazing bounty. I can tell summer produce must have been glorious. I love your approach to the garden and the excess. Thank you for sharing!
Re this time of year, I totally do the same thing - harvest what I need and leave 😒 the mess. Re bitter gourd. The way we use it is- cut into small chunks, sprinkle salt and turmeric on it. The was and drain and sauté or fry - they taste quite yummy and are v good for you. Especially with control of sugar.
Perhaps if more people approached their gardens casually, they would grow joyfully ❤
Preach!
@@RootsandRefugeFarm Thanks for the reminder of your shade cloth Jess. I'm heading over to Miah's channel for an updated product review 😃
Found it, lol, and left a comment.
It never ceases to surprise me that there are people expending energy to criticize and diminish rather than celebrate and seek abundance. I'm happy to see you let that slide right off of you. Their negativity is not your burden to carry.
@karenl7786 how true 👍
I'm sure they don't have gardens because if they were gardening they would know how hard it is to keep up with the harvest.
Perfectly said, she is sharing her life and family. That doesn’t mean she owes anyone anything.
Beautifully said, thanks Karen ❤❤❤
This year, my pear tree, that usually gives me hundreds of pounds of fruit, lost its blossoms to a storm. I was already feeling the overwhelm of all of our apples and plums, and I remember thinking, "oh, thank God, I won't have to deal with all those pears this year." We just do what we can, with the time and energy that we have.
I lost my peach tree to a wind storm this year. Had several trees uprooted. But I will miss the peaches.
Last our very old, very large apple tree gave us about 100lbs of fruit. Friends and neighbors knew, if the apple picker is propped up by the fence and bags are hung on the wash line, please help yourself! This year we got nothing. It needs pruned back hard but we just didn't find the time last fall. You're right. We just do what we can. ❤
Amen
You always get what you deserve. Sounds like you’ve been not nice to others. Hm.
@@d.w.9394what is wrong with you?
I love how validated I become myself when I listen to you.
Every single video I hear you say something that makes me feel more human.
Yes! ❤
Me too.
This! 💜
@@jamiewhittle6300 l love it when Jess calls us her Darlings,makes me feel good and loved.
Yep yep yep. She has saved my butt spent times
The fact that ALL farms have so much food that does not get eaten by people is something lots of people don’t know about. Since I have TikTok I have noticed that happens. I see lots of fallen fruits and those are the natural fertilizer the ground needs. 😊❤
I imagine when your kids start to approach adulthood, it feels a lot like a September garden. You’ve spent all this time cultivating this life and now you get to watch it do what it’s going to do all its own. ❤
Forget the criticisms !! You are a blessing to us all, we are lucky that you choose to share as much as you do with us! Negative Nancies can be composted :)
How was that little moth on your chest not tickling you? 😂 I kept waiting on you to feel it, and he was still hanging out when the video ended ❤😂
Same! We were sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for it to fly away! We will never know the outcome 😂
@@stormienotstormy 😂😂 yea I thought it was a leaf or something but when it fluttered around I thought “she’s about to notice the little guy!” 😂 too funny lol, I was surprised no one else commented about that!
I was so distracted at the end there hahaha! So funny. I'm glad someone commented so I could giggle with them.
Jess, you don't know me but you've held my hand through some of the most horendous times in my life just by showing up and being you! I'm working hard to be able to pay that forward. Love ya!
She really picks me up that's for sure.
How do people expect to nourish their soil if they never let anything rot?
I've seen the pinterest spots with very manicured gardens and would much rather have my sweet tea in your garden any day❤🎉😅😊😊😊😊❤❤
Another way to look at the late summer abundance is nature providing next year's volunteers. I know you celebrate volunteers in the garden and that doesn't seem wasteful at all. Enjoy the change of seasons ❤
Boy, those back seat drivers can make you crazy. People leave Jess alone she has a great heart.
Right !!!!
