Spring prep is in full swing here at the farm. The greenhouse is really filling up with herbs, perennials and the first annuals that have been potted. I enjoy looking back at the end of the day and seeing how much work I've gotten done. The other thing that amazes me is how quickly things can grow when we have nice, sunny weather. From one day to the next, the difference can be striking.

Of course, a few nice days doesn't mean the cold weather is entirely done. Two weeks ago, a lady stopped by to look at plants.
I told her it was too early to plant and she seemed surprised.  I told her it could still get quite cold at night and we had nighttime temperatures in the twenties right after that.

I watch the nighttime temperatures to decide when to move the perennials outside. It's best if temps stay above freezing, although we use row covers if it dips slightly below freezing. A customer that drives by frequently told me that's how she knows the greenhouse will soon open- when we put the skids down outside the greenhouse. That was accomplished yesterday. If the weather stays moderate, maybe things will get moved out next week. The greenhouse officially opens April 1. Then our spring hours begin-Tuesday through Saturday 9am to 5pm and Wednesday evenings until 7pm.

The other big news here at the farm is that John is retiring from his job at Hersheypark after 36 years at the end of March. So you'll see him around a lot more when you visit. And of course, it means I'll have a full-time helper. He's learned a lot over the past 18 years, so he should be very helpful.

If you have butterfly bushes, now is the time to cut them back and fairly hard, too. They will grow back quickly and bloom on sturdier stems which makes the flowers look better instead of being lanky. On nice days, get out and do general clean-up and weeding. Then your beds will be ready at planting time. If you do containers, dispose of the old potting soil and clean the containers so they're ready to go.

Our gardens look like they survived the winter pretty well. Lavender plants look good, after suffering through several bad winters. Most of my outdoor rosemary plants are alive, although they all have brown winter-kill at the top of the branches. Some have branches broken off from the weight of all the snow. I'll cut them back and hope they shape up, literally. They get so big by the end of the season that you often can't tell they started off rather misshapen. I always like to give things a chance.

Our two greenhouse toads are getting more active. Toad SR.comes out and basks in the sun. Toad Jr. is pretty lively. He moves from spot to spot and jumps out of the way if I get too close. Hopefully, he'll get used to the activity like SR. has done.

Upcoming- greenhouse opens April 1 and spring open house Friday and Saturday April 22 & 23.

Spring is coming!

Even though winter won't quite let go, it's spring here at the farm. All the starter plants have arrived, so I'm busy in the greenhouse transplanting. As the early crops of seedlings mature, they are also transplanted. The greenhouse is quickly filling up. I love seeing the tiny plants grow into big, beautiful herbs and flowers.

I'm amazed at how specific plants are even when they're small.
The other day,  I was cleaning up lemon verbena starts prior to planting. The sweet, lemony smell was just as apparent on those seedlings as on a full grown plant in the garden in August. On warm days in the greenhouse, especially after watering it's filled with wonderful herbal scents combined with a warm, earthy smell.  Yummy!

Our original greenhouse toad has been emerging from he dirt on nice days. He (or she) comes out and basks in he sun. He reminds me of those angry bird pictures. He looks like he just emerged from his long winter's nap and is none too happy about it. Grumpy toad face. I haven't seen toad junior. I don't know if he's still hibernating or if he moved on.

Just a reminder-the herb shop is open three days a week in March-Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 to 5. The greenhouse reopens on April 1 and then we begin our spring hours which are Tuesday-Saturday 9am to 5pm and Wednesday evenings until 7pm.

I'm also working on the spring newsletter which will be out in mid-March. You can reach about our new plant selections, a popular native perennial and an article on edible flowers.

At the beginning of this spring season, I'm determined to pay attention and enjoy it all. I hope it won't just rush by before I know it. We'll see how successful I am.

We were lucky in that we had no problems with the giant snowstorm, except for lots of shovelling to get snow away from the greenhouses. It was a long day. A lot has melted, but much of the yard still has several inches left. It was so deep that Lucy had to stay on the paths we made for about a week, and she didn't like that. She had a hard time getting to places with the interesting smells.

When we  could get around, I went up to a shrub for a close look at a bird's nest. It was made entirely of twigs but was very neatly constructed. Nothing slap-dash about it at all. Then I noticed a praying mantis egg sac on the bush. I looked around and counted five on that shrub and more in the area. We should have a good crop of praying mantises this year.

