Wednesday Fog

This morning I woke to the fog that
crept up from the river valley and hung briefly over the vineyard like an old friend who unexpectedly shows up on one's doorstep . What a lovely surprise, this Kentucky morning.

Spring Report

I have to apologize for not posting in a while. It has been a very busy spring. We've been feverishly planting, tilling, weeding, and weeding some more.
This has been a building year for us with nearly a thousand lavender plants in the ground, blackberry and raspberry bushes planted, and the vineyard going into its second season.
There is not much down time!

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Looking outside at the snow and the near zero temperatures on the thermometer, it's difficult to believe that spring is only weeks away.  We can only sip our hot tea or coffee, thumb through the gardening catalogues, water the seedlings we planted weeks ago, and believe that yes, spring will come in all her glory, and none too soon!

Enjoying the much needed rain this afternoon curled up with some poetry by Charles Wright

After Reading Tu Fu, I Go Outside to the Dwarf Orchard

Charles Wright, 1935

East of me, west of me, full summer. How deeper than elsewhere the dusk is in your own yard. Birds fly back and forth across the lawn looking for home As night drifts up like a little boat. Day after day, I become of less use to myself. Like this mockingbird, I flit from one thing to the next. What do I have to look forward to at fifty-four? Tomorrow is dark. Day-after-tomorrow is darker still. The sky dogs are whimpering. Fireflies are dragging the hush of evening up from the damp grass. Into the world's tumult, into the chaos of every day, Go quietly, quietly.

Sunflowers

Mason Jar Meadow Bouquets

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head?

 It might be drizzling a bit, but it hasn't dampened our spirits. I'm at the market till noon. Stop by and say hello:)

This week in the garden...

It's been a wonderful week.  The midweek shower and daily sunshine has the sunflowers bursting in yellow blooms and the glads and zinnias surprising us with color. We were are at the market Saturday morning enjoying the day and visiting with friends old and new. Stop by and see us next Saturday!

 

Glad to know you

One of the gorgeous glads we will have at the market on Saturday.

Vineyard Update

     This year we planted 150 grapevines and built the framework for the vineyard. Although the young vines are small now, they will need a strong support for the mature vines and grapes in the years to come.
     Planting the vines has been an education for us all. This week we stripped the lower leaves and tied the vines to their bamboo supports. When the vines are tall enough, we will have to train them to the wire trellis.

Flowers available at our booth at the SKY Farmers Market

 Meadow bouquet in Mason jar

Sunflowers

Oh Summer!

After a busy spring of planning and planting, Briar Rose is back in the garden. I can't believe it is July and the garden has finally come into its own, weeds and all.

This season I became ambitious following last year's success, and my own "addiction" to planting, and I planted 3000 gladiolus instead of last year's 1000 bulbs! I should correct myself here. I didn't plant them by myself. I had a lot of help from family who are plantaholics, too. Otherwise I'd still be planting.
We also added a vinyard comprised of 150 grapevines. In three years we hope to have them bearing delicious dark red Marquette and Steubens grapes, suitable for the table, juice or wine.

The cool wet spring created a late growing season, so we were slower getting in production and having enough flowers to take to SKY Farmers Market, but we are cutting flowers like mad now and are back at market each Saturday from 7-noon.

In addition to glads, We have sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, amaranth and wildflower bouquets. I'm offering large bouquets in sleeves and smaller meadow bouquets in Mason jars ready for your home.

Hope to see you at the market!

Today we are resting and enjoying the rain on the garden.  I feel blessed to have spent the last two weekends selling our bouquets, glads, and fresh garden produce at the SKY Farmers Market located at the Medical Center Parking Lot off 5th and High Street in Bowling Green.  It was a joy to  visit with friends, both old and new. Here is a sampling of what we have.

The glads are coming into their own now.  I planted 1000 bulbs this year in staggered plantings, so the first plantings are blooming beautifully, and I'm hoping for more blooms this weekend! I couldn't resist bringing in a few for the house.

Hansel and Gretel out taking a morning walk.

So much has happened in the last year. I  saw my son married, became a grandmother to a beautiful granddaughter, and on a sadder note, I lost Jake, our beloved dachsund, who passed away this month and is buried beneath the walnut tree where he sat many a day watching me garden.

This spring we have broken ground on a bigger garden space and planted over 80 tomato plants, a large variety of peppers, okra, squash, zucchini, eggplant, watermelon and muskmelon. And of course I had to plant flowers.

So far we have over 500 gladiolus in the ground, and rows of zinnia, cosmos, peonies, dahlias, and globe amaranth planted. I'm looking forward to a busy season and sharing our fresh cut bouquets and surplus vegetables at the local farmer's market and our roadside stand.

Orchard Vew

The pears are looking wonderful so far

                            Our small orchard of apple trees and one pear tree are fairing well this season

Garden Watchdog

Jake our dachshund oversees the lawn leading to the garden.  Although I've never seen him go after a rabbit or other garden loving creature, his bark is ferocious.

Weekly Progress Report

Last week I was able to get the tomatoes staked and hay placed around the plants.  We are in need of a good soaking rain, but I have soaker hoses as backup for Mother Nature.