A Weekend in Kentucky

Just returned from a delightful, busy, but very relaxing, weekend with a friend at her family's Kentucky farm home.  The only sounds from the open window were serenades of birds, songs of crickets, the lowing of cattle in the next field ... the soft rustle of leaves.  No drone of traffic, no horns or sirens wailing, no neighbors talking or doors slamming closed.  Quiet .... natural soothing quiet.

I  awoke to the plaintive murmurs of cattle and the song of birds.  The open window revealed a light fog snuggled in the trees.  After a few minutes of just drowsing and stretching and savoring the feel of line dried sheets against my cheek, I detected the gentle sound of voices wafting up from the kitchen and the tinkle of silver, the clink of glassware.  Breakfast time.  

Below are some photos of the morning fog .... the vibrant garden flowers growing along the walkway, the bouquet sitting on the breakfast table.

The day's plans included a trip over hills and hollers, ridges and valleys to the Amish bulk food store and produce stand.  On the way we passed the old water plant building.  Out came the camera.  I was charmed - peeling paint, broken shards for windows, ancient brick.  THIS is what a real water plant building should look like, don't you think?  Note the name of the road on which it stood!!!!

After a lunch of fresh off-the-vine tomatoes and a pasta salad with garden herbs and fresh vegetables, we were treated to a real live technicolor butterfly show.  Now this is what I call a stunning BUTTERFLY GARDEN if ever there was one!

I was beginning to feel that I was in the middle of a 1940's Walt Disney movie and that maybe, just maybe a plump blue bird was going to land on my shoulder or tie a bow in my hair or something.  It was absolutely magical.  Butterflies flitting around us, swooping, fluttering, landing, taking off.  Stunning.

When I was about eight years old, I was a real brat and I begged, whined, cajoled, nagged, cried, and begged some more for a black cocker spaniel.  I dreamed of that little dog, imagined it was running along beside me when I rode my bike, pretended to pet it.  I WANTED a little black cocker ... oh please, please, please.  One of my favorite uncles was a veterinarian in another town in New York and he told my parents he was sure he could get one for me.  The answer was NO ... it was not to be.  Well, one of the neighbors in Kentucky the past weekend stopped by for a chat and entertained us with hilarious stories of recent escapades.  She was accompanied by her dogs, one of which was a darling black cocker spaniel, the exact doggie I begged for almost seventy years ago. The dog of those long-ago dreams. Look at those eyes!!!!

There are no adequate words to properly thank my friend and her family for an absolutely unforgettable, extremely enjoyable weekend in Kentucky.  Enjoyed every moment.

Thank you!

Janet

A new bike, basket, and basket liner!

It is the sweet, simple things of life

which are the real ones after all.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Flowers from the garden's first year.....

A deer in the early morning hours (sorry for the glare of the kitchen light on that window).... there wasn't much time to catch this picture!

Another simple thing bringing great pleasure is a new for me (used) bike!  This lovely purple bike was quietly sitting in an attic of friends, the bike left behind when their lovely daughter went to college, married, and then settled in another state.

After some test driving and practicing on the little street where I live in the evenings with no traffic, the bike became my very own.  It is true, you never forget how to ride a bike or swim!!!!

I named her Petunia and promptly bought her a new basket so we could go traveling to the nearby stores and to the Farmers' Market on week ends, toting home our goodies.  This afternoon, I dug into the stash of antique linens, some stained, some half torn or showing much wear and tear.  With an old quilted mattress pad and some of the cut up and re-purposed linens, and bits and pieces of lace and ribbon, we have a new basket liner.

Below is a picture of the inside where I sewed a piece of embroidery into pockets to hold the cell phone and wallet.

Petunia and I are ready to go! 

We are enjoying peaceful rides down the trail, into the quiet neighborhood nearby and down to the next town to the south of us to the Farmer's Market. Looking forward to future trips to the stores nearby and possibly to our favorite nursery to dream over the flowers and shrubs.  My happiness well is full!

Enjoy!

Janet

Start of a little English Garden

When the house was finished the plan was to leave half the backyard in the woods - and leave that wild and 'natural.'  The other portion along the back of the house would be grass with room near the house for landscaping.  Then just beyond the grass and a little dip for drainage and next to the wooded area, the thought was to have two raised gardens - one a little English type flower garden and another garden area for veggies.  These were made with a slightly raised mound of 'better' soil in sort of a 'bean' shape beyond the drainage and up the slight hill.  Several little perennials and shrubs were also added around the edges of the yard beyond the two raised garden spots.  The bird bath was also placed out there along with the bee hive.  Because of the slight hill and the drainage dip along the mid section of the yard, there is a marked groove in the garden where the rain, when it rains HARD comes flowing down, making a rut or groove. It has been raining hard rains all spring. At times the rain was flowing down like a creek! Now the plan is to put a sort of river stone/walking path for the water to flow down and still provide a walking path without loosing dirt in a wash out.  When the garden takes more shape, I would like to put additional stepping stones all around both raised areas and provide a nice place to walk through all the flowers.

