by Susan | Jul 24, 2022 | Garden, On the Farm
When I was young, my maternal grandparents lived in Montgomery, Ohio. From my earliest visits to their home, I have snapshots of memories; no great detail but hazy pictures. My grandpa’s radio. Going to school with my grandmother. The Hadley potter plates she...
by Susan | Jul 5, 2021 | Garden, On the Farm
Today was the quintessential perfect Maine summer day. It was a lazy day for me. Coffee on the porch, lawn mowing, puttering in the yard and garden. My happiest discovery is that Ms. Monarch, who was here earlier in the week did her job. I discovered my first Monarch...
by Susan | Jun 22, 2020 | Garden, On the Farm
My favorite thing about my disorganized, overgrown, under-tended flower garden is the Korean lilac mom gave me years ago. Planted from cuttings, they’ve grown into lush 4′ bushes circling my birdfeeder. It blooms for all but a week in June. For one...
by Susan | Sep 16, 2018 | Garden, On the Farm
My dreams for my garden aren’t grand. Yet, it seems with each consecutive year, time becomes scarcer. With the demands of too many jobs, there’s little time left over for the things I enjoy. My garden is a prime example. Paul built me this great little green house....
by Susan | Sep 24, 2017 | Garden
I always start the gardening season with such hope. This year, so many things interfered with my gardening motivation. I overextended on both the work and volunteer fronts. At the same time, I didn’t want to miss any of Hannah’s senior activities. Throw in multiple...
by Susan | Mar 21, 2017 | Garden, On the Farm
This was my greenhouse at the height of winter. The snow on the roof makes it look a bit lopsided, but the greenhouse stood strong to February’s heavy snow. It scares me to think of what little beings were taking refuge in there. Yesterday, on the first day of...
by Susan | Aug 22, 2016 | Garden, On the Farm
This year, the garden tomatoes are so prolific that it looks a bit like Christmas in the greenhouse. Those little red gems are like ornaments on a tree. One evening walk through of the greenhouse yielded this bucket tomatoes, plus a few cucumbers. Needless to say,...
by Susan | Jul 24, 2016 | Garden, On the Farm
Although I’ve paid my garden little attention since planted, it seems to be growing strong. As are the weeds! I’ve managed to keep the weeds in the beds to a minimum, but between the beds is another matter. Still, there are hits a misses here and there. This...
by Susan | Feb 19, 2016 | Garden
Sprinter. I didn’t coin the term, but it fits the weather we’ve had lately. Winter one minute, spring-like the next. The switch from below zero to 50 degree temps in just 24 hours was enough to spur some wild weather. Earlier in the week, we battled...
by Susan | Oct 4, 2015 | Garden
The day was sunny and cool, a high of 60. Yet, inside the greenhouse, even with the door and a vent open, the temperature was 80 degrees. I spent the afternoon in there yanking out the spent squash and cucumber plants and cleaned up the beds. Despite the fact that we...
by Susan | Aug 9, 2015 | Garden, On the Farm
I’ve grown garlic for almost as many years as I’ve lived in Maine. It’s one of those veggies that I consistently have good luck with. Last October, I planted just shy of 90 cloves in two of my hugelkulture beds where I grew cucumbers and pumpkins...
by Susan | Jul 19, 2015 | Garden, On the Farm
A burst of consistent 70s during the day the past few days has helped to nudge my garden along. Beauty is taking hold in the garden – at the same time I’m challenged with pests. There is beauty to be found in the ordinary. Like these tomato blossoms....
by Susan | Jul 11, 2015 | Garden, On the Farm
Today is the beginning of an experiment in the new greenhouse. Inspired by a photo on Pinterest, I started cucumber seeds in hanging pots. These are suspended from a shower rod fastened over one of the beds. In order to give the cucumber vines support, Paul fashioned...
by Susan | Jun 27, 2015 | Garden
It’s been a most unusual spring and beginning of summer. The days have been cool – we’ve been lucky to break 70 degrees and the nights have been downright cold. Typically at this time of year we’ve got the windows open 24/7. Lately, if we open...
by Susan | Jun 19, 2015 | Garden
I’ve had fun this afternoon with this new perspective in photographing lupine in the garden. There’s something very compelling about the patterns of the blossoms. The bees pull open the lupine petals with their front legs and all but climb in to feast....
by Susan | Jun 13, 2015 | Garden
Purple is the color of the day in my garden. A carpet of phlox appeals to chicken little. The lupin is in full glorious bloom, attracting big, fat, bumbling, bumble bees who shy away from my attention, and the less flashy honey bees who are single-minded about their...
by Susan | Jun 7, 2015 | Garden, On the Farm
This weekend we labored on the greenhouse. And I do mean labored. Neither Paul nor I can move without whining. While we’re still not finished, the top and sides are in place and fastened down – no small feat given the breezy conditions. It was like...
by Susan | Sep 28, 2014 | Garden, On the Farm
“Holy tomatoes!” exclaimed Hannah when she spied the result of my morning’s work. With ground prep beginning today on the greenhouse, we needed to move the garden fence to give Paul space to run the tractor. You can see the need for the fence. The...
by Susan | Aug 31, 2014 | Garden, On the Farm
This last weekend in August found me in the garden wishing I could restart the month. I’m not ready for the growing season to wind down, especially when I’m having such great success with my hugelkulturs. I’d love another month of warm weather to...
by Susan | Aug 9, 2014 | Garden
I love days like today – sunny summer days when the only thought on my mind is working in the garden. It’s satisfying to see the garden producing. Although, harvesting from my garden is a bit like playing Twister. It’s so wildly overgrown that...
