The greenhouse and herb shop are open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 to 5 through December,23. if you're looking for last-minute gift ideas, we still have any unique choices in the shop. If you're interested in some potted herbs for in the kitchen over the winter, we have those available in the greenhouse through the 23rd. After that, we will not have plants until next spring..
The farm will be closed for 2 weeks over the holidays. The shop reopens Thursday, January 8 and will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9-5 from January 8 through March. The greenhouse reopens in April. Look for the spring newsletter in March with lots of spring info.
Thanks to all who came out for our holiday open house. We had a good two days, even though the weather was cold. Of course, that meant the mulled cider tasted even better.
Lucy celebrated her one year anniversary with us recently. I don't think she knew it was a special day, but she was happy just as she usually is. She can get through the high grass area at'the back of our property. She loves it because it has lots of animal smells. Occasionally, she sees or smells a mouse in the grass and thinks she can burrow in and find them. So far, the mice are winning.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season. Think spring!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Holiday Open House
Our holiday open house is coming up on Dec. 5&6 from 9 to 5. We'll serve herbal refreshments, have door prize drawing and run some specials only during open house. Packages of herbal teas, in a variety of flavors, will be buy 3, get 1 free. Packaged herb blends are buy 1, get second half off. Handmade soaps are priced at 3 for $8.75 and 6 for $17.45. Buying 3 soaps will save you -'f off one bar, and buying 6 equals a free bar!
With all the economic uncertainties, everyone will be cautious with their holiday spending. We're offering organically plants and natural herbal products. Almost, everything in our shop is handmade and about 90% is from local susuppliers, including our farm. People in this area really support small local businesses. It helps boost our local economy and provides customers with personal service and careful control of products.
We have a selection of basic culinary herbs and herbal topiaries in the greenhouse. We have a tree with natural and folksy ornaments in the shop and loads of fragrant body products, essential oils, organic candles, potpourri, books, notecards and gift items in the shop. Lots to see and enjoy!
We're coming up on the anniversary of adopting our dog, Lucy. If you're considering a pet for Christmas, or anytime, please consider adopting a pet from the Humane League or a rescue group. They have wonderful dogs (and cats) that desperately need a home. We've always had a dog, and Lucy is right at the top of the list. She has a sweet disposition and was house broken when we got her. She's a mutt, which is a perfect breed to me, but purebred dogs are available, too. I don't know if animals can be grateful, but she is a happy dog and her behavior reflects that.
With all the economic uncertainties, everyone will be cautious with their holiday spending. We're offering organically plants and natural herbal products. Almost, everything in our shop is handmade and about 90% is from local susuppliers, including our farm. People in this area really support small local businesses. It helps boost our local economy and provides customers with personal service and careful control of products.
We have a selection of basic culinary herbs and herbal topiaries in the greenhouse. We have a tree with natural and folksy ornaments in the shop and loads of fragrant body products, essential oils, organic candles, potpourri, books, notecards and gift items in the shop. Lots to see and enjoy!
We're coming up on the anniversary of adopting our dog, Lucy. If you're considering a pet for Christmas, or anytime, please consider adopting a pet from the Humane League or a rescue group. They have wonderful dogs (and cats) that desperately need a home. We've always had a dog, and Lucy is right at the top of the list. She has a sweet disposition and was house broken when we got her. She's a mutt, which is a perfect breed to me, but purebred dogs are available, too. I don't know if animals can be grateful, but she is a happy dog and her behavior reflects that.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A Great Fall Soup
I come from a family of soup lovers. This one is delicious and fairly inexpensive. Oven roasting gives the vegetables great flavor. If you're using dried thyme, cut the amount in half. Thyme is a good herb in many soups.
1 medium butternut squash
2 sweet potatoes
1 T. olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 T. butter
5 C. chicken stock
1 T. fresh thyme
1/8 t. fresh nutmeg
1/2 C. light cream
salt & pepper
Cut squash in half, remove seeds, then cut into wedges. Scrub potatoes. Brush squash and potatoes with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated 350 oven till very soft, about 1 hour & 15 minutes. Cool until vegetables can be handled. Scoop flesh into bowl and mash slightly. Saute carrots and onion in butter about 5 minutes. Add stock, thyme,nutmeg and simmer 10 minutes until carrots are soft. Add squash mash and simmer 10 minutes. Cool. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to medium heat, stir in cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped chives.
Lucy loves to dawdle on her walks. Actually, she likes to smell every square inch that she covers, especially in the morning when she enjoys all the leftover smells from the animal excursions of the night before. She watched squirrels running in the trees for about 5 minutes one day. She smelled the neighbor's alpacas (Cloverleaf Alpacas) and thought they were interesting. She always looks up when geese fly over.
You're always working ahead in the greenhouse biz. I've already ordered little starter plants for next spring. Next up are seed orders. In just a couple months, I'll start seeds for the spring season.
