The musings and adventures of an enthusiastic grower
Being a micro-farm and growing on just under half an acre has its challenges. To ensure I have enough flowers and foliage for our customers, I’ve started converting every inch of our property into plantings that benefit our business, pollinators, and wildlife. Our lawn is slowly getting smaller as I plant more and more perennials …
The temperatures are getting warmer, and signs of the impending summer season are all around us. The growing season is marching right along as we begin to say goodbye to the spring blooms and wait patiently for the summer flowers. May was busy, highlighted by abundant planting, strange weather, and beautiful blooms. I can hardly …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: May 2023"
It’s been a while since I put a plant in the spotlight, and I thought this week I would highlight one that is currently blooming here on the farm: Baptisia. This beautiful plant is one of my favorite perennials to grow, and if you’re not presently growing it, perhaps after reading this, you’ll want to. …
On May 20th, 2012, we ate our first homegrown lettuce of the season. In 2014, I harvested 44 pounds of tomatoes, 21 pounds of potatoes, and 20 pounds of beans. In April 2016, I planted twelve blueberry bushes in seven varieties. In 2021, we had seven inches of rain in one week at the end …
Wow, April was a wild and hectic month in the garden! Everything about those thirty days felt extreme, as in extreme weather, stress, and productivity. Yet, the month flew by with how busy we were each day. Between harvesting, transplanting, sowing, weeding, processing, bunching, arranging, and selling, April had me wholly tuckered out by mid-month. …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: April 2023"
You know that feeling when a sight, sound, or smell transports you to another time or place-triggering memories from a time gone by? I experience this every spring when the lilacs are in bloom. The sight and smell of lilacs always bring up memories of my grandmother. This is in part because they were one …
I’ve noticed a difference for years now; we all have. Snow that comes later and later in the year, stronger and more frequent storms, and what seems to be ever-persistent wind. I remember big storms as a kid, but these have now become normality instead of anomalies. Droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods are …
Wow, March sure did go by quickly! I can hardly believe I’m sitting down to write March’s summary of what’s growing on in the garden. Despite a few lingering snowstorms, spring seems to be taking a firm hold. And while nighttime temperatures can still dip into the thirties, the daytime temperatures are rising overall. As …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: March 2023"
It’s so tempting, I know! The days are getting warmer; the migrating birds have returned, buds are bursting, and all the signs of spring have arrived. You’ve been stuck indoors for months during the cold winter and can’t wait to return to the garden. I’m right there with you! But if you are itching to …
It’s officially spring! The birds are chirping, and the red-winged blackbirds and robins have returned. The daffodils, tulips, and garlic are all pushing out of the soil, and the buds on the lilacs are plumping up. I’m waiting patiently for the peeper frogs to start singing, and then, for me, spring will officially be heralded …
THISTLE BE THE DAY 