Norman Coats has spent a lifetime honing his techniques and perfecting the art of gardening.
The 77-year-old Spring Creek native learned how to garden from his mom and dad when he was just six years old. He credits his mom for igniting his love of gardening at such an early age.
That love has transpired over the years, not only in his success, but in the history and depth he brings to the community.
An example of this can be seen in the butterbean seeds he implements in his gardening. These seeds have been in the community for over 100 years. Coats got his hands on them around 25 years ago and has been using them ever since.
Over the years, he has seen gardening change very little, but one thing he remembers is using mules to till the gardens. His favorite advancement is his 1955 John Deere tractor that he diligently brought back to life and uses every year in his gardens to till.
Coats harvests, on average, 50 bags of peas, 50 bags of butterbeans, 20 quarts of string beans, and 20 quarts of tomatoes, which are his favorite.
Added on to this list, he plants two acres of pearl cob corn and peaches and cream sweet corn. One can also find, around his garden, watermelons, cantaloupes, and peppers.
Coats can often be found, when not in his garden, canning and shelling on his back porch. The key to his success, he said, is “keeping everything watered and keeping it clean.”
He uses not only his tractor, but also a long-handled hoe to accomplish his weeding. Coats also is a big believer in using fertilizer. He uses 6-8-8 and 13-13-13 fertilizers as well as chicken litter.
One piece of advice he would give beginner gardeners is to know the right depth to plant the seed and to prep the soil.
“The smaller the seed, the shallower you plant it,” he said.
Coats believes the hardest obstacles a gardener will have to face are going to be the weather and insects.
Coats grew up on a Neshoba County farm and chose to embrace that lifestyle. He and his wife, Gail, have made a commitment to not only their family, but the community.
Coats is known to give peas and tomatoes away when he has an abundance, but also spends his time serving as a member of the Neshoba County Shriners Club.
As a member, he helps to provide catering to places around Philadelphia, which helps raise money for Shriner-sponsored children’s hospitals.
Coats starts to plant tomatoes in barrels in March and continues planting and harvesting vegetables throughout the summer.
For Coats, gardening is a passion that started when he was young and has carried throughout his life. He finds gardening very relaxing, despite the hard work.
“When you have a good crop and it produces pretty well, that’s real rewarding,” he said.
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