Keeping Fingers Crossed

Getting ready for spring! Planted 50 plus peonies in my "test garden" area.  Just in time too, since it rained and really got cold after I put them in.
I picked these tubers up from my girlfriend Kate owner and operator of Lilies and Lavender Flower Farm, that received them from someone that could not take care of them anymore. (her peony garden). Seems that this gardener had these peonies for many years and was going through breast cancer and no longer could care for them, so she put an ad up to see if anyone would like to buy them. My girlfriend Kate saw the ad and asked if I would like to share the purchase with her. So the four boxes of Peonies came and packed full with peony tubers, roots, corms..not sure what you call them, they look like Mandrakes from the Harry Potter Movie! Anyway, as Kate opened the box, found inside one was a note: "I hope you enjoy these as much as I have". It almost made me cry. So I am turning this into a good thing.. I will Love these Peonies and take care of them so well to honor such a gardner that loved them too.  (God I hope I see sprouts in the ground come spring) Now the waiting.

Holiday decor

Making holiday arrangements for my kitchen table is super easy. With just a few branches from the pines around the farm and some bulbs you can create such pretty little arrangements and using my glassware I purchased at the Salvation Army these beauties cost no more than two dollars each! Love it!

Fun and easy arrangements

Fun Fig Fact

A fig is actually the flower of the tree. Not a fruit at all.

Putting my Fig to bed

Wrapping my Fig Tree (ficus carica) for the winter months always makes me sad. My lovely fig will not see the light of day till May (mothers day). The whole process of protecting this tree is very intense and takes about two hours to complete. Using good grade chicken wire,straw,tar paper,twine,plastic and tarps. Goodnight my sweet tree! Till next season.

Preparing flower beds

Amending my flower beds for next season. Lots of work but worth all the effort! Getting my workout for today since all the compost is brought in by wheelbarrow. Who needs a tractor?

Pepper preparation

I steam the peppers and onions first then put them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven at 350 until a little brown on the ends this adds to the flavor so I don't mind the extra step put a little Olive oil on them first before baking

Kitchen Garden News

Kitchen garden ready for winter planting! Seedlings started in the cold frame should have all kinds of lettuce spinach and radish

Cutting with a sod cutter is so much faster than by hand. Dah!

Roy

Beautiful day to take a break and hug your favorite sheep.

First snow of the season

Finding something pretty after living in a house with no electric or water for eleven days!

Soaker hoses in place and attached to a rain barrel which I filled with water from my pond. This will have to do until a solar pump is attached.

Abeeza and Vernon wanted to help with laying in the soaker hoses! I only wish they could have helped with digging the beds!

This summer I started my new venture in the flower growing business.  This is a diary of the process.  My first test beds dug by hand and watered by my spring fed pond.