Stories
Spring in the Garden
In the Spring Garden, Blackberry Farmstead Ambassador Dakota Eddy says the only constant is change.
#Garden
63 Results
Stories
Prepping Tobacco Beds
Blackberry Farm Master Gardener John Coykendall describes the history of raising tobacco in Tennessee.
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Velvet Beans
Master Gardener John Coykendall is planting velvet beans to add a special touch to this year's garden.
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Stove Pipe Peas and the Grove Pepper
Master Gardener John Coykendall reflects on his search for a seed variety enjoyed by a Central Florida farmer.
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The First Seedlings
The first seedlings welcome a new season filled with hope for a successful growing season.
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Looking Back: Connecting in the Garden
Master Gardener John Coykendall reflects on his favorite experiences across 27 years at Blackberry Farm.
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Preaching the Seed Gospel
Master Gardener John Coykendall travels across the country to spread the importance of saving heritage seeds.
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Searching for the Past
Master Gardener John Coykendall describes his ongoing search for heritage seed varieties and preserving their history.
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A Winter’s Day in Our Garden Shed
Master Gardener John Coykendall describes what a cold, rainy day looks like in the Winter Garden.
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Winter in the Blackberry Farm Garden
Farmstead Ambassador Dakota Eddy shares a glimpse of what the Garden team is working on this Winter.
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The Gardening Daydreams of the Winter Season
In the stillness of Winter, Master Gardener John Coykendall imagines the new gardening season right around the corner.
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The January Garden
The Garden at Blackberry Farm continues to flourish throughout the Winter months.
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The Final Summer Harvest
Blackberry Farm just had our first frost of the season, marking the true transition from the Summer garden to the Fall garden.
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Winter Predictions with Persimmons
Enjoy the return of one of our favorite fruits of the season and discover the special folklore behind it.
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Keeping Our Agricultural History Alive
Over his years as Master Gardener, John Coykendall has observed shifts in attitudes and awareness about our foodways.
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Capturing Fleeting Scenes and Moments in Time
Blackberry Farm Master Gardener John Coykendall reflects on capturing photos around the Garden.
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Shoepeg Milling Corn and Kentucky Field Pumpkins
Blackberry Farm Master Gardener John Coykendall shares the history of two heritage crops grown at the Farm.
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Our Gardens from an Artistic Perspective
Blackberry Farm Master Gardener John Coykendall describes how nature inspires his personal artwork.
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5 Edible Flowers with Unique Uses
Learn about five edible flowers and their unique uses in the garden, on the plate and as decór.
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An Early Hint of Fall’s Approach
Every year when we reach the days of late August, Master Gardener John Coykendall's thoughts turn to Fall.
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2025 Tomato Varieties
We're enjoying heading into the Garden to taste the unique tomato varieties we've planted for the season.
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Garden-Inspired Favorites
Blackberry Farm Larder Manager Veronica Krebs shares some of her all-time favorite Garden products.
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Mountain Tucked Corn
The Garden is growing an heirloom variety of corn brought to us from the mountains of Guatemala.
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Farming Memories from Long Ago
Master Gardener John Coykendall created a patch in the Garden that features crops inspired by an old friend.
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How to Start Your Homesteading Journey
Explore beginner-friendly homesteading tips from Blackberry Farm Farmstead Director Christen Waddell!
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An Insider’s Guide to Floral Design
Blackberry Farm Lead Floral Designer Haifaa Tirey shares how to take an arrangement from beautiful to breathtaking.
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Ways to Use Garden Jam
Larder Manager Veronica Krebs shares her favorite uses for Blackberry Farm Garden Jam.
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Naming Beans and Field Peas
Blackberry Farm Master Gardener John Coykendall shares how a few heirloom seed varieties received their names.
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Feathered Friends of the Farmstead
Read about what makes chickens such valuable members of the Farmstead.
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The Garden Toy
Visit the Garden at Blackberry Farm to enjoy a fun Fall favorite, the Tennessee Spinning Gourd!
