it's that time of year

it's that time of year

a middle tennessee garden blog


finding beauty in the natural things around us makes for one happy self and a lovely life. ~marmee

dash home farm, leiper's fork, tennessee

Monday, June 15, 2009

surveying the farm


coming home from our holiday in florida was great.
there is so much going on here it took me days to take it all in.

the hay has been cut.

the farm house is starting to look a little better even from the front.
we have spent most of our time, energy, and money
working in the back but finally the front is shaping up nicely.

there are blooms and flying creatures everywhere.

vessel out by the mailbox is filling in with gerbera daisies,
viola, pansy, ivy, & ranunculus.
one thing i noticed right away was this wonderful garden cart.
it has a great patina. i am curious but act as though i don't see it.
dh finally says jesse has something to show me. a lady at the farmer's
market had her plants displayed in it and they asked her if she would
sell it and she said to you guys i would...jesse bought it for me...i am delighted.

i have been using it every time i am in the garden...what have i been doing
all this time without it. thanks jesse!

the veggie garden has exploded with life while i was gone.
cucumbers are waking up.

companion to carrots, onions, beets, the cleome has bloomed.
i brought home a few goodies from my trip . we went to meem's nurseries.
i had eyed the birdbaths at duncheon's nursery & landscaping
the last time i was there...but i was traveling by plane...this time
i drove and left lots of room in the back for interesting finds.
this one went into the fenced veggie garden.
the boys have their first pepper.
this is a cover crop in the corn field, velvet beans.
it will add nitrogen into the soil.
chocolate mint spreading nicely.

hand thrown seeds of a mesclun lettuce mix with a few zinnias in the middle.

corn.

cangreen lima beans.

red leaf lettuce.

blueberries.

tomato plants.

purple bush beans... and this isn't all the veggies.

our pansies are hanging on with the cooler temps.

lochinch butterfly bush about to bloom...purple with orange eye.
i brought home a few plants too...but you probably already knew that.
dragon winged begonia...planted in a chocolate pot
to bring inside during the winter.

another birdbath for my wildflower garden...planted
just beyond it is milkweed...i couldn't resist.

of course, meems gave me some stuff...fire spike to the right side of my broken vessel.

the wildflower garden is just getting some blooms...red pentas.

buttercups.

cosmos.

to my surprise we have blooming cactus on the front fence line.
i have done nothing for these or with these.

but they are gorgeous...

the wildflower meadow is not doing what i expected but i am
enjoying it just the same...nothing of any consequence has come up
in it... just the usual...where did all my seeds go?


it still adds a element of whimsy though.

my lone teddy bear magnolia is doing well but has a
few years of growth before it will fill in.

gazanias are blooming.

a market find...this hydrangea is quite beautiful...i didn't know it was pink.
when i bought it the flower was whitish green with red tinges.
but up close it is glorious.
a variegated morning glory putting out at least one lavender blossom.
cardinal climber morning glory vine making their way up the pergola.
they have a tiny red bloom.
blue mist spirea about to bloom.
another vine on the pergola.

hostas and fire power nadina really greening out on my side yard.

fuchsia.

persian shield.

chocolate mint coleus

kingswood torch red coleus.

sweet caroline ipomoea, bronze

oakleaf hydrangea

i love their papery white blooms.

nandina buds and blooms.
little princess, pink spirea bushes blooming and attracting all sorts of flying creatures.

newly purchased black glazed pot from annie's garden shed in florida...planted with
fuldaglut sedum, paul's glory hostas, touch me nots, creeping jenny, and caladiums bulbs
from meems(miss muffet.)

the hostas have a very light lavender bloom.

this is my first attempt at having sedum.
doesn't the greenery look like little green blooms?

and first touch me nots.

chocolate vine on old gate...no blooms yet.


elaeagnus pungens bought at farmers market
should have small very fragrant white blooms in the fall.
i put this in the ground in my front yard just off the front porch.

buttercups at the picket fence.


it is so nice to be home...but there is much to do...

24 comments:

Roses and Lilacs said...

I like you bird baths especially the first one. I've never seen one like it, beautiful.

Your house looks very nice. Love the picket fence. If my lawn wasn't such a odd shape, I'd have a white picket fence.
Marnie

tina said...

Always work-that's for sure. Especially after travel. What a nice welcome home that wagon was!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Wow Marmee--- You have such a lovely farm. Your flowers---your veggies--your yard, etc. etc. etc. are ALL fabulous. I know it's a huge amount of work for you all since we only have a small yard with flowers and even that takes up alot of time. I'm impressed.

Love that cute little birdbath.. Is your mother still alive??? I'm sure she's proud of you and Meems. VERY gifted sisters--both of you.

GiVEAWAY on my blog today only. Pass the word.

Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy

Cheryl said...

Hi Marmee.....gosh you have so much going on, I am not at all surprised at just how busy you are.

Wild meadows can be unpredictable, can't they...but perhaps that is part of their charm. I love yours anyway, it has a quiet elegance....

Your crops are good. It must be wonderful harvesting your own produce. There is nothing quite like home grown food.

Hydrangea can change colour depending on the soil. Most of mine are not the colour they started....relly weird.....

Q said...

You have done lots and lots of work!
It is beautiful! The birds will enjoy your new bird baths. They just make a garden look so pretty.
I love your garden cart....he is a good son!
Yummy veggies too!
All looks lovely.
Sherry

Susie said...

Marmee everything looks so great! I can't believe you still have pansies that look that great. Ours have been out of the ground for awhile here.

