Cove Creek Polyface Farm

08/22/2026

Peaches from Northwest Arkansas

08/21/2026

Welcome to Fig Friday y'all!
The Green Ischia fig, also known as Verte, Strawberry Jam, or Ischia Green, is a centuries-old Italian heirloom that's earned a loyal following for one simple reason—it delivers incredible flavor while being one of the easiest premium figs to grow. Originating on the island of Ischia, it was documented by botanist Philip Miller in 1731 and was even cultivated by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.

Don't let its appearance fool you. Even when perfectly ripe, the fruit stays a soft yellow-green, hiding a stunning strawberry-red interior packed with rich Adriatic-style flavor. Expect a jammy blend of honey, mixed berries, and a hint of spice, wrapped in a tender skin with a satisfying seed crunch.

For home growers, Green Ischia offers several major advantages. Because the fruit blends into the foliage, birds often overlook it. Its tightly closed eye also helps prevent rain damage, fruit splitting, souring, and insect problems, making it one of the most weather-resistant fig varieties available.

The tree itself is compact, typically reaching 8 to 15 feet, with attractive deeply lobed leaves that make it as ornamental as it is productive. Self-fertile and highly reliable, it thrives in USDA Zones 7-10 and also performs well in containers, allowing gardeners in colder climates to overwinter it indoors.

In the kitchen, Green Ischia is every bit as impressive. It's exceptional fresh off the tree, dries beautifully, and makes outstanding jams and preserves. Its rich sweetness also pairs wonderfully with prosciutto, balsamic glaze, and creamy cheeses like goat cheese, brie, or gorgonzola.

If you're searching for a fig that combines history, beauty, dependable production, and unforgettable flavor, Green Ischia deserves a place in your orchard.

08/20/2026

Our dog-o needs help! If you can help we have cash app $GroovyGrubGal if you can't help monetarily could you please share it and get it out to people who can.

08/19/2026

The La Feliciana Peach is a vigorous, fast-growing peach tree prized for producing large, sweet freestone peaches with juicy yellow flesh in mid-summer. Its excellent tolerance to heat and humidity makes it a top choice for gardeners throughout the South. Hardy in USDA Zones 5-9, this deciduous tree typically reaches 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, though regular pruning can easily keep it at a more manageable harvesting height.

Requiring about 500-600 chill hours. It is self-pollinating, meaning a single tree will produce fruit, but planting another peach variety with a similar bloom time can increase yields and improve pollination.

For the healthiest trees and the sweetest fruit, plant La Feliciana in full sun, providing at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. It thrives in fertile, well-draining soil and benefits from deep watering during dry periods, especially while fruit is developing.

Annual pruning during dormancy helps maintain a strong framework, improves air circulation, and encourages larger, higher-quality peaches. Removing dead or crowded branches also reduces disease pressure and makes harvesting much easier.

Whether you're creating a backyard orchard or adding a dependable fruit tree to your landscape, the La Feliciana Peach rewards growers with beautiful spring blossoms, vigorous growth, and baskets of delicious peaches perfect for fresh eating, baking, canning, and freezing.

This is an excellent choice but too big for our small homestead.

08/18/2026

The Gardening Hat: Your Most Important Piece of Garden Gear

Think your gardening hat is just a fashion accessory? Your skin strongly disagrees.

That floppy, slightly ridiculous-looking hat may be one of the smartest things you wear in the garden. While you're busy battling weeds, watering tomatoes, and wondering why the squash has declared war, your hat is quietly protecting you from the sun.

A wide-brimmed gardening hat creates a 360-degree shield for your face, ears, neck, and scalp. A hat with a verified UPF 50+ rating can block nearly all harmful UV radiation reaching the covered skin—important because repeated sun exposure can contribute to premature skin aging and skin cancer.

And it does more than block sunlight. A breathable hat helps keep your head cooler, keeps sweat from dripping into your eyes, and reduces glare so you can actually see what you're planting instead of squinting like you're trying to read tiny seed packets from across the yard.

