One Good Turn

I've mentioned before how much appreciation I have

for those who have blogged before me.

I've always been a writer,

but until I started reading Cold Antler Farm,

I had never seriously considered starting my own blog

and delving further into this homesteading lifestyle 
that I hold so dear.

Jenna Woginrich, a New York farmer, author,
and the owner of Cold Antler,

was a big part of me taking the plunge.
Her blog and books swayed me in the direction
of creating a more fulfilling life.
Scratch cooking has always been important to me,
and I think of her whenever I take the time to enjoy homemade bread.  
 

One of the things I love so much about her,

is that she not only followed her dream

(without a safety net), but she is profoundly

determined to help others seek out their destinies.

Her acreage is home to her and her critters,

but also acts as a jumping off point for so many folks

who are exploring the homesteading way of life.

I admire not only her tenacity,

but her willingness to educate and share her knowledge

with those beginning their journeys.
She hosts a variety of workshops right on her farm
to teach others what she's learned. 

This spirit of generosity leads me to

pass along a humble request.

Jenna (along with a couple of dozen other farms),

has applied for the Beekman's Mortgage Lifter.  
She has the opportunity to win a cash prize

to keep her farm going.  

There are two different ways to win, 

one being decided by Readers' Choice votes.

Being a single woman,

and a full-time farmer, she can use the help.

Knowing that she will use the funds to continue doing her vital work to encourage others, 

makes me want to go back and vote for her farm day after day.

I hope you'll spread the word about the contest

and if you feel so inclined, even cast a vote.

Here are the official rules.

Thanks so much Jenna, for the inspiration.

The Maple Hill Hop 139

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

Today we pay another visit to 
Farm School
to see what we've been up to 
on our weekend visits to The Hill.

Last week, we showed you how we worked on sowing
two new crops.
One was pigeon peas,
and the other was Malabar Spinach.
These pots represent some of the hundreds of seeds planted
in anticipation of this addition to the garden.

While germination was good at almost 90%,
we reseeded where a few hadn't come up in the pots.
Since we aren't familiar with this particular crop,
we hedged our bets and decided to reseed every single spot that hadn't come up.

Any small seeds sown are planted using tweezers,
to ensure seed depth is consistent.

I'd be willing to bet that these 15 or so seeds we replanted on Sunday,
come up readily by the end of the week.
What a blast getting to try a new crop.



We also tackled the job of transplanting
a couple of varieties of lettuce to larger pots.
Lynn is working on getting lettuce to grow year-round.
It's a daunting task, considering our high heat and humidity all summer long.
We're presently working on a new variety 
that is said to be able to withstand our harsh conditions.
We hope to have an update on that in the next few weeks.

Our final garden chore of the morning 
was to transplant these lemongrass cuttings into pots.
I have a couple of these plants in my garden at home and absolutely love 'em!
They grow like weeds, have no bug trouble,
and smell fantastic when they get clipped.
I often trim some and leave them on the grass 
just before Big K cuts the lawn.
Aromatherapy in a big way!

lemongrass in our garden

This lil' guy was busy wetting his whistle
while we were occupied with potting up the cuttings.

I'll bet that's some mighty good lemongrass tea he's gettin'.
So many wonders of nature surround us
as we do our work.

Some of the orchids here are savoring the summer weather.
They sure look a lot better than I do
after a full day in the heat!

That's what we've been up to.
What's happening where you are?
HOP to it!

  

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Plant Profile-Tropical Sage

Welcome back to our 
 June series on native plants.
Each Friday, we have profiled a plant
that thrives in our area (zone 9b). 

We conclude our series with 
Tropical Salvia.

This beautiful perennial is native to the Southeastern United States,
and can be found in zones 7-11. 
Its moderate growth habits allow it to be placed
almost anywhere in the garden.
With heights only reaching 2-3 feet tall,
it would be perfect for a tiered effect, 
in front of taller bushes and framed in front 
by low-growing annuals or ground covers.

Although we feature the red variety in our garden,
this beauty also comes in shades of pink and white.
For most zones, the blooming takes place from spring through summer,
but warmer zones can expect blossoms throughout the fall as well.



Native salvia is a boon to the gardener determined to attract
butterflies, wasps, bees and hummingbirds.
The vibrant red blooms signal to pollinators
that there is a steady source of nectar to be found here.