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Eat What You Can, Can What You Can’t
Learn how to preserve your excess ingredients and enjoy your favorite flavors in every season.
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An Introduction to Seed Starting
Planning a garden this year? Get an introduction into the world of seed starting from the Blackberry Farm Garden team.
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Arranged for Spring
The Blackberry Mountain Floral team shares their best tips and tricks for helping your cut flowers thrive as long as possible.
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Saving Tomato Seeds
Master Gardener John Coykendall walks through the process of saving heirloom tomato seeds and continuing to grow the varieties he values so much.
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Spring Florals
The Blackberry Farm Floral team is excited to create the colorful, eye-catching arrangements of Spring.
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Spring Gleaning
Here are a few treasures of the Spring that we spend all Winter looking forward to.
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Forty Inches and a Mule
Logging miles a day walking the fields and orchards of our farm, gardeners are comforted by the simple solace of a tiny stamp of earth.
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April Garden Update
April is the month when the full force of Spring comes alive.
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The First Sign of Spring
As early as mid-January, the first sign of Spring makes its appearance in the planted landscape.
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Ways to Use Pickled Beets and Strawberries
Get creative in the kitchen with Farmstead products with one of our favorites, Pickled Beets and Strawberries!
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The Greening of Spring
With the beginning of March and with the help of fair weather, we begin planting in earnest.
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All Hail Kale
In the damp, cold days of February, when the Summer garden is a distant memory, one stalwart green soldiers on.
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Beyond Roses
Everyone sends roses on Valentine's Day, but there are so many options out there for flowers, and they all say something different!
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Seeds of Love and Plants From Our Garden
This Valentine’s Day, think of some of our favorite herbs and seeds in a different light.
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Le Creuset Kitchen Sessions with Garden Manager Jeff Ross
Learn about the truffle orchard with Garden Manager Jeff Ross.
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The Waiting Game
The days are short and cold, and the nights are long and even colder. What’s a gardener to do?
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January in the Garden
Long after the crops of summer have been harvested and the larder filled with canned goods from the garden, work continues on the farm.
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Shelling Bees
One of our favorite activities that we offer guests during the Winter months is “shelling bees.”
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The Pudding Tree
October is the perfect time to enjoy one of our favorite native fruits: the persimmon.
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Best Pumpkins for Carving
Learn about a few pumpkins that are good for carving with Master Gardener John Coykendall.
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The Coffee Cornfield Bean
Every growing season, I grow several varieties of tomatoes, beans, peas, butter beans and many others for seed production and preservation.
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In Early October
In early October, the Farm fields begin to take on the look of early Fall, and the cornfields begin turning color.
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August Harvest Time
In August, we celebrate the fruits of our labor and take full advantage of the many crops that are ripening in the field.
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A Giving Garden
It is easy to forget that the bounty we grow has only existed here for a short time. That is why we take the time to celebrate all that nature has given us.
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Tomato Season
In our Summer garden, we feature anywhere from 25 to 50 heirloom tomato varieties.
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Potato Onions
Potato onions have been around for a long time and were once commonly grown in our area of East Tennessee.
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How to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Vegetables
Master Gardener John Coykendall shares a great first step to getting kids to eat their veggies.
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New Bees are Buzzing
With the arrival of four new hives, there is plenty buzzing in the bee yard.
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Edible Flowers
Spring is a wonderful time to discover different types of edible flowers.
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Goober Peas
Goober Peas are a historically important legume that we continue to grow at Blackberry Farm.
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The Celebration of a New Season
Blackberry Farm has always looked forward to April and the renewal of another green season.
Videos
Gardening Today and Tomorrow
Blackberry Farm Master Gardener talks gardening in the past, present and future in an interview with Blackberry Magazine.
Articles
Cultivation in Full Color
Learn how nutrients, climate and even genetics play a role in the array of colors that come from our land.