A Successful Egg Collection (Anticipating the Garden) | VLOG

The Crazy Chicken Lady Egg Collecting Apron: amzn.to/3wZGmdv
Hailey's mom is still making beautiful pottery. You can follow her here: / rosaliebrushworks
Hey ya'll, I'm Jess from Roots & Refuge Farm
Welcome to a place that feels like home. A small farm with a big family. We hope you'll pull up a chair, grab some coffee and visit awhile.
There was a time that all I wanted in the world was a little farm where I could raise my family and grow our food. Now, that is exactly what exists outside my door. In watching it unfold, a new dream was formed in my heart - to share this beautiful life with others and teach them the lessons we've learned along the way. Welcome to our journey, friend. I am so glad you're here.
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PO Box 4239
Leesville SC 29070
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PRODUCTS WE LOVE - You've probably heard me talk about these things a million times, so here's where you can order them (and get a discount with my code!):
- Greenstalk Vertical Gardens (Use code "ROOTS10" for $10 off your order): rootsandrefuge.com/yt-greenstalk
- Squizito Tasting Room (Use code "ROOTS" for 10% off your order): rootsandrefuge.com/yt-squizito
- ButcherBox: rootsandrefuge.com/butcherbox
- Growers Solution: rootsandrefuge.com/growers-so...
#rootsandrefuge

[@briannaisa2236]

My Husbands favorite saying when he collects Eggs. “ Thanks you ladies for your contributions! Remember an egg a day keeps the Fryer away!” 🤣❤️ He’s totally joking but I think it’s hilarious every time

[@patriotmama]

That is funny! :)

[@Onnada]

Love that.

[@TheSzachuey]

She's waxing visually 🎵❤🙏💯✝️🎶👍😂🥰

[@danagibbs5664]

It’s really a metaphor, isn’t it? Life is as precious and fragile as that mug, but you gotta get out there and enjoy it, despite the risk of loss. Thank you for the reminder!

[@doulacoach6801]

Yes, so true. Well said thank you❣

[@heatherbare3198]

Beautiful. ❤

[@elyamc9456]

Well said!

[@diannamc367]

I had just finished watching this video before I went out to lock the chickens for the night. I locked myself in the new coop! Me climbing out the coop window was not nearly as graceful as Jess climbing over the fence and I only had a plastic watering can with me so I was able to throw that out the window first. Not all of the eggs made it though. I guess I can count it as a win that only one broke!😁 Heading off to wash the pocket omlet out of my coat now. Have a great night all! God bless!!

[@gailmcdonald1946]

You poor girl, ohhh well,it was a good story to share ❤

[@annelaidlaw8634]

Pocket omelet... love it! The next time I trip in the driveway (happens too often lol) I'm using that!

[@roxanneboudreau9806]

I feel you. One winter in the recent past, I got locked in the hay shed, without my phone, of course! I hadn't slid the door open enough and the wind slammed it shut soo fast! I heard the click and my heart kinda sunk. Thank goodness I had my barn coat on with a knife in the pocket! The back side of the shed is heavy canvas, so I climbed up onto the hay, slit an opening, grabbed a branch of the old poplar growing behind the shed, and pulled myself out. LOL Very graceful. The cats now love to play jumping through the hole to the tree branches!

[@tamararobinson2069]

😂🤣 To cute!!

[@renie847]

🤣

[@itsaudreybee]

I love how he said “the consideration of ants.” That combination of words is so beautiful to me.

[@tracyriley2397]

Jess I lost my 34 year old daughter in October of last year, it is hard to find the joy in every day life. But you climbing over that fence cracked me up. That's for the laugh 😃

[@myheartcries9906]

😔🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@ginnysulya9805]

You are in my prayers Tracy! 🙏❤️😘

[@tomdixon7264]

Sorry to hear of your loss. We lost 2 grandsons very young at Christmas in 2014, so we know very well what it's like. Not just the event, but anything you later continually associate with that time of year can be very stressful.

[@leahness3588]

💙🙏💜🙏

[@shannoncook9915]

So sorry for your loss....🙏

[@jenniferrastley7337]

Well done! Gold medal for mug balancing, egg packing, and fence crossing 🏅

[@RootsandRefugeFarm]

Thank you! 😃

[@1stAmbientGrl]

My dad, who will be 87 years old next week, watched your previous video with me. He grew up farming and became a lifelong gardener. His comment for that video was, "That's a helluva greenhouse!" I think he was impressed. 😉

[@lilrockstargurl]

"I am an explosion of color and pattern". Jess i can't think of a better description of you! ❤

[@damama-gc2nm]

What a beautiful chorus of "I love you mom"❤️

[@goneforwater7547]

It was....made me smile

[@manometians]

💖💖💖

[@mackenzieboersen]

Jess! You can really tell you are feeling better, I can't remember when you posted this much! Excited! Can't get enough of the light you put out into the world!