Signs of spring-the number of flats of seedlings in the basement is increasing. They are so interesting. Swamp milkweed with its flat seeds attached to the top of the seedlings, tiny lavender plants with full-grown fragrance and blue flax with delicately textured foliage.  Our order of soil and pots will be delivered soon. That to me is a sure sign of spring-work will start in the greenhouse soon.

I'm also working on the new plant list. That always gets me dreaming of planting, plant combinations and visions of lush summer gardens.

Today when I went in the greenhouse, I discovered toad junior. This is obviously not the regular greenhouse toad because he's much smaller. He was out of the dirt, but still looked pretty sleepy. Regular greenhouse toad was hibernating in the back corner as usual, so maybe this is an offspring. Has to be better than hibernating outside.

Another New Year

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. We had a great time and John used his two weeks off to practice being retired. He seems to have it down pat.

I do not remember such an unseasonably warm December for ages. We actually had a white rose that bloomed in December. On New Years Day I told John look at that- we had calendula that were still blooming- a first! Haven't had any flowers blooming on  January 1 before. Of course, as soon as the cold weather arrived they got zapped, but it was still a sight to see! Up to the cold snap,  I still had plenty of fresh herbs in the garden- parsley, oregano, rosemary, chives, thyme- all the basics except for basil which went at the first frost. I don't think I ever such a choice of fresh  herbs while preparing Christmas dinner.

We'd  like to thank everyone who visited the farm for holiday shopping. Our open house was well attended and we know that there is much competition for people's time and attention, especially at the holidays. We also had a number of new customers, so thanks for talking up the farm.

I always say that January is my slow time, and I'm enjoying some free time, but that doesn't mean there's no work to do. I have started my first batch of seeds- early perennials like coneflower and blue flax and the lavender varieties I can start from seed and also pansies. They have all germinated and are under lights in the basement. I always feel that spring has started when I have the first batch of plants going. Also working on pre-spring tasks like cleaning in the greenhouse and shop,  ordering plant  tags and preparing spring orders. It certainly is pleasant working in the greenhouse on a sunny winter day. As long as the sun is shining, the temperature will go up to 90 degrees. It's like going to Florida.

This time of year, the shop is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9am to5pm. Winter is a great time for projects and we have high quality supplies along with essential oils and containers for your herbal projects. Maybe you have time to curl up with a gardening book or the newest issue of The Essential Herbal magazine. We have a fine selection of herbal gifts for any occasion.

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Just a reminder that this weekend, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4&5, is our annual Holiday Open House from 9-5 each day.  Stop by for herbal refreshments, enter your name for a prize drawing, and shop for herbal gifts and stocking stuffers.  There is still time for those DIY projects and we have many of the supplies you will need.  It's a wonderful way to pick up unique one-of-a-kind gifts that are sure to please those hard to buy for people on your list.

Hope to see you then!!

OPEN HOUSE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

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.  

AH, OCTOBER!!

We are working our way down our list of autumnal chores.  First, we took the shade cloths off the greenhouses.  We put them on in the spring to cut down on the amount of direct sunlight coming into the greenhouses.  This makes it more comfortable for people and also the plants.  Without shade cloth, it would be too hot and sunny for many of the plants during the height of summer.  Next, we cleaned out the vegetable garden and buried our potted stock plants in the ground.  This is how we winter over perennial stock plants.  Next spring, they're lifted out and I divide and repot them for new plants for the spring season.  It only works for perennials that are easily divided.  Others I start from seed or purchase rooted cuttings and pot them up.

I've spent the past week admiring everything that's still blooming in the gardens.  Frost is imminent, and most things will go--certainly with a hard freeze.  For mid-October, I was amazed at how much was still blooming--lavender, pineapple sage, heliotrope, nicotiana, roses, mexican bush sage, catmint, calendula, marigolds, strawflowers, sedum, zinnias, snapdragons.  I'm hopeful that the snaps will survive a while longer.  They always look so good at the end of the season and they are long lasting cut flowers.  I have both the dark wine-red 'Black Prince' variety and pink 'Apple Blossom' - so pretty in combination.

I've cut the last of the tender plants I want to dry and cut a big bunch of basil.  I keep it in water on the kitchen counter to extend my season for fresh basil.  What a treat for in spaghetti sauce, pasta dishes, etc.  After frost, we'll do final clean-up in the gardens and let them go until spring.

Now, I'm working in the shop getting things ready for the holidays--stocking holiday items, making arrangements, etc.  Also, working on the fall newsletter.  Be on the lookout for that in mid-November.  Remember, the shop is open five days a week, Tuesday - Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Christmas.  And mark your calendars for our holiday open house, Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5.