FORSYTH, Ga. — For many of us, summertime just isn't summertime without a garden in the backyard.
One couple, Vicki and Anthony Harmon, are amazed at how some of their plants have sprouted up this year.
"In our garden this year, we grew okra, watermelon, cantaloupe, and we also have two different [varieties of] tomatoes," Anthony said.
Well, tomatoes are tasty, but, oh, can Vicki and Anthony Harmon grow some okra.
"I was kind of rooting it on. Come on grow, grow, grow," Anthony said with a smile.
The cheering worked. It took a ladder to measure it and the stalks came out to 10' tall.
"I knew I wasn't going to be the one picking it, I'm too short and fat for that" Vicki said.
13WMAZ checked in with Peach County Extension Agent Jeff Cook. He called these plants odd at 10 feet, but he says you can get your okra plants to grow tall if you pick the okra off of them constantly and fertilize.
"It is odd, but we're odd, so it's perfect," Vicki joked. "Not everybody sees okra that tall. We've never seen it that tall and even driving country back roads, you don't see it that tall."
By now we're pretty sure you're asking -- what's their secret? Anthony says the motion-detecting owl keeps the deer away and other than that, they do pretty much what other folks do in the garden every spring.
"We will fertilize our garden with 10-10-10 fertilizer, we'll let the ground set for 30 days before we plant, and we like to get in and plant right on Good Friday," Anthony explained.
He added their seeds came from Walmart. As for overindulging in the okra, well they've got that covered too.
"We really enjoy sharing with our friends and our neighbors," Anthony said.