So so glad you did this video! Just yesterday - when I was exhausted and overwhelmed (and thankful) by the abundance my garden has produced this year - I caught myself trying to pick every single cherry tomato that was ripe and I realized, wait! The bugs and birds and compost can benefit by those fruits that fell and split and didn't get picked and processed by me! There is no such thing as "wasted" in the garden :)
Great tour & wisdom! At 72 years, I’ve learned that others are not in the same situation & that we are all unique. Bless you🤗🇨🇦
Daniel’s music is such a huge part of this channel for me. I’m struck by it continually. Sometimes if I’m looking through my own seeds or weeding I go to his channel and listen. It’s like a much loved garden tool. ☺️
Jess, there's always be the naysayers. There's so many of us that enjoy ALL that YOU share with us always looking forward for the next episode. Keeping ALL of in prayer
Jess my mom and dad used to get us to gather blkeyed and purple hull and cowpeas and we would shell them and put them in a big pillowcase, tie it up, and put it in the freezer. Then mom would send me to the freezer to untie the pillowcase, and dip what we would fix for supper. Dont know if yall put up peas in a cotton pillowcase without washing them til you were about to cook them but we did. Harvest time was just so busy!
Great idea! Smart parents. Because yes, sometimes harvest season can get crazy..
I absolutely love this wild overgrown side of your garden. It’s a testament to your hard work and I love seeing what you let go. We all do it! ❤🎉
Time for all of us to let go of shame and should. The earth is very abundant. Not getting pressured into picking every last thing has always been part of the joy of doing it for me.
I'm just laughing with joy! You have food just everywhere, often not something you even planted. It's just amazing!!!
The garden tour videos are my favorite regardless of the season or state of the garden. I especially love seeing how you guys handle problems and issues. I have learned so much from how you overcame those challenges.
Honestly, it's a total pleasure to see your beautiful, productive mess of a garden. Our garden was a total fail this year and I'm feeling pretty bummed about it all, so seeing your incredibly productive mess is really uplifting to me. Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm looking forward to seeing how you regroup and change things up for the spring. Should be really interesting. You're so appreciated!
I had the same problem, so love to see Jess's garden to aspire for next year
People should not give you flak for letting some of the produce go to waste. Truth be told, we all waste when we’re too busy with life. I bet the naysayers do too. I love ya.
And she feeds her animals, most of the overflow,pigs cows, chickens. My chickens give me eggs for vegetables.
You’re making some very sensible choices for next season. Will be less overwhelming and more enjoyable to garden.
Jess.... can I please just take a moment to say how much I appreciate your channel being about what you do, even in the quiet parts where we just hear you driving the land, the cows mooing, the roosters crowing. Today I have finally unsubbed from 2 channels that fill all of the parts in between with LOUD, BLARING LOUD, music that is not even music I can stand to listen to. Constantly regulating the volume button while trying to watch a video and having to mute and go back because I missed where the talking started again.. UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH. Your channel is so pleasant, calming, and positive. I feel better off for having watched you, every time. You have taught me so much about gardening, canning, cooking, and living a peaceful life. ~~Thank you!!!
Seeing your garden jungle helps me to feel less discouraged and overwhelmed. I'm try not to do a little something after work every night because the weather isn't cooperating on my days off
I love your mother's wisdom. So simple, so profound. My mom is the same. Thank God for our wise mothers!
I agree 100% with you! I really hate when someone makes criticism on what isn't their business. I watch your show for the fun of you! Thank you!
Were those turkeys towards the end? It was blurry, I couldn't tell. Haha
I used to feel so bad for garden excess but, now I just give the overage to our chickens and ducks and they love it and me for sharing.
OMG😂 I laughed so hard when you brought up Peppergate! I bought only 2 pepper seed packets; Carnival Bell, and lunchbox snackers, and grew banana peppers that sadly ( for me) weren’t sweet they were HOT! I was so baffled, thanks for solving that mystery!!!!
I bought purple bell seeds and got the hot peppers, too. They weren't just hot....they were HOTTTTTTTT!!! I can't do hot, and it's just me, so rather than waste the space and the water, I ripped the plants out at the end of June.