[@FoodThymeAndGarden]

Jessie Girl you getting over the electric fence with 2 dozen plus 3 eggs all the while holding on to the beautiful cup Miah commission from your friend to make was the best moment I've seen on this channel over the years. I applaud you since I am well aware of the daily struggles and a born gifted stubborn streak where we woman can multi task and do anything anywhere anytime anyhow , anyway Loved it .. Hugs from a plus 6 decades old fellow stubborn gardener, who was transplanted from Florida to Canada over 3 decades ago. Bless your heart and your ever glowing smiles and faith as we share those two things deeply together. Hugs from Laura

[@rebeccafox5041]

Using her mugs is a great way to honor her memory. She would not want you to just look at them. Hailey was a great artist. She would have made painting to look at if she did not want them to be used. You truely have a precious heart.

[@WhittAcresHomestead]

Im growing goats as my new things this year! I'm so excited!

[@janeygunn4311]

That'll be so fun!

[@hankwilliams4093]

Can't wait!

[@kilochase5560]

Thats great, Ill be watching.

[@tess5564]

I love this! What kind of goats did you get?!

[@belenlopez9937]

Jess, you have really inspired me to start my own homestead. I’m only 23 and I think I want this all to happen right now but I know I have to be patient just like gardening is all about patience. I’m starting with what I can in my little apartment with a green stalk and canning stuff and I’m even on a waitlist for a raised bed at a community garden! You have been such a wealth of knowledge but I still have so much to learn! Thank you for making these videos and sharing your wisdom ❤

[@InTheGarden2070]

Do you have your green stalk inside your apartment? I'm trying that myself. I've almost got it filled with potting soil. I was wondering if anyone has used a green stalk in their house. ';D

[@tst1200]

Also wondering. Had my greenstalk outside for my first year with it but my landlord said it couldn't be out. So wanting to bring it in I don't have a tray thoughfor under it currently so dk how to keep floor dry and clean. Don't have a spinner either Would have corner windows though . Not sure what I want to do Kinda expensive just for the spinner mover.

[@nancyschneider7746]

Maybe get some grow lights to supplement what comes through the window.

[@ArreisMorsCI]

THE PERFECT MODEL!!!!! Jess, you are the PERFECT MODEL for that apron!!!! A homesteader, so open, honest, LOVING, and who ADORES her chickens as much as you do??? Who else to show off such a GORGEOUS APRON than you????? You are modest, but you LOVE and SUPPORT you local businesses and friends... Hold your head up high as you share your montage of colours and patterns of HAPPINESS with the world!!! YOU make the world a brighter, better and more JOYFUL place. THANK YOU!!! Cindy Ings, NL, Canada

[@amyharris7337]

That mug is beautiful! I love that you are using it. It reminds me of the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker. Beautiful craftsman workmanship, whether it be mugs or quilts, are meant to be used and enjoyed and it honors the one who created them all the more. I didn't get to make my pollinator/herb garden last year and I am so excited about that at our new home. I have a lovely spot that my bedroom window overlooks where I will plant that.

[@kathybergman4409]

I had never read the Alice Walker story you referred to, but I found it at faculty.weber.edu/jyoung/english%206710/everyday%20use.pdf A wonderful story, thank you.

[@kewpiefan72]

One of the most precious part of your vlogs is the calm, beautiful guitar in the background. Thank you for inserting daniel’s beautiful music in your wonderful, friendly, happy videos!

[@suesweetpea7]

I am most excited to grow everything because for 3 years I had surgeries they kept me from growing like I wanted in my garden. I was only able to care for 2 Floradade tomato plants and a sun sugar cherry last year. I am now able to walk in my garden without constant pain in my neck and back and without the fear of becoming paralyzed with one wrong move. I thank God for seeing me through those 3 years and for giving me my health back.

[@tristinlovett3815]

Last season I grew a tomato variety that was cultivated in my province and it was the first to produce and it produced longest. So I went searching for other heritage seeds from my province. I was able to find a bean, corn, cucumber, melon and more tomato varieties. I'm really excited to grow them and see how much better they do and I enjoyed reading about the history of these seeds.

[@citizenengagement]

Which tomato variety? And which province? I'm in Alberta and had amazing success with the Manitoba Variety last year.

[@tristinlovett3815]

@@citizenengagement I'm in Quebec and I grew Petit Moineau (current type) and also two Alberta cold region varieties that did really well too (Sub-Arctic cherry and Centennial Rocket). This year I'm adding Quebec varieties Plourde, Sylvan Gaume and Mémé de Beauce (which are beefsteak and oxheart type)

[@Tracysop1]

This is my first year of seed starting, so everything is new! I am excited to repeat the things I grew as transplants last year, but starting most of them this year as seeds. Tomatoes are the things I’m most excited about, I guess. I had an abysmal year with my tomatoes last year, but I learned so much. I’m also pretty stressed. I have a huge learning curve this year because I’m moving to raised beds AND seed starting. I’ve been planning and sourcing since last fall, but between my lack of knowledge, supply issues, and a prolonged illness (which I’m SO thankful to be over), I’m getting started late for my frost date. Forging ahead, though, because even flub ups are my learning experiences.

