Pruning!

Sometimes we go along in life,

content with the same daily routine,

never realizing the lack of growth.

Then The Gardener comes along and,

for our own good, prunes away

all that is dead and unproductive.

What is left is fresh and rejuvenated!

We have a new start at bringing

praise to The Gardener...

...glory to His Name...

...and new life to the garden.

White in my garden

Joining Kathleen

for White Wednesday

and Susan for

Outdoor Wednesday.

(Pansy)

(Scilla ~ Bluebells ~ White form)

(Bishops Weed)


(Columbine)

(Rhododendron)

(Sweet Woodruff)

(Bridal Wreath Spirea)

(Lilac)

Can't you just smell them?

(I added the names for you, Camille! ;~D)

Planting a Tea Garden

I constructed a little raised bricked bed next

to the newly painted Hen Haus

which borders the small

vegetable garden.

I planted it with herbs for tea!

Lemon Grass in an old enamel bucket

The Tea Garden Bed


Flower boxes under the windows

of the Hen Haus

waiting to be filled with

enticing herbs!

Anise Hyssop along the front of the bed

Stevia, for sweetening the tea,

in a vintage enamel water softener container.

Lemon Verbena

Dwarf Blue Hyssop

Sweet Thai Basil

Pineapple Sage

Dittany of Crete Oregano

Parsley

~

All tea herbs to be used in creating

interesting blends of homemade tea!

Elsewhere on the farm

are more perennial herbs that

may be used for teas such as

Lavender, Hops,Horehound,

Rosemary,Sage, Bee Balm,

Sweet Cicely and Sweet Woodruff.

One aromatic blend might be:

Rosemary, Lavender and Lemon Verbena

or perhaps ~

Hummingbird tea consisting of

2 tsp fresh rose hips, lightly mashed

2 tsp fresh pineapple sage

and

1 tsp fresh Anise Hyssop flowers and foliage

Or maybe just a simple

Lemon Balm or lavender tea!

And wouldn't it be lovely if you

could join me for a cup?

Joining Amy at Homestead Revival

for the Barn Hop!

Blossoming Brides of April

Joining Susan for

~*~

Looking eversomuch as blushing brides...

dressed in gowns of pure white

Rosy cheeked before her groom

lifting beaming faces to the heavens

curtsying with skirts rustling in the breeze

choirs praising

congregations joining

the springtime throng

something blue

something old

carefree

winsome

reliant

virtuous

pure

In Just Three Weeks....

I've gone from these...

to what you see below!

( hollyhocks and strawflowers)

(Cinderella Pumpkins, Acorn and Sweet Meat Squash)

(Lupine and Pink Poppies)

(Heirloom Tomatoes, Hot Peppers and Broccoli)

(Sweet William)
Sweet William seed I gathered last year is even popping through

the soil! I am so happy ~ I didn't think they would grow.

I just threw them in an old cardboard box with some

soil and 'ta da'! Little specs of green!

This is the most exciting of all~

Saturday was a beautiful warm sunny day.

I planted my peas and today~

3 days later they are popping up!!!

(Someone else discovered them! Taz, my little

Aracauna Rooster! Bad boy!

Now his wing is clipped so he will have to stay in the

chicken yard with Fly, my Cuckoo Maran

Rooster. They fight! But it's him or my garden!

He will just have to learn to fight or run faster!)

~*~*~*~*~

Joining all the others for the Homestead Barn Hop

with Amy at Homestead Revival .

Why don't you head on over and see what's happening

at everyone's homestead?

:~D

Preping the Garden!

With Gentleman Farmer home for the week

and a bit of nice weather (finally!),

the garden got its spring tilling!

I just love the smell of the fresh turned earth

and how chocolaty rich and fluffy it is!

My 'garden crew' loves it too!

This is one of the last times this gardening season

they will get to be in to gobble up those

tasty fat earthworms!

Gentleman Farmer brought home some

very nice wooden pallets from work last week,

and fixed me a grand compost bin.

It is situated next to the door of the chicken house.

When I am cleaning out the coop I can simply

fork it out into the bin!

(I will have to take down the deer fencing, but

it shouldn't be too often.)

Almost ready to get those seeds and plants into the garden!

Then we will see about getting that Hen Haus painted!

:>

Joining Amy for Homestead Barn Hop!