It's Kiwi time

The Kiwis are ripening so we know it's time to make our delicious Kiwi Jam. We have been sold out since last May due to a poor kiwi crop in 2020. However, this year we picked over 200 kiwis. Our supply is fully stocked and ready for you Kiwi lovers.

Satsuma Orange Jelly

We visited our South Georgia relatives for Thanksgiving and returned home with two bushels of Satsumas from the family farm. Of course, what did we do with them?  make Satsuma Jelly.......and Minted Satsuma Bites. Just in time for Christmas gifts and holiday cooking. 

Check out the pics  below.

Turnips and other greens

It seems as if we've transitioned from nice warm weather to the 30's and 50's. Not the optimum conditions for plants we have been nurturing since April but fine for the collards, broccoli, mustard and turnips. We love walking through the Backyard Garden and harvesting what's ready to eat, like the turnips below.

Backyard Garden Creations is also going strong with holiday gift giving. Let us know if we can help you with that unique Christmas gift. We are here for you!

Picking before the first frost

 Saturday was harvest time before the first frost of the season arrived. We picked a half bushel of kiwi and all varieties of peppers. We also move our bucket peppers which are still producing, into the greenhouse.

Check out the pictures below.

Eat Local. 

The end of market season

Market season ended this past Saturday with the Deer Festival in Monticello. While the weather was chilly, the customers turned out in droves. It was wonderful to see everyone who came to stock up for the winter months.  Many thanks to our Monticello Friends and especially Mandy and Brandi who did a great job organizing 3000 visitors

Of course, the end of market season brings the beginning of our Holiday season. Our jams and jellies are great for stocking stuffers and gifts for neighbors and friends.

Check out what's available and email me if we can help you stuff the stockings or feed your guests!

Eat Local- Garden to table.

The muscadines have arrived

 It's that time of year again. Pears are being picked for vanilla pear jam, pear preserves and pear relish. It's also time for muscadines. We picked 2 bushels of the grapes last weekend and we are eagerly anticipating the sweet muscadine jelly. 

We look forward to sharing our produce with you this coming weekend.

Eat Local!!

Another weekend of markets

 Another weekend of markets is upon us and we are ready to serve your needs. We have plenty of stock in seasonal jams and jellies and also fresh produce. While garden ripe tomatoes are few and far between, our supplies of peppers, both sweet and spicy, okra and pears are in abundance.

Hope to see you again this weekend. Arrive early and beat the heat!!

100 and above for the markets this weekend.

 Due to the excessive heat predicted this weekend, we will only be at the market for a half  day in Forsyth.

No worries though shop early before the humidity sets in. We will be open and ready to serve you at 7:30 AM.

Eat Local!

Figs, Hot bananas and Jalapenos

 A wonderful mid-summer combination of garden gifts! Backyard full of peppers and front yard full of figs.  Time to make pickled peppers, fig jam, whole fig preserves, and bourbon fig jelly. 

Figs Are Busting Loose!

We go to great heights to harvest and bring to you Fig Jams-Jellies-Whole Fig Preserves.  We are always excited when the figs arrive and they have in abundance this week.  Just wish the squirrels did not know it was time to harvest!  They are relentless in gathering figs each day. The fig war has begun!

Figs are on the way!

Excited to find the first round of figs!  We love this time in July when the Strawberry Fig Jam, Whole Fig Preserves, and Bourbon Fig Jelly becomes a daily ritual in the Backyard Garden kitchen.

Come and check out the seasonal additions to our farmer's market table. 

 

Dill and Butterflies

Not only do we share with you various jams, jellies, and pickles from the Backyard Garden we share the dill plants with Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars!  Looking forward the the fall when the butterflies emerge and grace the gardens. 

Watching over the garden

 Another early morning sight to see at the Backyard Garden is the hawk ruling his roost. This one visits often and we are always amazed at the wingspan as he departs.

Stay safe from the weather and we'll see you this weekend!

Morning Walk In the Backyard Garden

Early morning is the best time to enjoy and appreciate the bounty of the garden.  A 6:30 coffee stroll is the normal start to many mornings before the heat and work of the day begins. 

Towering Big Tomatoes

 

Our backyard  is truly a Zen Garden in so many ways.  Early morning walks with the sunrise, watching the goldfinches enjoy seeds from the corn tassels and zinnias. We were so tired tonight after working in the garden and making jellies,  the tomatoes became Zen Rocks! I think Tomato Sandwich for dinner.

Hope to see you this weekend at the markets! (Tomato Jam, Tomato Relish coming your way!)

Another weekend of markets!