[@laurenb7268]

This year is different than last year because we have twins due in June, so I plan to have a garden mostly for fresh eating and sharing with those who want to come help out. Cherry tomatoes, Paul Robeson tomatoes per my husband's request, lots of flowers for fresh flower bouquets, peppers which have been a huge craving this pregnancy, pole beans for my trellises, and lots of basil for basil tea are a few of the things that I'm most excited about! Some people have told me not to bother with a garden so I don't feel too stressed while caring for new babies, but I have found it to be a place that pulls me outside and helps me to feel reenergized! But if it all goes south, Jess, I will be living vicariously through you!

[@reneebeason7471]

Hopefully they won’t, but if the mugs do break, save the pieces and turn them into a mosaic or fairy garden. 💗

[@veronicadelancey-smith6408]

Jess, I must tell you that you are a smile personified! The joy you radiate when walking around your farm makes these gray days in New York so much brighter!

[@mrsB0915]

The last thing my grandmother made was a baby blanket for my daughter, she passed 2 months before my daughter was born. Initially I felt like I had to preserve this blanket and keep it safe from ever being ruined, but then I reminded myself how much joy it would bring my grandma to see my daughter snuggling up with the blanket. Now my 18 month old daughter totes her special blanket every where with her ❤

[@debsenritchedrefuge603]

So grateful to see you living your life with special gifts in hand and cherish Hailey in all her passions celebrating her life!! Enjoy your day with Passion!❤

[@styleme3375]

I’m a maker. I make all kinds of things and I love nothing more than to see people enjoying the things I’ve made. Same goes for things I’ve been given. When I pull out my great grandma’s quilt I think of her. I know every single stitch she took was done just for me. That’s the special thing about creating things that didn’t exist until you did, often they exist long after you.

[@debsenritchedrefuge603]

@@styleme3375 Amen to all of your precious thoughts and actions enjoying your special treasures. I have many of the same with using and sharing! I just gifted dear lifelong family friends their wedding Photos as their Photographer, for the Bride I held in my arms when she was 8 hrs old, just two days after meeting them at the Safeway store when my only son was 3 months. God is Good Always! I will be photographing get brothers wedding in July as a gift!! It's a blessing to give and know it is appreciated by them and many! Blessings ❤️

[@SignsForSustenance]

You said exactly what I was thinking about your amalgamation of patterns Jess! 😂 Haha. I could hear my mom saying in Spanish, "pareces chile con huevo". Which to her means "you look scrambled eggs with salsa" haha just a big mix of colors. Lol. She would say it to me when I started picking my own outfits, and she hated that I didnt pick well matching colors/patterns. Haha! Good memories.

[@manometians]

🤣🤣🤣 I am going to have to use that one!

[@barbarabartlett2804]

My mama always said I looked like a spicy stir fry...so many cprs..no matching..but still good taste

[@salettamyers8845]

That mug has the most beautiful painting on it- so much love for you was put into it💙 Thanks for the giggles of you going over the fence- I know many of us held our breaths silently praying while you did- That apron rocks!(I try to watch the whole video before commenting)

[@cloverdo-over2541]

Yes use the mugs! When my friend Leslie died in 2012 I struggled hard. I couldn't use the bread maker she had bought me just three months before. As a single mom of three I knew she couldn't afford that breadmaker. Yet she truly wanted me to have it for so many reasons. 😔 She never intended it as a shelf sitter, rather as a tool to make my busy life easier. So I bake the bread. It doesn't always have to be kneaded by hand to be made with love. And should a mug break, fret not. It is not gone. It can be reshapped. I make mosaics for relaxation. They're very simple. It could always become part of a stepping stone through your lovely garden!

[@karinvanspaendonk9917]

This was a hilarious one 😆 The apron is eggtastic!!!

[@tinatippin5705]

Priceless, Jess. So good to see your eyes brighty and your joy hopping a fence. Wearing an apron full of eggs...well...just the icing on the cake.

[@patriotmama]

What a precious mug! Yes, we need to use the things precious to us. I have pieces that were my Great Grandmothers, my Grandmothers, and my Mom's that I had stored away for fear of breaking them. A few years ago, I got them all out and started using them every day. My granddaughters help me in the kitchen many times and with gardening. It gives me a great chance to tell them about all their grandmother's past. About their lives and how they lived. How they taught me to cook from scratch, can and feed my family from our garden and our animals. They are really interested and I was happy of that. My Grandfather came to IL from Neb. when he was four yrs. old in a covered wagon and they farmed in this area, he met my Grandmother and they married when he was 21 and she was 16. They raised 9 kids in the heart of the depression and I love passing on the stories of our entire family. Now they call the different pieces like Grandma Jeannine's platter, Great Grand Birdie's bowl. I love it! I am trying comfrey this year. I am making a bigger herb/flower part in my garden and I am going to grow some herbs in planters right off my back door. Always had them in the garden before. Doing some right by the back door this year. Just waiting a little longer to start some seeds. I am so looking forward to warm spring days and getting out in the garden again! That is my happy place!