2nd year in a row...bell pepper seeds = HOT banana peppers.
I bought what I thought were sweet banana peppers, intending to pickle them, and ended up with some unholy cross with Hot Hungarian Wax, which I found out when I gave one to a friend's child, who took a bite, paused, and gave me the dirtiest look as she said, "Excuse me, that is NOT a sweet pepper." Thankfully the rest of my peppers were what I intended to grow.
I have guilt wasting food (Jess is helping me work on that) even if it’s inedible to me! One son-in-law likes hot so made him some hot pepper relish. Dang though, nasty surprise!
@georgianamcglinchey573 if it wasn't what I planted AND I can't eat it, I don't feel guilty. I am a senior and have spent years feeling bad about things that weren't even my doing. I be darned if I am going to spent one single second feeling guilty about 4 pepper plants being ripped up so that I could plant something I could enjoy in its place. There's lots to be concerned about in this world, and lots to be thankful for and enjoy. I prefer to do more enjoying with the time I have left.
There will always be those who criticize! That is the worst type of waste, not your garden. There is nothing as beautiful as the first fruits of the spring and summer garden, but that fruit that survives the harshness of summer and waits to be found is the most rewarding when at last it is found and its purpose is fulfilled. Oh the saddest are those who sit and criticize others undone missions, for their lack of zest to embark even the slightest of task lends no reward at all; here on earth or in the hereafter.
Sweetie don't let those people mess with your beautiful heart. ❤
We scaled back this year. We did a back to basic based on our families needs. I just allowed myself 1 spot to try something new. It ended up being the best garden we have had in a very long time. It gave me the time I needed to work on what we really needed.
My garden is such a mess, but your mom is so right - there is so much harvest when we just go look for it. I see your garden as beautiful, even in its crazy!
Jess, I would love a video on The Farmer’s Table of ways to eat Jerusalem Artichokes! I have never grown them, simply because I’ve only really eaten them as canned. Much love from Spartanburg! ❤
It is a sad thing,in this day and time, that it has to be explained to people how that food is part of a cycle that keeps your farm regenerating.In short,it turns into eggs and bacon and meat that feeds other people as well as your own family.Do not,Jess,feel as you need to explain or justify yourself,most get it.Those people who negate such things need to spend time educating themselves on such things instead of instantly judging on things they do not understand. I do the same things as you,I find other ways to use things if I can't,and my hens love everything they get gifted.
Love you standing up for yourself to people complaining about you wasting your own vegetables. People that have that much time on their hands, has no clue. This is my first huge pepper year. I can not possibly use them all. Having said that, many years I planted Alot, but had a low harvest. So we have no clue on what kind of harvest on what vegetables we are going to have. Don't listen to mean people. You can walk through your loaded garden and feel great. I want to see your loaded plants.
Hi Jess,l don't comment very often sorry 😊 but lve followed you for about 12years.lve had lots of good tips and information from you about gardening and life over the years thankyou.Just wanted to say hello ,you are such a beautiful person inside and out and your videos bring me so much joy and happiness thankyou again ❤ Joyce uk England.
