Four Days at the Farm May 5 - 8, 2016

I love this canna, given to me by Janine Snapp.  So pretty when the sun is shining through the leaves.

Arrived Wednesday evening to join Bert.  Bert is living here because of the flood.

Wednesday was a lovely evening after the sun set.  The air was filled with the scent of Nicotiana and interestingly, Oakleaf Hydrangea flowers (which until today I did not know smelled wonderful).

I spotted a trail of leaf cutter ants in the Rose Garden when I took my twilight walk so I hit it with ant poison.  When the days get hot they forage at night.  What amazing insects, I hate them, but they are amazing.

Thursday I spent a pleasant morning pulling weeds in the Orchard.  I threw the spent flowers into the woods next to the Orchard so maybe they will reseed next spring which would be very pretty.  I threw them in a spot where Bert doesn't mow.  When I walk around I see flowers everywhere, but they are never allowed to bloom because they get mowed down.  We can't have knee high grass around the house just so the flowers can be allowed to grow.  It encourages ticks and snakes.  We don't live in a wild flower meadow.

Bert had 4 yards of 3/4 inch limestone delivered to the house so I can fill in a low muddy spot in the driveway.  I realize it will just route standing water to another spot, but if it is not right in the middle of the driveway then I'm okay with it.  I shoveled a bunch into the low spot, and I carried several wheelbarrow of rocks to a low spot in the Medicine Garden.  I have no problem with mixing different path surfaces together.  Most of the paths in the Medicine Garden are covered in decomposed granite and now there is a six foot long area that is white rock.  I still have a huge pile of rock, but I will use it all, you can be sure of it.

The butterflies and bees are everywhere.  So pretty.  The bees absolutely love the poppy pollen.  In the morning when the poppies open the bees are all over them and they fly away with their hind legs completely yellow with the pollen.  Very fun to watch.

Bert pushed me in our new tree swing which has a huge arc, I love it!

Friday morning I went straight out to the Vegetable Garden and collected all the squash blossoms, filled them with ricotta, fresh thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  I will cook them later as an appetizer.

Watered in the Rose Garden for a couple of hours.

Cut away Hojo Santo that springs up in all the wrong places.

Hauled two wheel barrows of compost down to the Orchard and covered several places that I weeded yesterday. Spread Anise Hyssop seed across the compost.

Didn't really do much today except deadhead roses and watch insects.

Took a nap.

Did some house cleaning.

Bert and I sat on the porch and watched the birds at the feeders.  The hummers were especially fierce, chasing each other back and forth.

Made my squash blossoms, and then we went to dinner in town.

Saturday morning, I went straight out to the Vegetable Garden and cut my squash blossoms.  Stuffed them with Parmesan and ricotta, garlic, salt, pepper.  Put them in the fridge for later.

I fertilized the tomatoes, the first time since I planted them.  I kept meaning to do it, but I just never got around to it.

Spent a couple hours in the Orchard weeding and laying down compost.  I sowed some anise hyssop and some Golden Giant amaranth.  Most of the wildflowers are still blooming, so I will wait another week or two before I clean out all the beds and seed them.  Today I only seeded spots that were bare.

I walked under the Oakleaf hydrangeas and noticed that the bees were all over them, attracted to the pollen.  I've never noticed before that it is such a bee attracter.  Interesting.

Cut back and dug up some of my lemon balm.  What an invasive!  You look up one day and it's the only thing in your herb garden!  It had smothered my Rosemary and my oregano, I rescued them just in time.

I transplanted a couple plugs of thyme that were growing in the paths - one to the Medicine Garden and one to the Kitchen Herb Garden.

I watered by hand my little starts of purple verbena that I planted a couple of weeks ago and other plants that looked like they needed a little helping hand.

A rock hit one of the plate glass doors while Bert was mowing.  It shattered it.  He nailed up a board over the hole and will have to order the glass.

I wheeled a couple wheel barrows of the rock over to a path in the Star Garden, four wheel barrows to a path in the Shade Garden, several over to the swing that Mark and Jere gave me.  Bert is going to put down a cedar frame around the swing and I'm going to fill it in with the rock.  I think that will look nice.

Didn't do any more work.  Took lots of walks through the gardens, Bert pushed me in the swing.

Sunday I was up before day light.  Left to go to Blake's house for Mothers Day brunch.