Matt and I have decided to take it easy this week, so the blog is going to be a little quieter than usual. To tide you over until we resume our regular program of renovations, I present a week of wildflower pictures from around the farm. Thank you for allowing me to loaf a little.
The quintessential farm flower for me, Queen Anne’s Lace
Queen Anne’s Lace at sunset
I’ve been having fun watching all of the flowers coming up around the farm this spring. It’s been a process of discovery as I figure out what that green shoot is and what’s planted over there.
I believe this is Solomon’s Seal
Orange lilies behind the house
Snow on the mountain. This plant grows like crazy at my in-laws’ place, but I couldn’t get it to take at our old house. It turns out that the farm is home to a very robust crop.
Red Japanese maple and bright green ferns at the corner of the house
Beautiful lily of the valley. Another plant that I couldn’t get to grow at the old house.
Forget me nots (and maybe a some strawberry blossoms at the top)
Purple iris at the south side of the house
Our most common flower at the farm: the dandelion
What’s your favourite spring flower? Anyone else have a successful dandelion plantation?
This beautiful big old apple tree sits in the middle of the west meadow, just between the house and the pond.
I’ve been watching and waiting all spring for it to blossom. And it finally has.
As I was taking the pictures, I realized that the air was full of the sound of bees as they buzzed from blossom to blossom, pollinating the blooms.
One was kind enough to oblige me by pausing long enough for a photo, although I could not convince him to pose nicely.
My grandparents owned an apple orchard and farmed it for many years. My grandmother would often talk about driving the loads of apples to the market, and Dad still tells stories of working in the orchard with my grandfather.
Someday, I’d like to have a small orchard, just for ourselves. I’d grow apples, of course, and also peaches, pears, cherries, plums and maybe even some grapes.
For now, this tree will do just fine.
Forsythia bushes at the side of the drive shed.
One thing about buying a property in January is that you don’t know exactly what you bought until the property reveals itself in the spring.
It’s been fun watching the new shoots poke up out of the ground and the buds sprout on the bare branches as the plants come back to life.
These forsythia bushes revealed themselves at the side of the drive shed. There is some old lattice tangled in them that needs some attention, but they’re a pretty addition to the property, and the cheerful blooms are a sure sign of spring.
Forsythia always reminds me of my youngest sister. She has gorgeous blond hair that’s bright like the yellow flowers, and her name is Cynthia.
Cynthia lives far away now, so this blog is a way that she can be part of the farm, even though she can’t be here in person. Seeing the forsythia come into bloom this spring has been a nice reminder of her.
I always think of forsythia as “for-Cynthia.”
Home on 129 Acres 