1 medium butternut squash
2 sweet potatoes
1 T. olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 T. butter
5 C. chicken stock
1 T. fresh thyme
1/8 t. fresh nutmeg
1/2 C. light cream
salt & pepper
Cut squash in half, remove seeds, then cut into wedges. Scrub potatoes. Brush squash and potatoes with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated 350 oven till very soft, about 1 hour & 15 minutes. Cool until vegetables can be handled. Scoop flesh into bowl and mash slightly. Saute carrots and onion in butter about 5 minutes. Add stock, thyme,nutmeg and simmer 10 minutes until carrots are soft. Add squash mash and simmer 10 minutes. Cool. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to medium heat, stir in cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped chives.
Lucy loves to dawdle on her walks. Actually, she likes to smell every square inch that she covers, especially in the morning when she enjoys all the leftover smells from the animal excursions of the night before. She watched squirrels running in the trees for about 5 minutes one day. She smelled the neighbor's alpacas (Cloverleaf Alpacas) and thought they were interesting. She always looks up when geese fly over.
You're always working ahead in the greenhouse biz. I've already ordered little starter plants for next spring. Next up are seed orders. In just a couple months, I'll start seeds for the spring season.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Fall at Cloverleaf
It's been a pretty fall season - some crisp, sunny days and finally some rain. We only have trees in the back corner of our yard and along the fenceline. The maples have turned red and orangey-yellow and the witch hazel is a pretty clear yellow. Viburnum was crimson red although it's dropping leaves now. I thought the snapdragons were finally done with a heavy frost, but they thawed out and look as good as ever. the rosemarys, which over-wintered last year, are full of blue flowers. There are a couple late roses hanging on and plants in protected spots still blooming jupiter's beard, catmint, lavender, calendula and hyssop. That's a lot of enjoyment for November.
Look for your fall newsletter soon. Info on our holiday open house on Dec. 5&6, plus details on what's in the shop and green-house for the holidays, a recipe and a peek ahead to spring.
Lucy is doing great. She's a sweet, happy dog. Not the bravest dog ever. On windy days, when bags or paper blow through the yard, she runs away. So we were surprised one windy day when she picked up a plastic milk jug that had blown into the yard and ran around with it for 20 minutes. She ran from the gardens to the fence line at full speed over and over: It was a great game because we didn't have to do anything but stand there and watch her. I think she has some kind of running dog in her, because she loves to run and she is fast.
Fall garden clean-up- remove annuals when the frost gets them. Cut back herbaceous perennials after a hard freeze, although I leave seedheads, like coneflower, that the birds will enjoy. Dig out non-hardy, summer blooming bulbs. Leave woody-stemmed herbs: rosemary, thyme, lavender, santolina, sage-alone. The foliage helps protect the crown of the plant over the winter. Wait till spring to trim these back.For mulching woody-stemmed plants, use pine branches or burlap, which allow air to circulate. Don't use leaves which will mat down when wet, preventing air circulation.
Look for your fall newsletter soon. Info on our holiday open house on Dec. 5&6, plus details on what's in the shop and green-house for the holidays, a recipe and a peek ahead to spring.
Lucy is doing great. She's a sweet, happy dog. Not the bravest dog ever. On windy days, when bags or paper blow through the yard, she runs away. So we were surprised one windy day when she picked up a plastic milk jug that had blown into the yard and ran around with it for 20 minutes. She ran from the gardens to the fence line at full speed over and over: It was a great game because we didn't have to do anything but stand there and watch her. I think she has some kind of running dog in her, because she loves to run and she is fast.
Fall garden clean-up- remove annuals when the frost gets them. Cut back herbaceous perennials after a hard freeze, although I leave seedheads, like coneflower, that the birds will enjoy. Dig out non-hardy, summer blooming bulbs. Leave woody-stemmed herbs: rosemary, thyme, lavender, santolina, sage-alone. The foliage helps protect the crown of the plant over the winter. Wait till spring to trim these back.For mulching woody-stemmed plants, use pine branches or burlap, which allow air to circulate. Don't use leaves which will mat down when wet, preventing air circulation.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Gardening into Fall
It certainly feels like fall, although we haven't had frost yet. Looking around the garden, I can see the growing season is coming to a close. But looking at specific plants, I'm amazed at how many things still look attractive.
The hyacinth bean vine, pineapple and Mexican bush sages are at their peaks. Pineapple sage is edible - both leaves and flowers. Mexican bush sage is not, but it produces beautiful, fuzzy purple flowers which dry well. Also still blooming - zinnias, gomphrena, Jupiter's beard, marigolds, love-lies-bleeding, nasturtium, lavender, sedum, anemones and an occasional rose.
In one bed, viburnum has turned dark red, but also blooming in that bed are bog sage, verbena, nicotiana, pincushion flower and four o'clocks. Next door, in the brick wall garden, bright blue hummingbird sage and dark blue hyssop flower. White cone-flower are done, but the seedheads look pretty alongside the blooms.
Although customers have told me the hummingbird sage does attract them, this summer we saw it firsthand. We rarely see humming-birds here, But we saw them a couple times, including once at the sage. The other places we saw them - pineapple sage and hyacinth bean vine. That one surprised me - not a tubular flower, they stayed there awhile.
