Boy, I hate to see November go, especially since the weather has been so good. So often, November is a gray and gloomy month. But occasionally, you get one that's more like October, with bright, sunny, mild days. This November, especially the first couple weeks, was spectacular. Even though annuals were done, the gardens continued to look attractive. And I had snapdragons and calendula that bloomed until Thanksgiving week.
I'm just about ready for our holiday open house, which will be held Friday and Saturday, December 4 & 5 from 9 am to 5 pm. The shop is fully stocked--plenty of handmade soaps, lotions and spritzes from Tina and Maryanne--the soap ladies, along with essential oils, carrier oils, butters and containers for DIY projects. These items have been selling well for several weeks. I know a lot of our customers are creative and crafty and like to make their own homemade gifts. The tree in the shop is up and decorated with a variety of natural and herbal/garden themed ornaments. Sometimes, people say they hate to 'undecorate' the tree, but that's what we want! We also have dried herbs and spices, herbal teas, cat toys and cat & dog treats, herbal books, garden markers, potpourri, dried wreaths & arrangements, handmade beaded jewelry and lots of unusual gift items. We also have potted culinary herbs and live topiaries available until Christmas. During our open house we'll have specials on several of our most popular items, so it's a good time to shop. We'll serve hot mulled cider and a really tasty herbal treat--lemon thyme muffins. You can also register for our open house prize drawing. We know how busy it is this time of year and how many activities compete for your time and attention. We truly appreciate everyone that visits the farm and supports our small, local business.
The other thing I'm working on, believe it or not, is preparations for next spring. No seeding until after Christmas, but lots of paperwork to get in order--when everything must be started, and ordering supplies so it's all ready when planting time comes. When you're growing plants, you're always working several months ahead.
I'm making my annual plea to anyone thinking about getting a new pet for the holidays, to please consider adopting a shelter pet. Our dear Lucy came from the Humane League and we couldn't have found a sweeter dog or a better companion anywhere. You can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a dog, but if you're not going to show them or breed them, a shelter dog can be just as loving and a wonderful companion pet. I swear Lucy was smart enough to realize we 'rescued' her and she was grateful for that. I know that since we got her she's always been eager to please. There are so many animals who would love to find a forever home this year.
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