Jess- I’ve been watching since that first garden tour so many years ago. Thank you for showing things you don’t get done. This year my health has made gardening challenging and often not an option, but God is gracious. When I do plant or harvest, it’s a gift. Anyway, living in freedom and grace encourages others to do the same (and sometimes it’s a battle and we need the encouragement.) Also, kudos on prioritizing family always. Eggplants may not keep, but goodness knows our young children don’t keep either, so prioritizing them is a gift we give them and ourselves. As always, you inspire me. Thanks for letting your light shine from a sister in Christ. I bless you!💜🙏🏼
No matter how hard you try to pick, you can never not lose some. My compost bin appreciate it. I can only do so much. Don't let people criticize you, your kids are the most important thing. The rest is just stuff
I'm glad you did this video. I'd usually be obsessing over my own garden, but life intervened. Our baby came 3 months early, and we've been living in a Ronald Mcdonald House every since. This does soothe the ache of no garden 💚
Jess, I think it's this video I meant to leave a comment on a week or so ago. I gardened in SW Colorado at 7,000 ft in a fairly small space (due to deer pressure - fencing was critical and we couldn't afford a lot of it) for 10 years while working full time. I then moved to SE Washington, with an increase of about 70 days of growing season and a larger area and way less deer pressure, and I started out growing ALL OF THE THINGS 12 years ago, and turned it into a small business. And sold at farmers markets, and had a commercial kitchen to offer value added products. And for a while, I kept growing all of the things. It took me a while to finally realize that my squirrel tendencies had left us with about a years worth of dried, canned and frozen foods, that I was mostly eating fresh seasonally, and so we weren't really getting through the preserved stuff all that fast. I also hit a wall with the business where I realized I either needed to go bigger (invest in a much larger space, and get employees) or scale back, because I'm 58, and I now knew exactly what I can grow and process on my own, if I go full tilt all season. I was EXHAUSTED and honestly, not making that much $ for the amount of work I was doing. I've now scaled back considerably. I don't regret exploring that MORE looked like. But I am choosing (and have the financial luxury) to slow down at this point. Downsized away from our sheep, our rabbits, reduced poultry flock size by about half, planted a MUCH smaller garden. I think when you've wanted more space for a long time, you can't really conceive of what "enough" looks like. But you've reached the same conclusion as I have. It's a new season. And there's nothing wrong with that!
Thank you for giving me permission to take the pressure off of myself in my wild garden ❤
Jess, you are such a blessing to me. You have given me the confidence to be an imperfect gardener, mother and child of God. From my ADHD people pleasing heart, I thank you. ❤️❤️❤️
I love seeing your wild garden. We used to overplant certain things so we could feed chickens.
You feed many many people and bless those around you with food as well.
And when the plants and their fruits leave the garden beds, they’ll bless the animals and soil. I’m grateful to see you share the realities of an abundant if imperfect garden…we’re all imperfect people. And that’s wonderful too.
A few minutes in and I'm already like "Ooo, piece of nature! Ooo, piece of nature! Look at that and that!" And, you DO work hard! ❤❤❤
OMGoodness. Just started watching your channel…. Thanks Ben and Meg. Your garden is beautiful. I really appreciate your sharing and hard work. Going to binge watch the past ones you have posted. Can’t wait to follow your story, nice to find a real person, interesting, intelligent, kind. I am picky about those I share my time with. Just wanted to say thanks to you and your family for the time you share. I am just beginning to understand the time spent for the family’s to post content and open up to the negative things that people dump just to be mean. This was up lifting to watch in the wake of the horrific storm Helene. Thanks
I love the little moth feeling so comfortable with the ride you are providing. Your videos are always so relaxing, thank you for sharing.
Very much understand the "cutting back" on planting. As we age and take on more and more responsibilities, we can easily get overwhelmed and anxious about the garden. That's not really what I believe is healthy and enjoyable. Sooooo, plant what y'all need and love and use the unused space for other things. Thanks for the tour Jess! ❤
I'm actually having to come to terms with aging. I guess this is typical of turning 40. Also, the fact that my family is aging and changing in needs. I've heard people talk about this but experiencing it first hand is definitely different!
@@RootsandRefugeFarm I totally understand. I will be 72 years old in December...What? Now that is alarming and satisfying at the same time. I'm getting a new personalized "Helping Schools" tag this year that says "IIWII" (It Is What It Is), something I seem to be saying more often these days. Have a great day Jess! ❤
The surplus is never too much. In nature there is no waste. Everything is recycled and rotten surplus is compost and food for the microbes. Even at this time of the year your food abundance is awsome. I am just envious.😊
Yay! Happy Birthday to me 🎉 a Jess garden tour to wrap up my 31st birthday 🎂 🥳
Bc of a video you posted years ago I feel allowed to let my garden to go wild to appreciate it in late August and it’s now my favorite time in the garden! ❤
One thing that I like about this video that people can see how many vines and foliage exist st the end of gardening season. There will be a MASSIVE amount of work just getting the garden out! I wish that some channel would show that:)
I love spending time with you Jess. Thanks for sharing.