[@thehobbyhomestead]

I moved to my new place April '21 but also had another baby in June of that year so didn't set up any gardens that year. We observed and planned, and in '22 we planted our orchard. We didn't have it in us to build my dream potager garden until the snow started flying last fall. I am BEYOND excited to get my veg growing space back this year!! I grew some things in pots and in random piles of dirt in the orchard last year, but I've so missed my sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, rows and rows of fresh, sweet carrots... and the new thing I'm excited for this year is a dedicated 8'x3' raised bed with a rodent and bird proof cage for strawberries! I've never grown them to the point of harvest because I couldn't keep the critters out, but we've designed a garden fort knox and I am jumping out of my skin with excitement for the '23 harvest year....

[@laurachatwin7816]

Two things today: as a maker of things, I want people to use the things I make. It hurts my heart to think they're just hiding away for sentimental reasons. So use those mugs. Watching your boys with the ants reminded me. When I was in elementary school, me and my friends found a tree with earth worms under it. In the mud we made them a village. A hospital, a school, store, and houses. We thought we were helping them.

[@taraconroy6631]

So well said. It too hurts my heart when the little handmade items I make don't get used. It's ok to lose or break them I say, just use it, love it and think of me 💗

[@debwallace100]

I didn't get to have a garden last year, due to health reasons. So I'm super excited for this year! Side note...that is one of the most beautiful mugs I've ever seen 🥰

[@marshashelley8668]

I agree! Beautiful mug!

[@chrissihr1031]

We’re expanding this year. We’ve grown just some tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, herbs, bell peppers, and sunchokes in the past. This year, we’re adding beans, beets, carrots, and greens. And I’ve got a tiny pack of Dr. Wychee’s seeds to try growing for the very first time! Your light is shining so bright in this video. It’s like you’ve really turned a corner and rediscovered joy all of a sudden. I’m so happy for you, Jess!

[@katiesan865]

I’ve always wanted to try sunchokes. Are they pretty easy to grow?

[@chrissihr1031]

@@katiesan865 Yes! They grow better than most weeds. 😂 We grew them in bags to limit how far they’d spread in the garden and they absolutely thrived in grow bags. You just have to water them a little more often and mulch them heavily with grass clippings.

[@renie847]

I'm interested in growing sunchokes, are they easy to start? Are they tasty?

[@chrissihr1031]

@@renie847 They taste sort of … like a cross between a tuber and beans? They are very easy to grow. They’re basically just a sunflower with a very tasty root. If you want more root growth, cut off the stems at about three feet high so the plant puts more energy into spreading out at the base instead of budding flowers.

[@renie847]

@@chrissihr1031 thanks.

[@kacielangley800]

Dear sweet Jessica! My grandmother (who planted the seed in my heart at a very young age to garden) is very ill. Possibly not making it thru the weekend. My 13 year old faithful dog is declining in health and in a lot of pain. We are trying to prolong the inevitable. My 23 year old sorrel friend show horse who has been with me for more than half my life is probably going to be losing his eye very soon. I am 34 weeks pregnant with our 4th child and all of these things have weighed on me so heavily today. This video and the cheerfulness and your laughter have made me smile. Thank you for that gift. ❤

[@jeannerolig6042]

The way you have discovered to live using your precious things is truly the way to feel life more fully. May Hailey feel close to you each time you drink from her mug creations! I would much rather risk losing a precious thing than see it blank and unused, taking up space on some shelf. Brava, Jess.

[@valcourisland1776]

I’m excited to try carrots. We have clay, so they have not worked, but now I have a raised bed I’m going to give them another chance. Speaking of clay, we have amazingly great success growing red pontiac potatoes in clay…not sure why, but 3 years in a row, harvest over 200lbs😳

[@cryttersytter]

Ok Jess, you had me laugh on the floor with the eggs, mug, camera and fence!!! You are the best. Thank you for supporting fellow sista's 🥰

[@beetee3272]

The joy you get from using them is the sole purpose they were created 🥰

[@LoveGrowLiveFree]

Hi, Jess

[@LoveGrowLiveFree]

BTW, watching you climb over that fence really was endearing. have watched you for years and you're always so inspiring. You're why I started that raised bed in Oregon because you made me believe I COULD.

[@braheemmonroe11]

Jess, your videos are god’s gift to all humanity!!! I’m growing yard long beans, cherry tomatoes, peppers, okra and sweet potatoes again. And try my hands at growing a lot of medicinal plants, herbs, and try Bee keeping .