Herbs are looking good, too. Since the rosemary survived last winter, it's blooming nicely now. Purple basil is gorgeous - dark and shiny. Basil will be the first thing to go, so if you want to dry or freeze it, cut it now. Parsley and cutting celery look so nice in the fall. If you've never tried cutting celery, you should. It grows and looks similar to parsley, but tastes like.celery and doesn't produce a stalk. I use it in place of celery in soup, stew, chicken and tuna salad (along with some lime basil) and anything else you use celery for. Dill has reseeded from the mid-summer crop and produced more pungent blue-green foliage.
The hyacinth bean vine, pineapple and Mexican bush sages are at their peaks. Pineapple sage is edible - both leaves and flowers. Mexican bush sage is not, but it produces beautiful, fuzzy purple flowers which dry well. Also still blooming - zinnias, gomphrena, Jupiter's beard, marigolds, love-lies-bleeding, nasturtium, lavender, sedum, anemones and an occasional rose.In one bed, viburnum has turned dark red, but also blooming in that bed are bog sage, verbena, nicotiana, pincushion flower and four o'clocks. Next door, in the brick wall garden, bright blue hummingbird sage and dark blue hyssop flower. White cone-flower are done, but the seedheads look pretty alongside the blooms.
Although customers have told me the hummingbird sage does attract them, this summer we saw it firsthand. We rarely see humming-birds here, But we saw them a couple times, including once at the sage. The other places we saw them - pineapple sage and hyacinth bean vine. That one surprised me - not a tubular flower, they stayed there awhile.Herbs are looking good, too. Since the rosemary survived last winter, it's blooming nicely now. Purple basil is gorgeous - dark and shiny. Basil will be the first thing to go, so if you want to dry or freeze it, cut it now. Parsley and cutting celery look so nice in the fall. If you've never tried cutting celery, you should. It grows and looks similar to parsley, but tastes like.celery and doesn't produce a stalk. I use it in place of celery in soup, stew, chicken and tuna salad (along with some lime basil) and anything else you use celery for. Dill has reseeded from the mid-summer crop and produced more pungent blue-green foliage.
Friday, September 5, 2008
August into September
It's hard to remember a nicer August. Mornings were cool, days were warm, but it didn't rain enough. We did get an inch of rain recently and everything perked up nicely. Lavender is beginning to rebloom-not as much as June, but still enjoyable and another chance to harvest. Pink roses in the garden are reblooming, too. What a pretty combo. Catmint is also reblooming. Its spiky, lavender flowers resemble lavender so it's also good with roses.
I really appreciate plants that look good late in the season.
Some things to enjoy now:
Annual vines-Mina or firecracker vine (shown to the right) is full and blooming with sprays of red, orange and yellow flowers.
Hyacinth bean are huge. Seem to be blooming a little late, but are loaded with flowers now and should be loaded with beans in a couple weeks.
Pineapple sage-Pretty, tasty red tubular flowers.
Mexican bush sage-Mine hasn't bloomed yet, but the flowers are fuzzy, purple and plentiful.
Winter savory is covered in white blossoms now, and the trailing variety will follow soon.
Snaps-Maroon and pink are both nice, along with some odd colored sports.
Along with marigolds, I think snaps, parsley and nasturtiums look better the later they go in the season.
If you have garlic chives (picture to the left), which are tasty and pretty now, with plentiful, white blooms, cut off the flower stalks before the seed ripens or they will reseed everywhere.
I use Labor Day as the time for last BIG harvests from woody-stemmed herbs like sage, thyme and santolina. This allows them time to develop new foliage before cold weather sets in. I usually include rosemary in the category. Mine is so big, since it survived the winter outdoors that I'll continue to harvest it till we get a freeze.
I really appreciate plants that look good late in the season.
Some things to enjoy now:
Annual vines-Mina or firecracker vine (shown to the right) is full and blooming with sprays of red, orange and yellow flowers.Hyacinth bean are huge. Seem to be blooming a little late, but are loaded with flowers now and should be loaded with beans in a couple weeks.
Pineapple sage-Pretty, tasty red tubular flowers.
Mexican bush sage-Mine hasn't bloomed yet, but the flowers are fuzzy, purple and plentiful.
Winter savory is covered in white blossoms now, and the trailing variety will follow soon.
Snaps-Maroon and pink are both nice, along with some odd colored sports.
Along with marigolds, I think snaps, parsley and nasturtiums look better the later they go in the season.
If you have garlic chives (picture to the left), which are tasty and pretty now, with plentiful, white blooms, cut off the flower stalks before the seed ripens or they will reseed everywhere.I use Labor Day as the time for last BIG harvests from woody-stemmed herbs like sage, thyme and santolina. This allows them time to develop new foliage before cold weather sets in. I usually include rosemary in the category. Mine is so big, since it survived the winter outdoors that I'll continue to harvest it till we get a freeze.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Plant Sale!
Our plant sale is going on now until we are sold out. Great prices on everything,
but when they're gone - they're gone.
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