Love the wild garden. I only get a few weeks of harvests due to short season, and I can get overwhelmed with what comes in. I can't imagine the volume and the burnout from a few months worth of harvest. At least any fruit left in the garden has a good chance of becoming next years volunteers. We have had one light frost already and the killing one will happen by the end of Sept, so I will take a deep breath and keep enjoying the garden full of food and wildness until it is gone for another year.
Wow! It’s gorgeous ❤️and to think it was just a blank slate a couple of years ago! Good job!😁💕😁
Looks beautiful to me! My garden was done so early that this looks like a lot of fun to me! ❤
It really is beautiful and wild!! 35:23
When you are talking and the guineas walk by, it reminds me of that old vaudeville gag where some stage hand walks by in the background with a potted plant randomly. cracks me up. what can I say, I'm easily amused. :)
I do not feel bad at all about the disaster my garden is or food I did not pick. I planted it, I work full time, I’m old and slow and live in the south. Arkansas. It’s hot and humid. Health, children and other obligations happen every year and sometimes you just don’t feel well. I also had blight really bad this year and squirrels take a tomatoes. Keep it real. We love your wild chaotic garden and love you.
I’m hoping we have a better fall garden than our summer garden this year. We had a ton of pest pressure and hardly grew any food. It’s awesome to be able to see the possibilities through your channel and keeps us from giving up 👍
❤️Just because we watch and learn thru your eyes does not give anyone the right to pass judgement. Judgey does not lend to growth to our soul in a productive way…I love your show and look forward to our walks❤
My husband asked me if I watch you so I don’t get discouraged. I have been gardening for almost 15 years here in SW Florida. Although people say we can’t garden here in the summer, I have found your videos to be inspiring. You can grow in the summer. It’s just a wild mess. I do get discouraged, but somehow, you always make me feel better about my garden mess. Thanks for your videos. They truly inspire me (year after year).
Thank you so much for helping me feel better about the “wasted” food. It’s really been weighing on me lately to the point where I’m like ready to not garden at all. I need to hear this. Although I do my best to use up everything I can, I now feel better about not being able to use it ALL all the time. ❤
When you harvest your lambs if you still have fresh mint lamb chops with mint chimichurri is absolutely delicious 😋
Bless you, Jess, and thank you for always being there for us. ❤
8:05 The fruit/veggies that isn’t picked feeds the soil. It’s free compost.
I think your garden is beautiful!
Love to see.your garden❤ I gave up weeding, its too hot. Using heat and drought to ripen my tomatoes so I can pull and start Autumn crops and cover.crop.
Thank you for showing normal garden tour. I have always loved everything about your gardens.
Try making Laab sometime, it’s a great way to use up mint! Cook some ground pork or chicken, then toss in some lime juice, fish sauce, sliced scallion, toasted and ground rice (preferably sticky rice) then add in torn cilantro and mint. If you really want to amp it up, grill a pork shoulder that has been marinated in 2 parts oyster sauce and lime juice and 1 part fish sauce. Let it rest then thinly slice and toss with the same dressing as the laab. It’s called Waterfall pork and it is my absolute favorite!!
The food is not wasted. It feeds something, even if it is only earthworms. Feeding the earthworms is a great idea. I am sure other local wildlife come for dinner in your garden. Harvest what you need. Preserve what you want or need. Do what you need to do for your family.
I was away to say this - is it wasted when it feeds animals (domesticated or wild) or goes back into feed the earth? No way
I learned to appreciate the abundance of (some) weeds that can turn to compost.
Your eggplant recipe for baba ganoush was delicious !!!
Good for you letting friends glean. Also, some food back I’m into the soil is amending the soil.