[@kellyfrench163]

What I am most excited for this year: To start off with a back story, I had to take down my garden last fall. We have some very unfriendly neighbors who caused a lot of problems, so spending time in our yard is a no-go. But in doing that, it opened up an opportunity for me to reach out to my friends and community and host a beginner gardener/plant fanatic get-together once a week in April and May! I'm not usually one to lead anything (I definitely prefer being in the background), but I am so excited to build friendships and community around this!!!

[@marigoldmeadowsfarm7495]

My oldest granddaughter is getting married in October. She wants me to grow the flowers which will be tricky to get things blooming at the right time. She has sensory disorder & has always loved my herb gardens. She wants the tables decorated with fragrant herbs like thyme, mint, sage oregano, basils, lemon balm. I think a miniature tomatoes would perfect. I’ve done parties with where my flowers or herbs were used. I pray we’ve got this. 🙈 this most important day.

[@lindamohr5767]

I had slugs and grubs last year that ate my tomatoes, potatoes, cantaloupe. I will be splitting my 8,000 square foot garden in 1/2 this year. Half vegetables and half cut flowers. I'm so nervous and excited at the same time. Jess I have been watching you for years now. You are my inspiration for growing a large scale garden. You have given me the confidence I needed. Thank you for everything you do.

[@suerenshaw2728]

When you climbed over that fence with all those eggs in your apron. All I could think of was when Lucy and Ricky did the tango with the big finish! 😂❤😂 Good job!

[@katrinajernell2575]

My dad was really sick at the end of summer ‘21. When he passed away in October his garden had grown and produced without him. When we went to his funeral in November we gathered some peppers and beans that hadn’t yet rotted. They’d frozen and thawed and frozen and thawed but hadn’t rotted. I got the seeds, dried them, and babied them for planting in the summer of ‘22. It was a whole different climate and the seeds weren’t the best, but I got one pepper to mature and a small row of beans from which I saved every seed. I’m starting those seeds this year. Having my dad’s beans and peppers growing in my garden is something I’m really looking forward too.

[@lovegrows7814]

This year I am most excited to plant greasy back beans! An older gentleman at our church gave me a bunch of the seeds. They’re a family greasy back seed that has been collected since the late 1800s! I told him my grandmother loved greasy back beans and if I could grow them for her she would be tickled pink! Spring can’t get here fast enough 🥰

[@marisasteward4879]

My landlords recently took out all the ornamental plants that bordered the front of my house and I’ve been fixated on the elephant ears you had last summer! I am beyond stoked to be able to plant something temporary that’s so big and vibrant in the front of my super cute bungalow that’s become so sad without plant life!! And ofc I’m desperate for my veggies and herbs to get going. :)

[@rhop8285]

It’s my first year starting from seed and my second year gardening in general. I’m excited to try multiple of your favorite tomato varieties. I’ve learned so much from you! Most excited to try Paul Robeson, Sungold cherry tomatoes, black cherry, rosella, dr.wyches. Jimmy nardello and giant Marconi peppers. Sugar rush peach, Habanada! Super super excited for all of these. And my seedlings are already doing so well:) thank you for all the recommendations and informational content:)

[@homegrownbyhillary]

Great choices! Sungolds and Paul Robesons are probably our absolute favorites, though we enjoy black cherry too (haven't tried the others). We thought the jimmy nardellos were excessively seedy the year we grew them but maybe it was something about the season. The flavor was still good. Love the habanadas, and we're trying sugar rush peach this year!

[@rhop8285]

@@homegrownbyhillary thanks! When I ordered my seeds I looked out for recommendations. Those consistently had great reviews. I’ll have to see about those! My sugar rush peach never came up😭 so I just reseeded them. They’ll be a little behind but we have a long growing season.

[@Limonleslie]

Tucson, Arizona. 2nd year gardener. I grew Kajari melons with great success! My husband and I love them, dogs and chickens do too. I harvested the seeds and shared them with my gardener friends. Getting ready to start the new seedlings from my harvested seeds. Wish me luck friends!! My first seeds came from Bakers creek.

[@pearljamin]

Most excited for new medicinal perennial herbs from seed like stinging nettle. I’m hopeful it’ll help me feel more confident foraging. Oh and flowers for drying. Almost everything I’ve ever grown was medicinal or edible. Most excited repeat is probably going to be potatoes. They’ve been fairly easy and prolific, and they are my daughters favorite. I love the time and joy we share in the process 🌱💚

[@trevamakesit]

I am so glad to see you using and cherishing your friends mug, it is beautiful! As a potter I truly appreciate when people use the mugs I make and not let them sit on a shelf to be looked at, that means a lot to me personally. This year I'm excited to add Roselle to my tea garden and Amish paste tomatoes to my garden, two things I have been wanting to try for a while. Burpless beauty cucumbers are my favorite regulars. And as always, thank you for being you, you are a blessing to me.