Anyway, by week's end, the first action toward the walking path will be done, and I wanted to take pictures of the garden BEFORE the path was constructed.  It is just a baby garden and only the fledgling beginnings, but here are some photos that I took this afternoon.

Almost all of the 'English' garden is herbs and perennials flowers, with the exception of snapdragons, one of my favorite annuals.  In the past I have been fortunate to have some of the snapdragons actually reseed themselves and appear the following summer, but I am aware that is not always the case here in central Indiana.  I am hoping they can reseed in this garden too, but next year we will see!  Also threw in a slew of marigold seeds, which are just now beginning to grow.  The first planting of the marigolds never came up, and I don't know if I sewed them too soon and it was not warm enough or what.  I also stuck (literally poked) some nasturtium seeds in the ground between the perennials.  They are growing well. the white blob in the first photo is a little cement bunny curled up as if he is sleeping!

The veggie garden is smaller, but being very productive already!  Lettuce has been harvested, and there are bunches that must be picked soon!  Kale is doing well, as are the tomatoes and some broccoli.  Two basil plants are thriving behind the raised section, and Knitting Daughter had a friend who gave us some blackberry starts.  They are also doing well.  I don't know if you can see in the top photo below (left toward the top), but nine cantaloupe seeds sprouted - which are the results of a silly experiment when I just kind of tossed the seeds from the inside of a particularly delicious cantaloupe into the dirt.  I remembered spitting watermelon seeds as a child and being amazed that they grew, so I kind of wondered if that would work today, since there are so many weird things going on with genetically modified seeds and plants these days!  Did the same thing with the seeds from a red sweet pepper that I had purchased at the farmer's market from an Amish booth ... whallaaah they are also sprouting.  YAY!  The tip of the roof of the bee hive appears in the bottom right of the photo also.

I planted Sweet Alyssum all around the border as it is supposed to attract 'good' insects, and because it is such a lovely little flower!!!

 Wanted to share with you a rather pitiful part of the garden so you could see the Butterfly Blue Delphinium plants.  The blue is so pretty ... but I am aware that Delphiniums don't do particularly well here in this climate so they may not survive.  This is a section of the yard that is near the drain line so it is desperate for help!

That muddy area down in front (bottom of photo) is evidence of the wash out that has been occurring with the heavy rains.  The new river rock and walking path should fix that!

I told my neighbor to be patient and see in a couple years how much improved this garden will be.  The muddy areas will be hopefully filled in with healthy plants, the fence will be hidden with flowering shrubs and possibly a nice evergreen tree with some hydrangeas in front of it.  Perhaps the farm behind will fix that falling down black fence too!

Wanted to share with you the beginnings of the garden ... and kind of make a little 'blog record' so I can check back in a few years and (if all goes well) smile at the improvement and the growth of this little fledgling beginning of an English Garden in Indiana!!!!

Blessings,
Janet

I love gardens and flowers and summer!

Warm days ... cool nights .... sunset at almost 9:00 p.m.  Birds singing, children laughing and squealing, green plants peeking up through the dirt .... fresh air coming flowing through the house .... porch furniture washed off and cushions fluffed and put in place.  Wonderful time of year.

A friend from church gave me a tiny geranium, just the right size for the porch. What is it about geraniums that makes me feel so homey and happy and makes me think of picket fences and pretty houses?  

Sandy spends hours on the porch looking at the birds and basking in the sun or sleeping and dreaming on a porch chair.  I swear he tried out every single chair on the porch ... slept on every cushion!  Enjoys every minute.  Curls up next to me when I go out there to read; we breathe in the fresh air and stare together at the huge trees swaying and the hummingbirds flitting around the feeder.  

Eating on the porch ... nothing like it.  A screened-in porch is one of the best things ever invented, and I don't think I'd ever want to be without one ever again!

 Early morning when the sun is just beginning to shine and it is so fresh and clean outside .... looking to the east as the sun slants across the fences and onto the garden.

And - the best gift of all was a visit from my niece and her husband from Texas .... and who should they bring with them but their PRECIOUS six-month-old baby boy.  He had us all totally in love with him the moment he came in the door and smiled at us!  Look at the little fluff of hair and his friendly smile.  He was a delight.

What a nice way to begin the summer!

Blessings,

Janet

All Things Bright and Beautiful

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small, 

All things wise and wonderful;

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flow'r that opens up,

Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colors and

He made their tiny wings.

Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895)

This morning when the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon to the East, the woodlands behind the house just seemed to glow.  I hastily dressed and tiptoed out with my camera.  The words from the hymn that begins, "For the beauty of the earth" ..... and then later the phrase,  "Lord of all to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise" sang in my heart.

 Bleeding Heart

 Prairie Trillium

 Redbud Tree

 Dutchman's Breeches

 Dutchman's Breeches

 More of the Prairie Trillium

 May Apple

Happy spring!!!

Blessings,
Janet

Spring in the Woodlands

And the Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on earth's dark breast

Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

The Snowdrops and then the violet,

Arose from the ground with warm rain wet,

And their breath was mixed with sweet odour sent,

From the turf like the voice and the instrument.

Shelley

Blessings!

Janet