Wildness lends itself to beauty if you know how to look for it! I’m planting my fall crops now, because being up north they need to be well established before the day light gets too short. Now I have to be honest this time of year is rough for me. I love Autumn, but I don’t want to let go of summer. I feel torn as silly as that sounds. I manage through it each season. ❤
What an amazingly good problem to have, more abundance than you know what to do with/ have the energy to do anything with! I always love your videos, seeing the abundance you have been able to cultivate and you always have the best attitude about everything!! I absolutely love to see it, you are an inspiration to me and my gardening aspirations!!
❤ that dress. My color. Yes a wild garden this time of year..
Hey Jess, I don't know if you've ever seen or tried it, but I put mint in my salsa and its DELICIOUS! I roast my tomatoes along with onion and jalepeno. Then blend them with salt, cilantro and mint. It's so refreshing and I'm so excited to be growing the ingredients at home now 😊
Wow your gardens are huge.
Wow so interesting Jess as we here in Sub-Tropical Queensland Australia we let our garden rest sort of, we can grow some things but the heat is so extreme- I luckily have a large shade sail over main garden but still they suffer. Great Video Jess Thank you cheers Denise- Australia
The last few sentences of this hit home for me since my garden is currently full of knee high weeds and I just don't even want to go out there. But I will tomorrow just to see what is out there. 😊
“Hello, there darlin”. Hello, Jess. ❤
Thank you so much for sharing each and every season of your life! It helps me sooo much to not be so hard on myself 😢just let it be ok 👍 thought something was wrong with me because by August I’m tired of gardening? But because of your courage in sharing, I now know it’s pretty normal 🥰❤❤❤
I greatly appreciate your garden tours no matter what season we are in!! 😊
My little 3 bed raised garden is literally a "hot mess". I feel you.
I feel better. My garden looks like yours and was feeling overwhelm and sad about it. It’s ok. I got a lot out of it and will make it bigger next year knowing it’s ok when it gets wild. Thanks for showing this beautiful mess. Love.
Always a pleasure! The forest does not scale back its growth and I'll never forget hiking. It just hit me that only God knows and sees much of the wild places. I think he must enjoy those peaceful, wild places. Maybe we should too. Thank you Jess!❤
I literally went though this last week. For years I have been putting off going through things as I am house hunting in this crazy insane pricing. Feeling temporary and overwhelmed. I sat there one day praying for the right property or home to come along and it just clicked that I thought maybe I'm not finding my next home because I am not taking care of what I do have. And exactly that sorting things to daily needs, seasonal needs and not being able to let it go yet container. It felt so good to push through the "I dont wanna" pity party. To feeling accomplished getting some of it started. If tomorrow the world comes crashing down where we all live currently might be it for a very very long time so I switched to a mindset of staying connected instead of feeling dismissive and Ill worry about it when I move attitude I need to embrace it IS part of "preparing".
Hello Jes and family. Your roses are still producing, gorgeous!
I agree that Pippins Golden is a great pepper. It's on my must grow list, too. I also love Nadapeno and Murasaki Purple peppers.The smaller peppers do much better for us in our eastern NC gardens than the bell types do. I liked your lima bean music.
May you be blessed in the endeavors you are pursuing. May God give you the seasons to the fullest! May you rest.
You're too much of a sweetheart. You don't owe those naysayers any explanation.
the food is never wasted in my house.friends & animals & compost get it❤
Thanks for sharing your wild and beautiful garden, fruit and vegetables left on the plants are how we get seeds and mother nature in all her glory will send the wildlife to enjoy the fruits of your labour and that's where the volunteers come from. ❤
This very well could be, my ALL TIME FAVORITE Roots & Refuge - Garden Tour video ever!!! I love the wilderness of a late summer garden. Its a beautiful fruitful jungle in there Jess!!! 😂🙌💯
What a beautiful garden!! What an amazing bounty. I can tell summer produce must have been glorious.
I love your approach to the garden and the excess. Thank you for sharing!
Re this time of year, I totally do the same thing - harvest what I need and leave 😒 the mess.
Re bitter gourd. The way we use it is- cut into small chunks, sprinkle salt and turmeric on it. The was and drain and sauté or fry - they taste quite yummy and are v good for you. Especially with control of sugar.