[@LoneTraveler-nc6rf]

Farm chic is the best way to live. The egg apron is fantastic, what a terrific gift item. Thank you for sharing your mug story. Something that was useful for me to hear this afternoon. ❤

[@tessaholtegaard3045]

I didn’t get my garden expansion done last year. Life priorities took over my planting season. I’m just excited to get that done and grow more everything. Pretty and precious things aren’t meant to be stuffed in a cupboard. I have candy in my Grandma’s candy dish for the first time in decades. It was stuffed in a hutch at my parents house for years. It lives on my kitchen table now. Yes, there will definitely be times it gets put up for safe keeping but there’s joy in making use of things as intended rather than letting those memories collect dust.

[@launettewood]

I remember when my youngest son read Eragon. He’s 28 now and building raised garden beds for his wife. I’m excited to start seeds with her this weekend. Returning favorites sunrise bumblebee tomato, coral fountain amaranth, and dancing with smurfs tomato. Oh and motherland okra, it was taller than my house last year!

[@jayceesandvig8482]

I grew shishito peppers for the first time last year after seeing them on this channel, and we had such a good experience with them and will be trying them again. This year is mostly peppers, because I came into possession of a large variety of seeds. Hoping to get some Greenstalks this year when/if the Mothers Day sale happens! Thanks for sharing your day with us, Jess!

[@brittanygunn4701]

Last year was my first year gardening. I have one small raised bed and some containers I plant in. Im most excited to grow zucchini and bell peppers again. Also I’m excited to try to grow green onions and more herbs! Im not growing cucumbers again because that’s a journey I’m not ready for again! 😆

[@loricoventry3967]

I love your videos. You have inspired me to keep gardening. My husband and I bought our house six years ago and I have struggled with my garden every year because of bad soil and bad weather except for last year. We built 7 raised beds and I finally got a great harvest. I live in northern ontario canada so our growing season is quite short but with your channel helping me with obstacles I have been able to get excited about gardening again. Thank you so much for the content you provide. You are a blessing to me.

[@emmylivingston4380]

One thing I hope to never leave out of my garden is the silver slicer cucs thank you Jess... I'm trying garlic and okra for the first time ever. I have not yet mastered the successful tomato harvest but it gets better every year. I'm also wanting to try growing different varieties of basil for teas, again Thank you Jess!! Come on Spring!!

[@elyamc9456]

I haven’t even watched the full video yet, but I wanted to tell you how much the first part touched my heart. My dad passed away suddenly coming up on 2 years ago, and I’ve been doing the same things with things he gifted me.. thank you for the reminder that’s not how to live life ❤

[@NatalieL523]

My life is so chaotic right now and your videos make me feel so calm. 🥹 Thank you for being you.

[@kimback2741]

I know ... she just brings me a sense of peace and joy watching her.

[@spinninggardener]

With my new blank slate, I'm excited to start all the home saved flower seeds to bring part of my old garden to life in the new garden!❤️

[@cortneykonopasek2023]

Because of you I will never go without Kellogg’s 🍅, and new are herbs for tea! I’ll grow anything for fun. Thank you for your inspiration, support, and wisdom you share!

[@erikalouwrens3992]

Noooo Jess! Don't end the video now! We want to see Miah's reaction to the egg apron!

[@SageandStoneHomestead]

I'm trying a bush watermelon variety that only gets 18 inch vines and produces 2-3 picnic size melons each vine. Should be fun for the greenhouse. It's powdery mildew resistant. I'm Aldo doing cowpeas thanks to you. As far as something I'm repeating in my garden, I'll always grow Belgian Giant Tomatoes ♡♡

[@homegrownbyhillary]

I'm most excited to plant a garden for my parents this year. They're retired and enjoy homegrown food but just want something simple and low maintenance, so I got my mom a greenstalk that she can put on the patio and I'm putting in a raised bed with a cattle panel trellis wall for dad's tomatoes. I'm starting their favorite plants from seed and so looking forward to getting them set up with a proper garden this spring!

[@carasteinborn3291]

We moved last year just as our twins were born, so I didn’t have a garden at all. I’m building a brand new space and excited at the prospect of learning all new things in my much sunnier yard.

[@sueglovan8344]

I’m excited to grow my dwarf tomatoes, peas and Tom Thumb lettuce (they are so cute). I’m replanting my pollinators circle, including 1000 sunflowers. This area was our daughter’s riding ring when she was young. I’m planting 8 green stalks in my greenhouse. Fingers crossed that I can get a few hens. Nervous about their safety with my big Rhodesian ridgeback dogs around. Do you think the electric fence provides enough protection? Happy planning planting everyone!

[@slh9564]

A beautiful mug, it is a real work of art. It's good that you can now get it out for its intended use and smile while doing so. The heart mends.

[@kerrierichards2894]

This year (well, last year) I had a fantastic garlic crop, so decided to put some yellow bush beans in the same garden for a quick turnaround crop inbetween seasons. I've previously only done climbing beans, but the bush beans were AMAZING! So prolific, and really sweet. I've harvested kilos of them, and have pickles and ferments in the kitchen.

[@RKmarie2011]

I absolutely love the mug sentiment. I have felt that way about objects before as well. It is freeing and a beautiful way to honor her memory by using her handiwork.

