Springtime at my Farm
My blog readers always seem to enjoy the activity going on around the farm and spring is definitely an exciting time. Plants are sprouting, flowers are blooming, and the fields and paddocks are so verdant. These photos were just taken so please enjoy springtime at my farm.
1 This is an amazing bed of muscari.
2 It is located near my long pergola.
3 Some pretty tulips in the tulip bed
4 Here are two apple trees in full bloom.
5 A spectacular Kwanzan cherry tree
6 The crew is busy edging the boxwood allee. Chhewang picks up the excess.
7 Pete and Chhiring are clearing the bed of weeds.
8 The blueberry patch is laden with blooms.
9 Another variety of blueberry
10 A very happy bumblebee
11 The azalea grove is about to burst.
12 A lovely shade of pink
13 A bright purple variety
14 Wilmer and Phurba set out to trim back all the ornamental grass beneath the apple espalier. Once trimmed, the grass will grow back neater.
15 The grasses are thick and required a lot of clipping.
16 One shade of Virginia bluebells
17 And a deeper shade of blue
18 The violets out by the pond are quite plentiful this year.
19 More muscari in the woodland - this one is a darker shade of purple.
20 The ostrich ferns in this shade garden are multiplying and spreading.
21 I love how the fronds unfurl.
22 The dwarf Solomon's seal is pushing through soil.
23 These giant hosta are also multiplying.
24 The structure of hosta leaves is so intriguing. These look tufted and quilted.
25 A cultivated variety of trout lily. Trout lilies can be found growing in the wild in early spring.
26 Down at the stable, Betsy is meeting with Dr. Rosemary Ganser, the equine acupuncturist, who is monitoring Meindert's healing process.
27 Meindert appears to have an itch.
28 My nephew, Charlie, brought his friend, Kelly, to the farm for a ride astride Rinze.
29 At the green house, Wilmer is bringing some broccoli seedlings outdoors for hardening.
30 Inside the vegetable garden, the pea brush has been neatly placed and the peas are beginning to sprout. The pea brush comes from Maine and are the trimmings from white and black birch trees.
31 These are called Amish Snap Peas.
32 Shaun and Wilmer have also planted...
33 And...
34 And...
35 And...
36 And...
37 And...
38 There are also several rows and varieties of onions. The larger ones on the right are purchased onion 'sets' and the ones on the left were grown from seed in the greenhouse.
39 The garlic planted last autumn is growing very well.
40 And the rhubarb should be ready to pick soon. I can't wait!
41 These are parsnips, wintered over and ready to pick.
42 A stalk of purple asparagus
43 And a bed of green asparagus. We've been enjoying a steady crop this season. The more you pick asparagus, the more they send up new shoots.
44 Shaun decided to try a new method of organizing seed packets.
45 He found these expandable accordion files and has labeled each slot.
46 Those files are stored in a plastic bin, also neatly labeled.
47 In fact, Shaun is all about labeling now.
48 Shaun is smoothing this bed out getting it ready for planting.
49 This tool is called a row marker from Johnny's Selected Seeds. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6241-row-markers.aspx. To make evenly space furrows, you adjust the distance of the hard red plastic tubes.
50 Then, you run the rake down the length of the bed.
51 This clever tool is a design of garden great, Eliot Coleman. http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/
52 Shaun likes to try out new tools and this device is called a Vibro Hand Seeder, also from Johnny's. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7441-vibro-hand-seeder.aspx He's placing arugula seeds into the trough.
53 The battery powered device gently vibrates and the seeds drop off in a controlled manner into the newly made furrows.
54 Princess Peony sits just inside the door, observing all of the activity going on around the farm.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Isn't everything lush and green.. I really liked the tulips. Vibrant pink and standing tall. I can see just how much time and effort it takes to keep such a nice, and well kept farm! Thank you AGAIN!!!
http://www.meandmartha.net
Dan Viger
Hollis Center, Maine.
Posted by: Daniel Viger | April 23rd, 2010 at 12:21 am
beautiful flowers. I miss being in the four-season country so much (was in Canada for 6 years during my school days). In Malaysia (like Thailand), we only have 'summer' throughout the year which is not bad too as we could enjoy blooms and fruits throughout the year.
