The Crazy Chicken Lady Egg Collecting Apron: https://amzn.to/3wZGmdv
Hailey’s mom is still making beautiful pottery. You can follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/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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WHERE TO FIND US (Some of the links here are affiliate links. If you purchase through our links we’ll receive a small commission but the price remains the same – OR BETTER – for you! Be sure to check for any mentioned discount codes.)
– Our Website: https://rootsandrefuge.com
– Sign up for our newsletter: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-signup
– Join our Patreon to get early access to podcasts and other information, plus monthly LIVES with me and Miah: https://patreon.com/rootsandrefuge
– Abundance+ (Grab a FREE 7-day trial): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-wilder-still
– Shop our Stickers & Shirts: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-shop
– Order my first book, “First Time Gardener”: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-ftgbook
– Order my second book, “First Time Homesteader”: https://rootsandrefuge.com/first-time-homesteader-yt
– Instagram: www.instagram.com/roots_and_refuge
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rootsandrefugefarm
– Email Us: rootsandrefuge@yahoo.com
– To drop us a line:
PO Box 4239
Leesville SC 29070
– To have a gift sent to our house from our Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/SFA0IZHZRCOZ?ref_=wl_share
– To support us through PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jessicasowards
– Our music is by our friend Daniel Smith: https://www.instagram.com/phillip_daniel_smith/
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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): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-greenstalk
– Squizito Tasting Room (Use code “ROOTS” for 10% off your order): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-squizito
– ButcherBox: https://rootsandrefuge.com/butcherbox
– Growers Solution: https://rootsandrefuge.com/growers-solution
#rootsandrefuge
46 Comments
This year I am trying more varieties suited for a colder climate. I've discovered the world of Siberian tomatoes, a couple varieties I am excited to try are called Sasha's Altai Siberian and Kalinka Malinka 🙂 Of course also growing things that are hard to grow in my area, I love experimenting. I have some loofa seeds started, the first seeds of 2023 for me. Looking forward to your seed starting videos and watching your garden flourish this year 🙂
Last year, for us, was a "bad tomato year", too. I think we have about five different beefsteak and salad style tomato varieties we're trying this year… One new one for us is "Hossinator", which I am excited to try. We are also growing several hot pepper varieties and I'm most excited about the Gojuchang peppers and Peach Habenero. But so many other new-to-us things this year! We expanded our garden space to have more room. 😁
I am starting seeds for the first time this year. My husband and I have several raised beds that we grow veggies and flowers in, in the past we have bought plant starts but last year we did not have good luck with some of them. I'm excited to give seed starting a try, we will be starting tomatoes, peppers, cabbage as an spring crop and then lots of different flowers. Love your mug and apron.
New to me this year is Merliton squash! Finally found some native starts. So excited! Also new, bush beans. Doing Tabasco again and beefsteak tomatoes. Not doing romas. I think theu were in a bad location last year. We buy those from a local U-pic farm for preserving.
Thank you for all of your content! Such an inspiration
I’m looking g forward to growing more quantity of the varieties I’ve come to love. A friend sent me Jelly Bean tomato seeds that I’m looking forward to trying. I won’t be growing Brussel sprouts this year but they aren’t off the table forever. I will try them again maybe next year armed with more knowledge.
I loved your take on using the mugs you love! When my husband and I visited Ireland I brought back a mug that I love. I would get upset if anyone else used it because I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to it. So my husband ordered another one online for me. At first I was a little put out about cuz how would I know which one was the original that I had such fond memories of picking out?!? Then I got over it and so appreciate his thoughtful gesture. I enjoy them both equally now and don’t bat an eyelash when anyone else uses them!😊
You look and sound so healthy and beautiful! I'm illuminated by your glow woman! 🙂☀️
I am excited for all things spring. I live in Quebec and at this very moment I'm watching the weather. We are in the midst of a snowstorm that will change over to freezing rain very soon. Not cool! We have a snow base that's about 3-4 feet deep, so we won't be seeing dandelions any time soon.
I lost one of my favourite mugs recently. It was sad. Today I bought a kitty mug.
🤣🤣🤣 sounded like the chickens were laughing as you were trying to get over fence…
I’m trying tomatillos, radicchio, and epazote this year.
What fun!? Love the apron!! Mug and chat as well. Love sun sugar tomatos ,want to grow more perineal healing herbs.just glad if I'm successful to grow anything.
Melons – living in a colder zone it never works out. Our season is just not hot enough or long enough. I am excited to grow in my greenhouse for the first year!
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!
I’m excited for the sugar snap peas we just started..and the okra we’ll start soon. We love eating okra raw right out of the garden. Also excited to have moringa growing again. We use the leaves in tons of meals and my kids will even eat them because they’re small and soft.
I’m also excited for some new varieties of tomatoes. I’m trying Bread & Salt, Pink Fang, and Bonny Best. In the past I’ve only done Everglades tomatoes because we live in Florida and I’m told I’ll be a failure with any other types. I’m gonna give it a try though!
Hey – Repeating Brad's Atomic Grape, Tomatillo and Pineapple ground Cherries, Yum!
Glad you're feeling better.
I am really excited because I got my hands on the giant crimson tomato seeds this year from MI gardener. I am also trying the orange hat tomato. I’m excited to see if I can successfully get it to grow in the house to give me a bit of sunshine all year. I’m also excited to grow some fish peppers this year. I was so excited that I started some early in the house and it’s tradition to name a few special plants each year, so this year these fish peppers are named Bruce and Gill from Finding Nemo. Silly I know but it’s fun! Anyhow on the downside for me I grew the black strawberry tomato last year and I didn’t think it had much flavor so I won’t be growing that this year. I just love watching your channel Jess. Thank you for all the wonderful content.❤
I am excited about the 3 varieties of dwarf tomato plants from Tomatofest that I will try for the first time this year. Also they are a determinate variety which will be new to me. My limited space and growing in pots have inspired this choice. Don't even get me started about the many new flower varieties I plan to add to make my growing spaces … happy places 😍 thanks for all the encouragement you send out our way!