What Makes a Good Garden Hat?

Look for:

A wide brim for better coverage.

UPF 50+ protection when possible.

Breathable, lightweight fabric or tightly woven sun-protective material.

Ventilation to keep air moving during those brutally hot summer days.

An adjustable chin strap—because Arkansas wind has a wicked sense of humor.

A good gardening hat won't make you invincible against the sun, but it can make long hours outdoors safer and more comfortable.

So put on the hat, grab your gloves, and get back to the garden.

Because the only thing that should be getting sunburned is absolutely nothing.

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08/17/2026

DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR GARDEN YET! AUGUST ISN’T THE END—IT’S YOUR SECOND CHANCE.

Think your garden is finished because the summer heat has taken over? Think again! August can be one of the most productive months in the garden if you plant what loves the heat and start planning for fall.

PLANT NOW FOR A LATE-SUMMER HARVEST: • Bush beans — fast-growing and productive
• Summer squash & zucchini — plenty of time for another crop
• Cucumbers — keep them watered and they’ll keep producing
• Okra — the hotter it gets, the happier it is!

START YOUR FALL GARDEN: August is the bridge between summer and fall. Get broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Swiss chard and lettuce started now. Carrots, beets and turnips can go directly into the soil—but keep that seedbed consistently moist while they germinate.

NEED COLOR RIGHT NOW? Don’t wait for seeds to catch up. Add established blooming plants like lantana, zinnias, salvia and black-eyed Susans. They can handle the heat while attracting bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

THE AUGUST GARDEN RULE:
Water deeply, mulch generously, and protect new seedlings from the harshest afternoon sun until they’re established.

The summer garden may be tired—but your growing season isn’t over! August is the perfect time to squeeze out one more harvest AND get a head start on the cool-season garden.

What are you planting this August?

08/17/2026

Multigrafted Trees: The Beauty and Challenge of Many Fruits on One Tree

Multigrafted trees are a fascinating solution for gardeners who want variety without sacrificing valuable space. By grafting several fruit varieties onto a single rootstock, one tree can produce multiple types of fruit—sometimes peaches, plums, nectarines, or other compatible varieties from the same trunk.

The Advantages

Space Efficiency: A multigrafted tree can provide four or five varieties in roughly the footprint of one standard tree, making it especially useful for small yards and compact orchards.

Built-In Pollination: When compatible varieties share the same tree, they may provide excellent opportunities for cross-pollination, depending on the fruit and specific cultivars.

A Longer Harvest: Different varieties often ripen at different times, allowing you to enjoy fresh fruit over a longer season rather than being overwhelmed by one enormous crop all at once.

More Variety: Instead of harvesting hundreds of identical fruits, you can enjoy your own backyard “fruit salad”—with different flavors, colors, and harvest dates from one tree.

The Challenges

Multigrafted trees aren't completely carefree. **Regular pruning is essential** because some varieties grow much more aggressively than others. Without maintenance, a vigorous branch can overshadow or outcompete weaker grafts.

There is also a risk of losing a variety if an entire graft is accidentally removed during pruning. Different cultivars may also have different growth habits, chill requirements, and levels of vigor, creating an uneven-looking or less productive tree.

Finally, multigrafted trees may produce less fruit overall than several full-sized single-variety trees, and graft unions can sometimes be more vulnerable to structural problems.

Is a Multigrafted Tree Right for You?

For gardeners with limited space, a multigrafted tree can be an incredibly rewarding choice. For larger properties where maximum production is the goal, planting individual trees may be the better option.

Before choosing, consider how much space you have, which fruits you want to grow, and how much pruning and maintenance you're willing to provide.

A little planning—and a good pair of pruning shears—can turn one tree into an entire backyard orchard.

08/16/2026

08/15/2026

Brown Turkey Fig

08/14/2026

What would you guys like to learn about?