Posted by: ian yusof | April 23rd, 2010 at 12:28 am
What a wonderful idea for organizing seeds!
I will have to pick up some index card organizers this weekend and get all my seed packets out of the envelope I've been keeping them in!
Posted by: Amy | April 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 am
i always check for new photos of your farm...i would not have a problem with seeing some each day !!! i just love them...please keep them coming....long time fan... greg
Posted by: Greg in North Carolina | April 23rd, 2010 at 12:55 am
I absolutely love this post and will add it to my Friday links... you definitely make me want to have a garden... so tomorrow I'm visiting the Botanical garden... have an amazing weekend!!!
Posted by: Punctuation Mark | April 23rd, 2010 at 1:04 am
This set of pictures should be my screen saver
Beautiful!
Posted by: Wendy | April 23rd, 2010 at 1:16 am
Absolutely stunning! thank you Martha for the wonderful tour in your farm. I tried to call you last night on Sirius could not get through the line, will not give up and keep trying. I am following you on twitter my account is http://twitter.com/Rowaida I wish you could follow me.
Regards,
Rowaida Flayhan
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | April 23rd, 2010 at 6:33 am
Do you ever offer tours to the public of you gardens?..I would love to visit to be awed and inspired.
Posted by: amy Dorval | April 23rd, 2010 at 7:09 am
So beautiful Martha. We have been working hard to get our farm in shape, but it's a tough process for two!
Posted by: Jennifer | April 23rd, 2010 at 7:27 am
What a great crew! The farm is looking beautiful. I am amazed at the fast growing violet and hosta this season in the Philadelphia suburbs. Meindert looks like he is mending. Good news! I was wondering what you will do with all those peas? Shaun and all the crew are inspiring me. I will go get those organizers. What a simple and good idea! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Teresa Touey | April 23rd, 2010 at 8:04 am
That beauty is sure making up for such a brutal winter. Magnificent!
Posted by: Julie | April 23rd, 2010 at 8:06 am
Wow! What a difference from a month ago. Incredible pictures, thank you so much for sharing.
Posted by: Moonstruck in Montana | April 23rd, 2010 at 9:45 am
OMG Martha!!!!! Fantastic!!! I wish I could see it in person. You are such a lucky girl! Love it!
Posted by: Julie | April 23rd, 2010 at 9:56 am
Hi Martha,
OMG just look at all of that muscari! Just once I wish I could grow it. All I ever get is green leaves and no purple flowers, and I don’t remember ever seeing blossoms like that on blueberries. I only remember picking the blueberries. Everything looks so nice and I bet everything tastes pretty good too when it’s ready to pick. You are so lucky to be able to grow so much food in the garden. I’m always dieting so I practically live on salads but I don’t always have access to the varieties of lettuce you grow. It looks like the garlic beds are the only ones that didn’t get a shift in direction because you have to plant them early, but the plants are coming up nicely. Thanks again Martha. I’m among the many who love seeing everything that you grow. Your gardens really are the best! Trish
Posted by: Trish | April 23rd, 2010 at 10:27 am
Simply fantastic and so much fun to see things coming up everywhere! Love all that muscari and everything looks so utterly healthy. Great that Shaun is embracing good organizing skills...hmm..i wonder who taught him the value in this!?
Posted by: sherey | April 23rd, 2010 at 11:16 am
Wish I could do some plein air paintings on you lovely farm!
Posted by: Kristina | April 23rd, 2010 at 11:36 am
What beautiful flowers you have. I wish I knew what kind of grass that was that they were trimming up. It looks like you have plenty of help, but looks like spring is in the air. Oh, by the way the horse is beautiful too. Thanks for sharing all of the photos. I enjoyed looking at them.
Posted by: Paula Jo | April 23rd, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Your Peas are late Martha! Mine are up 12 inches now! First time ever I planted them early enough to beat the summer's heat!
Posted by: Tiffany | April 23rd, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Interesting! I had never seen blueberry blossoms before.