[@sharoncardenas5447]

There's nothing like growing your most favorites!!! Love Roots & Refuge! 😇🍅🙏

[@jenn6838]

Thanks for the laughs Jess. The getting over the fence with the camera, best mug ever!, and 27 eggs was my favorite part! Fantastic every-day vlog on the farm.

[@SueHubbard-gg5dm]

Life is so busy for me right now. We are getting ready to sell our house and buy a new one, so I know things are going to but crazy. I dont even know what kind of garden space we will have. I put in a very small order from Baker Creek for the first time ever. I ordered Cherakee Purple tomato seeds, also some red Rubine Brussel sprouts and the Boston pickling cucumbers. I am putting them in big containers, and we will see. These are all new to me . I can't live without home grown veggies.

[@RainbowMiller]

i love that about the mugs from your friend. If one breaks, you could put the pieces into a garden stepping stone to still admire them! 🤍🤍

[@jenifur81]

I'm excited to try Kajari melons, rutabaga, parsnip & banana melons! I'm looking forward to growing Zinnias, Cosmos, Borage and turnips again and I'm definitely not gonna be trying broccoli or cauliflower again (too much work for literally nothing but food for pests!) Thank you so much for all your videos and podcasts etc!! Definitely my daily dose of positiveness!!! God bless and much love from NW Oregon 💕

[@lindabrinson3999]

Agree on the broccoli and cauliflower! Maybe I’ll try a fall crop .

[@FourBranchesFarm]

My garden was not a great success last year, mostly due to neglect on my part, but I'm super excited to try again this year! I'm excited to be growing Napa Gold grape tomatoes again this year. That is the one thing that did well last year. I'm trying multiple herbs for the first time and can't wait to be able to cook with them!

[@joannamiller8017]

Those lil boys are Angels!!! I miss my little men all grown up,. But there very sweet when they are grown as well.. God bless!

[@tealbruce7145]

Should one of your favorite mugs be broken, it could become a "fairy" house in a garden bed. It could become a pretty piece to place in a large flower pot. It could become a piece of mosaic. It could become a pendant. It could become, all of the above! Broken things still hold their beauty, they just spread it a little bit further.

[@susanclair8623]

Jess, I am excited about the whole newness of having a garden for the first time. And persevering the bounty from it.

[@jodimartinez8952]

Hubby wants to grow corn, we will be growing tomatoes, tomatillo jalapenos, chili's, okra, watermelons that the grandbabies love. Love your podcasts!

[@nancycusson8861]

Looking forward to getting moved in to our new 24 acre homestead in Camden, SC and getting our first batch of chicks and seeing the first sprouts come up in the raised garden beds. We move in next week.

[@jennbidwelledwardson2885]

We started with 1 raised bed in 2021 and added the second in 2022, along with some containers. I hope to add a 3rd raised bed this spring. I will grow squash because we like them. I grow mostly amish paste tomatoes for sauce and crushed tomatoes. Don't throw an egg at me, I don't really like fresh tomatoes. But I grew a cherry tomatoe variety last year my husband LOVED. He said they were like eating candy. I'll have to see if I have a record of it. I planted a lot, a little earlier than anticipated. I had a week's notice to 1, work my full time job; 2, pack for a 5 week trip to CA; 3, make sure my husband was set to be on his own-yes he is fully capable but I love taking care of him and 4, plant my garden. It was a crazy week, and I video chatted him through a lot of the care while I was away. I don't often grow peppers, but I want to try a couple of varieties this year. I grew snap peas last year for the first time and will again this spring. I am going to try for cabbages again this year. I successfully grew them in the 1990's. When we moved, I tried, but despite my efforts, they were decimated by critters, so I quit trying. Moved in 2019, and so far, cabbage worms destroyed the first year's attempt, and they just never grew last year. I had a few leaves, but no heads. So I'll try a few seeds again this year and see how it goes. Thanks for the inspiration to keep trying despite the speed bumps, or perhaps, because of what I learned from the speed bumps.

[@thenortonfamilyhomestead]

My mom made a friend of mine an egg apron! They're actually so cute 😂 and super functional!

[@carlagustka325]

This was so cute! It's fun to laugh with you at the same precarious things I myself would do lol

[@darleneburroughs6426]

My 2 daughters and I are building our first close to the house garden space with a great deal of container and raised bed style. They are 30 and 26 yrs old and one used a power wheelchair. Our goal is to garden with accessibility in mind and to do veggies and flowers. Looking forward to trying basil/tea for the first time. dwarf and micro tomatoes and some new flower varieties we've never done. Use to have a 25/45 foot garden space but gave that up for many reasons years ago. So excited to start over.