Oh I need a egg basket or apron! I left two eggs in my jacket for a couple days! I put the jacket on another day to collect more…. When I found them! I assumed they were still good as they weren't washed. Ugh!
Jess, your videos bring so much delight to my days and you have been such an encouragement to me. I have grown some herbs from seed before (successfully and not so successfully), however, this will be my first year growing vegetables from seed. I'm anxiously waiting for my seed orders to arrive. This afternoon I received my first two Greenstalks and as I opened the boxes I was as giddy with excitement as a child on Christmas morning. I got the original and the leaf. I really can't wait to start planting.
Gonna try the Orange Hat tomatoes in my green stalk container. Will be first time using it. I really want to get a cucumber to grow and have snow pea plants that aren’t growing anything yet again. May need to change my fertilizer but don’t know what is the best for both plants. Love your new egg holder and loved seeing you go over the fence.
Part of the beauty in life is the ephemeral quality of things…plastic flowers may be perfect copies but they aren't as precious as the real thing because real flowers are just here in the now and soon gone. We need to be using our beautiful things even if we may lose them to breakage. ❤
Ok weirdly you would look amazing with green and blue in your hair like ombre halo style ya know. Your light in the beginning made me double take because I thought you did it and I was like dang I should do that 😂😂😂.
I bought "Red-n-Sweet" watermelons this year (the story is pretty cool) and I can almost taste 'em already.
After 144 varieties (not plants; varieties!) of tomatoes last year, I'm paring them back to my favs — Georgia Streak, Dr. Wyche's, and… um… probably about 40 more. 🙂
New: Terre Cotta tomatoes
Repeat: Teaspoon Tomatoes 💕❤
and Cucamelons (10 more than last year! And a better trellis plan!)
Do you have a link for your newer chicken coop?
I am trying to plant celery from seed. I planted garden center celery last year and I absolutely loved it 🥰
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😳
I won't be growing indeterminate tomatoes in my greenstalks this year.
What a beautiful mug & that apron is so clever and adorable!!
I’ve never grown Holy Basil before this year. I’m excited to grow sunflowers and nasturtium again!!
Last year was extremely challenging for garden for us. We r planning to build a greenhouse this year. Been slowly collecting items to make it. My raised beds did great, tomatoes, cucumbers & green beans struggled last year. But planting back again since it was on virgin ground, contaminated hay that we used for mulch. Amended soil this fall, got rid of the hay that was used. Crossing fingers for improvement this year. Just LOVE your greenhouse!!
Luffa gords, never tried those before everything else is something I have grown before, could be a new variety, or an old one. I am so excited for my Cherokee purple tomatoes, they are my absolute favorite….oh and Paul Ronson's too…
Hibiscus Roselle Sungold tomatoes a new cucumber variety.
highly entertaining!
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.
I am going to plant Abu Rawan because it is heat and drought tolerant, and Super Sioux also because it can survive the harsh conditions of the prairie, yellow pear tomatoes, Red Ruby onions because they are just a little bit spicy, and Grande Jalapenos, Chili peppers, Black Mountain watermelons, honey melon from India which is heat and drought tolerant, and all will be grown in containers, but I would also like to try a dwarf tomato or two.
Look to the ant.
Jess that mug is stunning. Glad you are using it. Bear on it so incredible painting. Apron very clever idea but make sure no kids run up to you and give you a hug😊. I pinched a full grown sage plant from the school garden hoping I can multiply it. I have tried to grow beans but some reason no sucess so my friend said she will give me seed to try. I did try vefore sweet potato than I have changed my mind and dug it up now I have 2 in my kitcheb sprouting I think I put it in the ground see if they survive. Thank you for your incouragements.🥚🥚🥚🫂🫂🫂
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.
I'm super excited to be starting some micro dwarf tomatoes for the assisted living patients at my work. 😉 Also, trying Abe Lincoln's tomatoes and Scabiosa flowers.
I'm never growing roma tomatoes here again. I've tried twice and they don't do well in my area.
Thanks Jess, love your videos. My husband is excited to try growing the Canary melon. I'm excited to actually get garlic to grow! I planted them in November, and they are growing already.
I'm so excited to try the Okinawa Pink Okra. I love okra and pink is my favorite color so I can't wait. I'm also really excited to grow ground cherries again. The first year I tried to grow them not many grew and the ones that did didn't do so well. So last year I started like 30 plants of 2 different varieties and they all grew well lol. I had lots of ground cherries but had to fight the bugs to get them first. The one thing I'm definitely not growing again was the spoon tomato. It looked cool but wasn't really practical. They weren't really big enough to waste the time picking. Love the egg apron! I need to make me one cause I'm always forgetting a container when I go to gets eggs lol.
I'm really excited to try grow kajari and Minnesota midget melons this year! And cucamelons are something I'm excited to grow again!
Last year was my sampler year. So out of everything I tried for the first time, I am bumping up on carrots and beets. Im also doing okra because we LOVE it and I only had enough for garden snacking. I got two green stalks during the last sale and will be doing SALAD! Yum. As far as never again…Peas, big waste of space. Radishes did terrible, but I will percevere🤓
“San Marzano’s” & in honor of you “Brads Atomic Grape”…
Thank you for all your content. I love this channel❤️