Rose said...

Everything is so beautiful, Marmee; your farm looks like an idyllic paradise. But yes, it all takes work, and I imagine after being gone for two weeks that you have lots of catching up to do. I love that new cart! I asked for a wheelbarrow for Christmas one year--and received it--but now I keep thinking I wish I gotten something more like this. Looks like you will have lots of fresh veggies this summer!

Unknown said...

Love the House!! Everything looks wonderful, just beautiful. Love the cart too. I know you know this with Meems for a sister, do not over water the Sedum. I have lost many due to that.

Dirt Princess said...

Your place is gorgeous!

Meems said...

Hey Marmee,
It is as if the two weeks you were gone the garden decided to take a leap into spring! So many wonderful plants, blooms, veggies, pots, vignettes... and you've captured them so perfectly for sharing with us. I must think about a spring visit sometime... it must be breathtaking.

The cart is just YOU and that Jesse knew it right off and did something to be sure you were the new owner. I just love it and you will put it to good use for many years. I don't know what I would do without my wheelbarrow... no where cute like yours but it is most serviceable as my garden buddy.

I DO love to see hay all rolled up and sitting in a huge field looking so country and farmy. Which of course is the charm of your house and acreage... so delightful to see with that adorable picket fence.

Those birdbaths are perfectly placed and looking so beeeeautiful in your garden!!! Fun times. Great post!
hugs and love.
Meems @ Hoe and Shovel

marmee said...

thank you marnie,

we are living our victorian farm house dream...other than the leaky fauchet...the toilet running...the fireplace needed to be replaced...the
well you get it. so many things to fix up and only so much time, energy, and money. but one day when it's all done, ha.
i really loved that birdbath and so did meems...so it was a no brainer.

marmee said...

tina,

i was so glad to be home...i just am a homebody. i loved receiving that useful little garden cart. i am using it non stop.
hope you are enjoying this heat wave.
whew!

marmee said...

betsy,

our farm house and yard is a lot of outside work but i love being out there and so does darling hubby. we traded a big house with a smaller yard in the city for a smaller house with a huge yard in the country. dh is as happy as can be...and now that i am getting it looking more like i like i am loving it too.
i was so glad to be able to get those birdbaths down near meems...so now i think about her everytime i see them. our mom is alive and she lives just north of my sis. i hope she is proud of us...she and my dad taught us a love for the outdoors.
hugs to you betsy.

marmee said...

cheryl,

i did not know that about hydrangea until i started researching so i could be it in the right place. i think that is so interesting that you can change your blooms colours i will have to see about that.
have your own veggie garden and being able to eat from it...is so rewarding. we are enjoying a small amoung right now but soon will have lots of things to munch.
the wild flower meadow is great even though i am not sure what happen to the majority of seeds. the dogs love to run through it .

marmee said...

sherry,
thank you...the work has not been in vain. we are starting to see and feel the difference in our enjoyment level of being out of doors. things are looking more put together but it is an ongoing process. i am enjoying have the birdbaths where they were placed...it is always good to welcome our flying friends and creatures with some water and food and shelter. our yard has a wide variety of living things now. my son is a great boy and a sweet one for thinking of mom while i was gone.

marmee said...

thank you susie,
i am thinking after this bit of a warm spell(90's) the pansies will have seen their last days until the fall. i have enjoyed have them hang around a bit longer but haven't wanted to trim them at all thinking they wouldn't come back.

marmee said...

darla,

thanks for the advice on the sedum...meems emailed me and said they might not do well with the caladiums since the c's need lots of water and the sedums don't/ so i will have to move those out of there. i guess i will have to buy a new pot, oh darn/hehe. glad you love the house.

marmee said...

dirt p,
thank you, so glad you came by.

marmee said...

dirt princess,

i tried a couple of times to leave a comment on your blog about the fort...was having trouble.

we used to go visit a fort in fl called fort desoto...right on the beach. it was great when the kids were small they was sun and shade. things to do if they wanted to go exploring.
looks like you had fun at the beach i was just at the beach with my sis and it was wonderful...good for you that hubby mulched your entire front yard. it is not a fun job and he did it so nicely as a surprise.

marmee said...

meems,

isn't it the truth i was gone and everything jumped into action...of course the weeds did too. they are just so easy to grow. you really should come in the spring some time and we could visit cheekwood, and the native nursery. plus it would give you a break from your humidity.
that cart is so me, you're right and jess knew it...i was so pleased with the recieving of it for my use and pleasure.
something about big huge rolled bales of hay excites me to. the kids love to get a blanket and sit up there. the dogs can leap up on one in a single bound, not mags, but the other two. just having them surrounding the house makes me cheerful...i guess it speaks of spring.
i am so glad you made the suggestion of getting the two birdbaths. they are so pretty each in their own setting. i want to see where you put yours>?
thanks for all the lovely comments sis.

the inadvertent farmer said...

Your house and picket fence is like something out of a storybook...just lovely. The farm is looking gorgeous! Kim

marmee said...

kim,

we feel we are living our dream out...something that took twenty something years to get to. now just to get it into shape...thanks.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Wow, what a lot of blooms there! I love them all! I'm glad you got to go to Florida.

I read about getting your dog back after he'd been missing. I'm happy for you about that. What a cutie! Our dog will leave the yard if the s hook isn't on the latch to stop her from opening the gate.

Oh, and your veggie garden looks great, too!

marmee said...

sue,

thanks we are starting to get more blooms everyday...which is always exciting.
hope you are having a wonderful summer so far.