Quilts in the Garden

 You might remember that the Farm gals are quilters (except for the blogger and we won't talk about when she last picked up a needle!).   These pictures from a recent Michigan garden walk & quilt show may inspire us to have a "quilts in the garden" day at The Farm too :)

No, we don't have a buggy, but we do have a tractor.  Maybe Eric would let us use it for a quilt rack?

As you can see by the plastic, some quilters took extra care to protect their pieces from contact with any garden soil or rough edges of furniture.   It probably is true that quilts in the garden undergo some risk.   But what a beautiful way to enjoy them for a day.

And this one was hanging in an all-white garden in dappled shade.  Perfect.

So what do you think?   Maybe we all should get our beloved quilts out of the dark closets where they are folded and bring them out into the light--or shade-- of the garden for an afternoon.  And if you do, please take a picture and send it to us--we'd love to see yours too!

Every Fairy Needs A Garden

We're seeing fairies these days.   And not just at The Farm!  What?!?  You don't believe in fairies?  Hmmm. . . Well, take a look at these gardens and let us know what you think :)

These little guys were spied on a recent Michigan garden tour:

 And this last garden is by Growing Herbs for Beginners in Rochester.  Check out their how-to  if you'd like to build a little garden for the fairies in your yard :)

Garden Tour Season

Look what we spotted on the Rochester Women's garden tour  today--a flower-filled Rich Zimmer arranger from The Farm!  You know how much we love those flower arrangers  so it was really fun to see this one.  This garden was featured on the tour and Sue made us feel so welcome.  She even shared a seedhead from these gorgeous fluffy pink poppies.

  And she had another sweet surprise for us too.  Even though her peonies had finished blooming, she had cut these and stored them in her fridge so she'd have them for today's walk.  Want to know how she did that?  We did too!

To hold peonies for this special occasion, Sue cut them in tight bud,  rolled the entire stem & bud in damp newspaper and stored in the fridge.   Next year, we are so doing this too!  Here are a couple more scenes from this beautiful garden:

purple smoke bush

tiger eye sumac & ornamental peach

Thanks so much to Sue for opening her garden today!  Garden walks are a great way to get new information and inspiration.  Be sure to check out Secret Gardens of Menard County, featuring eight Menard County gardens this coming Saturday, June 18th.  And stop by the Farm--we're featured on the tour too!

The Artist Known as Peggy

 

You might have noticed these  angels at The Farm on a recent visit.  Each one  is a little different with vintage touches.  They're hand-made by Peggy who lives, gardens, and creates in Michigan.    She's been a long-time fan of The Farm and now she's a featured artist here too!   You can visit Peggy anytime at her blog A Primitive Plot.

Farm Mail!

Well, well…Spring is moving right along!  We are making good progress on the garden and hope you are too.  There is already much in bloom, a riot of fragrance & birds galore (hummers, Indigo Buntings & our resident mockingbird).  The greenhouse holds a good selection, and in case you like a bargain, for an unlimited time:

                    Buy 2 plants, receive the 3^rd one free

Also, I hope you stay tuned… very shortly, you will be hearing about The Loft, our new guest house in the back barn!

happy gardening!

gail

Ps:  If you want to ensure you get these emails, please put ‘Gail Adamski farmmail@dishmail.net’ in your address book. 

A Farm Gal Goes to Denver

What does a Farm gal do when she visits Denver?  She goes to the Botanic Gardens, of course!  I was surprised to find beautiful lilacs there.  I guess I thought it would be all cacti all the time.  Wrong--loved this beautiful border of lilac shrubs where you can go from one plant to the next, sampling the colors and smells of each named variety. 

The Japanese Garden was beautiful too.  Pond + rocks + shrubs + trees = fabulous garden, even without any blooms!

I love going to other gardens to get inspiration, don't you?  This little sweet combo makes me wonder if hens & chicks would mix with tulips in our midwest gardens. . .

Did I say beautiful?  I think I did.  Lots of sandy, hyper-tufa type containers in this garden, as you can see here in the foreground. 

These submerged pots were cool too.  On a gentle slope, I wonder if they will fill them with plants or enjoy them just like they are.

One of the many grass gardens. 

The DBG is exhibiting Roots--a series of bronze sculptures from Allan Houser now through November.

Hope you've enjoyed this little peak into Denver Botanic Gardens.  And we hear that the Missouri Botanical Garden is featuring an exhibit on trees this summer--complete with  treehouses!  There's another road trip to take :)

Spring Open House

That Cheryl, she can make a floral display out of anything vintage!  Thanks to everybody for visiting us during Open House on Mother's Day weekend. 

The Halladay dip mixes were a hit as usual.  Some new flavors added to the line this year--thai curry (spicy!), creamy dijon, and chive blossom.  And we could not decide which of the sweet mixes was our favorite-- lemon-blueberry, strawberry cheesecake, or key lime--so we just kept sampling :)

Pick up a few mixes when you're out to see us next time--they make a quick, easy appetizer for those times you need a little something special to offer your family and guests.

Drennan Pottery

Kirby Drennan set up her studio in the garden last weekend!   Fascinating to watch her turn pieces on her potter's wheel--she makes it look effortless.      Kirby is from Cass County and  she's been making functional stoneware pottery for the last 20 years.    These pieces are really special to us since she used flowers and seedheads from The Farm's garden.  You can find these beautiful handcrafted pieces from Kirby in the shop.

Open House This Saturday!

 

The  chickens have been watching us getting the garden ready for Open House!  Stop by on Saturday, May 7th.  We've gathered some really fun things for your home and garden this season.  And this year, Open House falls on Mother's Day weekend!  So bring your mom, too :-)

Vintage Purses

Ceramic Mushrooms

Never-Lose-Your-Garden-Gloves-Again

Weeders Wanted

The Farm needs some help!  Would you be willing to weed or mulch in exchange for plants??  We're short-handed this spring, and if you have the desire to be outside, get a little dirty, and earn some nice plants (of your choice)--well then, you're our gal (or guy!).  No experience necessary.  Call Gail at the shop 217-632-2888 or in the evenings at 217-632-2871.