And the peas! You are going to have yourselves a pea-pickin extravaganza one of these days.
And I, too, am all about labeling. It is my one firm toehold as I climb out of my disorganized tendencies. I like it that all the pea labels were in a consistent font and format, as well as the seed packet organizer. If you're going to label, might as well do it right!
Posted by: Elizabeth Gage | April 23rd, 2010 at 3:05 pm
PS I am about to go to the Gamble Garden Center Garden tour, in Palo Alto. Beautiful older houses and gardens in the part of Palo Alto (where Stanford faculty & entrepreneurs live there now). Might be worth a look for a future article. Growing conditions out here different than where you are.
Posted by: Elizabeth Gage | April 23rd, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Fabulous and orderly and way ahead of the growing season here. The cold weather has only just relinquished its hold on us and blossom has blown out and over in just one week.
The hostas must be 2 weeks behind yours. Ditto the yummy looking asparagus though I did pass a notice on a farm gate today emblazoned with the word Asparagus in wobbly hand lettering.
Posted by: Catharine Howard | April 23rd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
How wonderful to see spring comming to your farm. Everything is so organized and beautiful. Since I can't have a farm of my own, it is wonderful to look at yours. Please keep the photo's comming because your followers do enjoy them!!! Spring is wonderful isn't it???
Posted by: Libbygirl | April 23rd, 2010 at 4:36 pm
broccoli seedlings
Posted by: ana pollio | April 23rd, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Lovely garden!
Posted by: Alyzabeth | April 23rd, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Here in my country we don`t have blueberries! I just love to see the blueberry blossoms!!
thank you!
Posted by: Mirella Luiggi | April 23rd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Oh boy. I'm not sure why I even come to this blog. It's torture. TORTURE I tell you. Horses, and blueberry plants and perfectly trimmed bushes. All you need is a monorail and it'd be my DisneyWorld.
Posted by: TheArtofDoingStuff - Karen | April 23rd, 2010 at 5:45 pm
I enjoyed the pictures of your farm. Flowers, trees, plants, are my favs. Before having problems with my joints i could stay in my yard all day. Thanks for letting us Nature Lovers take a look of your beautiful farm.
Cathy, E.City N.C.
Posted by: Cathy Hill | April 23rd, 2010 at 6:25 pm
I just discovered you wondrous site! I am giddy with the joy of the discovery....
I live in the tropics and would love to see any sites that are relevant for that environment...( Two seasons: Dry and Rainy.)
So nice to have a place to talk about gardening, without the person's eyes glazing over...:-)Thank you!
Posted by: Layla Wafiyyah | April 23rd, 2010 at 7:37 pm
so lovely to see.
Posted by: Layla Wafiyyah | April 23rd, 2010 at 7:52 pm
big big fan in Toronto why we can't see ur show here in canada
Posted by: kavin the iraqi | April 23rd, 2010 at 7:52 pm
I can't believe I was able to see this place in person. It is gorgeous! Thanks for putting a picture of me up
Posted by: Kelly | April 23rd, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Hi Martha, Thank you again for sharing what goes on at your marvelous farm. I love seeing how everything looks at all different times of the year. I think my favorite time is spring and seeing all of the beautiful projects that your fantastic crew accomplishes is such a joy. The weather is so lovely and the smiles on you farm crew always make me happy. It's always fun to see Betsy and your fabulous horses. Sure hope Meindert is doing much better. The last photo of Princess Peony is really darling. She looks so serene. I love how Empress Tang did a blog on the 'Daily Wag'. I've got to go check on that one again. Have a great weekend. Love, Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | April 23rd, 2010 at 11:34 pm
What a lovely tour. I especially like the cat at the end watching over the goings on.
Posted by: Amanda | April 24th, 2010 at 12:34 am
Very nice!
Posted by: Darcy | April 24th, 2010 at 10:58 am
I am your biggest fan..I love all your doings.. reminds me of my family farm and my mother and fathers work ..they worked hard too to get what they had too..
