Flower Power

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to open the cooler door with the cooler packed with flowers and stand in the cold air breathing in their heady fragrance.  We just get better every year with knowing what to grow and how to grow. The fields are becoming a checkerboard of small plots devoted to cover crops, perennials, edible windbreaks, herbs, garlic, and ornamental shrubs, while the hoophouses become more and more colorful with a wide variety of annuals.  We are expanding our venues beyond selling to florists, adding restaurants, special events and more.  Feel free to call me and ask what we have available!  We grow to please.

A Memorial

Three weeks ago we had to put down my beloved horse Pete.  While all the boys are special in their own way, Pete was always my favorite.  Can't really tell you why - he ran over me with a loaded wagon of logs once which resulted in ACL surgery. He always knew exactly what to do and would get very irritated if you hacked away on the reins and didn't let him do his job. At 2000 pounds, he had a very good appetite and would always nicker loudly at breakfast and dinner when you came into the barn.  It's very quiet now. He and Jaguar were my first team, and taught me most of what I know about driving, farm work, enjoying the day, working hard and doing a good job.  Whenever I rode him I felt like a queen.  In his grave we put a big bag of his favorite Granny Smith apples and an envelope filled with our letters about all our favorite memories of him and what we loved about him. His head is pointed to the north and now he can run again in freedom.  Goodbye Dear Friend.

Flowers in Bloom!

Sigh - I thought I could keep up with a weekly update on what's available, but these weeks just seem to slip by before ya know it. All the greens are growing and loving this cooler, damp weather (glad somebody does).  On the last week of spinach though, it's decided to bolt and we'll cruise through the summer before planting more next fall.  Have beautiful chard, robust lettuce, super tasting kale, a hoophouse full of mustard greens and flowers!  Interesting budding this year.  I think with the few days of extreme hot weather, then days and nights of cooler weather, the buds set on the plants much shorter than normal. Should all even out though - the bachelor buttons, saponaria and bupleurum are close to 3 feet!

Here's a list of the flowers we have this week:
Lupines
Bachelor buttons
Bupleurum
Field Daisies
Allium
Calendula (double/triple petaled and gorgeous)
Stock
Saponaria

Next week the peonies, double petaled poppies and dianthus should be blooming.
Happy June to you!
Cathy

We've Got the Greens!

We've definitely hit our stride and the hoophouses are full of beautiful spinach, kale, chard, lettuce and mustard greens! All available, plus gorgeous tulips.

March is Looking Green!

We're on a roll in the greenhouse!

Thousands of kale, chard, lettuce, mustard greens, spinach and flower seeds are planted and growing!  Last week we actually started planting in the hoophouses, but have my fingers crossed they stay warm enough under 2 layers of remay this weekend.  Brrrrr!

Tulips are coming in like little soldiers.  Can't wait to see them start blooming.

We are up and running!

I'm delighted to say we started the farm back up February 1st.  Ahhh, feels so good.  With the new greenhouse operating, we were able to plant spinach, kale, chard, lettuce and mustard greens. Five days later, the spinach already germinated.  We're also experimenting with Johnny Jump-Ups in mini pots and getting the Bupleurum going as well.

There's about 2000 tulip and brodeia bulbs coming up as well.  Unfortunately the moles have decided they make a great snack, so the Jaws of Death traps have had to come out.  Always hate when that happens.  The two middle rows are taking a break from planting for a few months and have a good layer of cardboard and aged horse manure on top.  The tarp speeds up decomposing and the earthworms love it!

Chad is busy broadforking all the beds before we add soil amendments and get ready for transplanting, which will be sometime in March.  Expecting spinach and salad mix ready to harvest by April.

READY FOR SLEIGH RIDES!

We're hoping this winter is going to bring snow and clear sunny days for sleigh rides.  Rocket and Jaguar are fit and ready to go.  Check details under the "wagon and sleigh rides" heading for details.  Hope to see you this season!

Cathy