[@BootsandBountyHomestead]

I made my dad one of those aprons a few years ago, and I now have it back to use myself! ❤️ We just bought a new homestead so I'm just excited to start NEW gardens and GROW! I had 400 sqft at my last house in the city....now I have upwards of 3 acres not wooded that I can grow all the things! I actually am not buying any seeds this year to try and use up my storage so I can collect my own seeds from what I grow or buy what seeds I don't have fresh in the coming years. I just finished a video showing my garden layout we wanna do, so I'm excited to get that going soon!!!! Yay!!!!

[@staciezelling9378]

I have felt a similar way about some mugs that we collect for each Christmas. I finally realised that if they did get broken they can be super glued back together, then they can be put on display and "collect dust".

[@MegBeg19]

I grew tomatillos and jalapeños 2 years ago for the first time and LOVED making salsa verde and pepper jelly. Last year I was pregnant and completely forgot to get the tomatillo seeds planted (or I started the seeds but they never made it out into the garden….. I don’t remember.) and my jalapeños got sun scorched because I forgot to put up my shade cloth. Thanks pregnancy brain! This year all my summer seedlings are thriving and I’m looking forward to (attempting to) garden with my sweet baby girl in tow. 🥰

[@ourgoldenacre2695]

I had a friend that majored in art and ceramics. She always said it is pottery destiny to break, because if it doesn't, it was never used. This year I am growing Pippens Golden Honey peppers from Baker Creek. They are so sweet they are like snacking on a piece of fruit. New stuff: we added on to our garden. We used our chickens to scratch up a space and covered it heavily with grass clippings and leaves. I am looking forward to see how this method works for us.

[@heathermacdonald6404]

If your mug ever breaks, Jess, you can use it in a mosaic. We have a huge collection of broken crockery from our family's years together, and my daughters and I are turning it all into mosaics for the garden. My dad used to make tile mosaics on garden tables. So pretty! A mosaic would be a nice addition to your greenhouse. Happy gardening!

[@debrathompson1780]

Nadapenos U& Zucchini 'in ground' vs pots. I expanded my 2nd year garden in SW MO. Thanks to Jess, Living Traditions I learned how to successfully garden again. 2022 summer was brutal here. HOT & dry. I was thankful I brought my TX 'Survival Tools' & had my new Jess skills. **Cattle panels, trimming plants, woven fabric, drip watering & SHADE cloth.** My 6 lil tomato plants survived the heat & produced a crazy abundance up until the evening b4 1st frost in NOV. I gave lbs of green tomatoes away that night. I got to meet & know my new neighbors by sharing cukes & tomatoes all season. One neighbor gave me used fence mat'l in return. BONUS! KZbin University rocks. LOL

[@missthang4770]

Okra (never grown them before). Jamaican Scotch Bonnet peppers (fruity, just hot enough). Onions from home-saved seeds. These are ingredients for a very flavourful dish (one of my late father's favourite) that I'm especially excited about for this year.

[@jackcsaffell5641]

Two things Ms Jessica. 1. I am going to direct sow impatien seeds instead of buying the 4" pots already in bloom. I have never direct sown impatiens before so I bought 600 seeds. They are slightly larger than tomato seeds. 2. I'm going to let my tomatoes plants pop up whenever they have a mind to grace my garden. My grandson didn't have time to eat all the cherry tomatoes last year so I felt bad that we let so many go to waste. God bless your seed starting this year.

[@childofgod94]

My son passed away last summer, way too young, he barely made it to his 21st birthday. I still can't look at the few things I have that were his. Can't look at his picture even without just falling apart. I know this is not how I am supposed to deal with this situation but I haven't been able to bare it any other way. I think I will start trying again though. Thank you for sharing that about your friend and the beautiful artwork she made as well as your ability to move forward.

[@becky1420]

I too used to keep precious things locked away just in case, or for special occasions, but you know what? Every day is special. Tomorrow is never promised, and what is the point of beautiful or precious things if we don’t use them? I’m sure Haley is smiling down on you, laughing at you juggling everything over the fence. Thank you for bringing a little joy to me through my screen, Jess. Your laugh is contagious ❤

[@shawnmcpeak6184]

The mug is Beautiful. Using the items shows more love and respect for the artist.

[@klong0001]

Last year we tried so many new things: Cherokee Purple and San Marzano Tomatoes, Chineese Green Noodle Beans, Nadapenos and Banana Peppers, and some hot peppers. The tomatoes and beans will be making a come back (and we'll be adding a few more rows for those things), as well as most of the peppers. We're going to be growing more Bell peppers rather than "snack" peppers, and we've decided to grow Kale and other leafy greens for us and our meat rabbits.

[@dianwilliams3186]

Newly retired and trying to find my way. I ordered some of those dwarf tomatoes and started just three seeds today. I’m excited about watching those grow. Didn’t have any tomatoes last year. I want these to grow in pots. Last year we had successfully grown okra with four plants. Harvested so much okra and won’t do that again. Not my favorite. Did get to share so much of the okra and that was a blessing. Love that new apron. It makes so much sense but maybe not for climbing fences. I have my favorite mugs too. Glad you are using it. I bless you too! Until tomorrow…