Posted by: evelyn | April 24th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
hi--this is my first "blog" to you.... i think you are absolutely brilliant! your knowledge of the home, kitchen, garden, etc -- not just basics but very detail- oriented. you have so many people on your side & routing for you --just wanted you to know--melanie
Posted by: melany bryan | April 24th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
My favorite spring arrival is the sea of bluebells that springs up in my woodland garden. Here's a photo of a wonderful old mossy maple tree surrounded by the blinding blue of this wonderful flower.
Sea of bluebells: http://tallcloverfarm.com/?p=1368
Posted by: tom | tall clover farm | April 24th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
I appreciate the efforts made to identify each picture. Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, it is nice to have the short descriptive version. Helps me to learn as I'm always learning from you!
Posted by: Natalie | April 24th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
beautiful photos!
Posted by: Lisa is Raw on $10 a Day (or Less!) | April 25th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Martha- You are truly my hero!!!
Posted by: Kathleen Patel | April 25th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Thank you for sharing your lucious gardens! I posted your pictures to my Facebook, and will post them to lucysdaughter.com.
Martha,the beauty of your gardens & property amazes me, but even more is that the joy on the faces of those working in the gardens is a reminder of how healing the earth is!
Wilmer, as he is carrying the tray of broccoli seedlings is radiating his joy of the days work.
How wonderful to enjoy your work!
Warmly, Lori ann Merrill
LucysDaughter
Posted by: Lori ann Merrill | April 25th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Martha I absolutely adored your pictures of the farm! I love being in the yard planting and pruning. There is something so therapuetic and nurturing all at the same time! It is so beautiful, and beckons you to just sit after the work is done and breath it all in. Thank you for sharing a part of your farm with me.
Posted by: Jennifer Berry | April 25th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Muscari used to grow without any help from me when I lived in a house built in 1857 (Ontario). Give us some unique rhubarb recipes. I love rhubarb! Thanks!
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | April 25th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Simply beautiful photos.
I can't wait to be outdoors again after my recovery from broken bones. In the meantime I am relishing the season in your photos.
Thanks Martha
Becky
Posted by: Becky Kuchefski | April 25th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
You know, I've been following your career for as long as I can remember. You were my inspiration to become a free styling untrained florist, a gardener, and have a lovely home. I have all of this now, and it just occured to me, that you were key to this life I have. I own a small organic blueberry farm named Missing Goat in BC Canada, I style for magazines, I have gardens, a line of jams in stores from my farm, and my home is pretty. I just started blogging last summer, and just found yours. I thought it about time I say thank you Martha!
Posted by: Heather | April 25th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Martha, you had a fantastic pillow called the everyday core support pillow sold at K-Mart. I have a plate and 5 screws in my neck; this is truly the most comfortable pillow for me. My K-Mart and Sears does not sell anymore; where can I purchase more?
Posted by: Lisa Shavlik | April 27th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
I just know I can do so much more to my one acre property to make it better! Thanks for the inpsiration...
-kelley
Posted by: kelley@myislandwedding | April 27th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Princess Peony just makes me smile and giggle. She is so cute.
Posted by: ward kays | April 27th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Wow! What a beautiful farm. Those tulips are simply amazing. Your seed labeling and sorting system is something that I am going to implement this weekend, what a great idea. So neat and organized. I love it!
Posted by: Matt | April 27th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
PLEASE START A GARDENING CHANNEL. MISS YOU GARDENING. I KNOW YOU ARE EXTREMELY BUSY. WILL SETTLE HAPPILY ON GARDENING FROM THE PAST. I HAVE ALL THE DVD'S BUT WANT MORE. HALLMARK CHANNEL STARTED THEN QUIT JUST AS I WAS WATCHING IT EVERY DAY. PLEASE HELP,JIM
Posted by: jim diaville | April 28th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Martha:
I live in Santiago Chile and from down here, I,m totally addicted to you. Love seing your recipies and touring thru your farm...How I wish I had half the resources and the creativity that you have. But at least thru here I get to enjoy and dream a little...
Love you and don´t ever change
Posted by: Isabel Margarita Vidaurre | April 29th, 2010 at 3:56 pm