 Just a quick snapshot reflecting the variety of fresh vegetables picked from the Backyard Garden today which will be at the Farmer's Markets this weekend. Also Blue Lake Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes will be at the table early. Can't wait to see you and chat about what is coming from your garden! Don't forget the Zucchini Bread fresh baked. 

After a day of working in the garden we decided to enjoy a fresh vegetable pizza of eggplant, squash, cherry tomatoes, and basil for dinner. 

Another market weekend.

 Another weekend of markets is upon us and the vegetables are in full GO mode!

We will bring a variety of sweet peppers and also some hot cayenne and jalapeno peppers. Blue Lake green beans are also in abundance as are the eggplant.

Shop early and beat the rush. Eat Local!!

This weekend's produce

 Even though there's a chance of rain on both Friday and Saturday, our produce is beginning to be harvested on a regular basis.

Take a look at what you can purchase along with our jams, jellies and breads.

Also, sweet banana peppers, hot banana peppers and a variety of sweet roasting peppers.

Hope to see you soon. Eat Local!!

It's picking time

This is a time we anxiously await each year. We plant, we nurture, we water and with a little help from Mother nature, we harvest! Squash, zucchini eggplant and peppers are ready for the markets and our dinner table. 

Check out the squash and zucchini picked today! The zucchini will make many loaves of the popular zucchini bread and the squash is delicious too.

We'll also have eggplant, jalapenos and sweet banana peppers. 

Preorder to guarantee availability at gkosater@gmail.com 

Eat local and hope to see you there.

What a beautiful day!

The weather was perfect and the crowds were taking advantage of this beautiful day. We sold out of many items including zucchini bread, strawberry preserves, strawberry fig, home grown radishes and pepper jelly. No worries though, we will replenish our supplies this week and be ready to serve you Friday and Saturday. 

The Monticello Market on the Square opens Saturday morning, May 22nd. We really enjoy spending Saturday mornings with our market friends from Monticello.

Eat Local!!! 

Preorder for guaranteed availability via email gkosater@gmail.com- don't miss out!!

Great Market

 It was a great market Friday albeit a little brisk and breezy. Nonetheless, we enjoyed seeing our regular customers again and hearing about their exciting winter activities.

We introduced several new items Friday, such as cathead biscuits and strawberry preserves. Both were big sellers. In fact, we sold out of zucchini bread, pepper jelly, whole figs, strawberry preserves and pineapple jalapeno jelly. Remember you can always pre order early to guarantee your goodies.  Just email me during the week and we'll take care of your order.

Hope to see you again Friday!! Eat Local!

New Market season

 The Forsyth market opens Friday, May 7.

Backyard Garden Creations will be there bright and early with ample supplies of jams, jellies, pickles, seasoning salts and of course, zucchini bread. Check out the zucchini's growing now in the Backyard Gardens.

If you would like to preorder items, just reply to our email and we'll have everything ready for you.

Looking forward to seeing you again this season.

Eat Local!!

The planting has started

Even though it's only the last week of March, the weather has been almost ideal for Spring planting. Of course, we're aware of the dangers of planting too early, frosts or cooler weather, which is why we resist the urge to put  too many plants in the ground. That being said, we have planted several bucket crops of tomatoes and peppers, about 10% of what we will eventually plant.

We also planted several peppers in the ground  that were overwintered from last summer.  We also planted in the ground one of our healthier lemon trees that we started from seeds 3 years ago.

Eat Local!!

Prepping for the Spring planting

We have been busier in recent days turning beds, planting seeds and just readying the Backyard Garden for planting in a few short weeks. Of course our winter crops of greens, broccoli and carrots have been abundant too. 

Check out the broccoli and carrots picked today.

Thanks for all the calls and emails this past winter ordering what we already have in stock.

We can't wait till we are back at the markets. Forsyth begins May 7 and Monticello on May 22.

February in the Backyard Garden

Even though the temperatures are cold and wet, we are still harvesting from the Backyard Garden. Collards, mustard greens, broccoli and check out these carrots picked today! Healthy eating for sure.

We are also planting many varieties of seeds and growing them in the greenhouse. On a sunny day, the temperature in the greenhouse ranges between 80-100 degrees. Definitely great growing weather. Can't wait for the warmer weather but this time of year is productive too.

December gardening

 We've had several frosts, several hard frosts, temperatures in the mid 20's and we are still picking peppers. The greenhouse has certainly allowed us to extend the growing season. I wish now that we would have built it bigger.  We have 15 or so pepper plants growing in buckets, along with newly planted lettuce and spinach and 8 lemon plants we started from seeds 3 years ago. I'm looking forward to starting more seeds soon.

We also appreciate those of you who have continued to reach out to us this winter. Just email me and we can set you up with your favorite jams and jellies.

Stay Safe!!