With an easy-growing attitude,
salvia will do well in either part or full sun
and is highly drought tolerant.
In fact, this heat lover will thrive when other plants are fading 
from soaring summer temperatures and oppressive humidity.
Ideal plant spacing is 1 to 2 feet apart,
as powdery mildew can take hold if planted closer.

This low-maintenance garden gem readily self-seeds,
but seeds are easily collected by sliding a hand down the stem for direct sowing. 
With so many wonderful attributes,
why wouldn't a gardener want to add this alluring native
to a carefree landscape?

It pays to go native!

Other posts in this series:

 Blanketflower
Coral Bean
Beautyberry

Wordless Wednesday

The Maple Hill Hop 138

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

Today we are going back to Farm School,
so that I can share a bit of an update 
on Faye & Lynn's 7,000-square foot container garden.
(You can see all of our Farm School posts under our header.)

Summer is typically a slow time for the Florida veggie garden.

Lynn grows hundreds of okra plants at this time,

as well as a variety of herbs.

He's working on keeping lettuce going through the summer

by using the shadier parts of the garden,

 and he wants to be able to offer his customers something new.

This is Red Malabar spinach, 

an alternative to lettuce or conventional spinach.

While traditional varieties of spinach do well here in cooler months,

this is the perfect time to start up a batch of this heat-lover.

It germinates within a week,

and given sufficient water, it will continue to grow

with very little help from the gardener.

Lynn seeded his plants every 2 inches apart,

and has them aligned down the center of each pot.

The trellises are already in place,

so that this climber can reach for the sky.

It's so exciting trying new crops.

Knowing that this particular spinach doesn't mind the heat,

gives us something to look forward to.

The other new crop being grown this season is pigeon peas.

We had some growing in our backyard,

and thought that Lynn & Faye might like to try them out.

(They were profiled here.)

They enjoyed the taste when we picked some for them,

and we were happy to share the harvested seeds 

so that they could start their own crop.

At right around a month old,

these babies seem to be doing fine.

For now they are unsupported,

but Lynn may add stakes if need be.

It's fabulous to have another goodie to grow during this season,
when the veggie garden slows down due to heat and humidity.
Looking forward to seeing this crop flourish!

That's what's been happening at Farm School.
What's going on where you are?
Let's HOP!

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Plant Profile-Beautyberry

Today we continue our 
 June series on native plants.
Each Friday, we will profile a plant
that thrives in our area (zone 9b).

Today's chosen native is 
beautyberry.


Beautyberry is an exquisite example of
 how spectacular the native garden can be.
This head-turner is an asset to any naturalized landscape.
Although it is native to Florida,
it can be grown in zones 7 through 11.



This rather unpretentious slow grower
will soon treat the gardener to quite a show. 
The soft, light green leaves 
resemble foliage of the mint plant.



The berries begin as pea-green clusters
assembled every few inches on the stem.
Then the dramatic change takes place.



Over a few weeks' time,
the berries transform into marvelous, magenta gems.
From spring into the early fall months,
this charmer will take center stage.
Many species of birds, including mockingbirds, savor the fruit.




This was one of the first natives we added to our 
Florida-friendly garden.
Its low maintenance and drought tolerance
makes it one of the best choices for newbie gardeners.
Pest problems are nearly non-existent.



Beautyberry gives so much
and requires so little.
I hope you'll consider adding it to your garden bed.



It pays to go native!











Other plants in this series:

Blanketflower
Coral Bean

Wordless Wednesday

The Maple Hill Hop 137

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

***
Today we're visiting some of the beauties
gracing our spring garden.

Spring is on its way out,
and summer is almost here.
With the recent rains we've had,
it's difficult to keep up with the trimming!

Pentas are one of the best plants to attract butterflies to the garden.

Zinnias are one flower I can never get enough of.
They come in a variety of colors and sizes,
and always provide tons of interest to the garden.
The bonus is that pollinators love 'em!

These lilies are on their way out,
but not before strutting their stuff for most of the spring.

This recent addition, pinball gomphrena,
greets visitors near the front door.

Sunflowers are the best way to welcome summer!

Mums are starting to open up and greet us with cheery, yellow blossoms.

Thyrallis blooms most of the year,
and would make a great privacy hedge.
We've recently noticed that many birds nest here.

The butterfly vine had been transplanted from the south part of the garden.
It wasn't looking too good for a while,
but with warmer temperatures,
it's coming right along.

The beach sunflower and lemongrass are a dynamic duo.

Citronella has interesting texture and a pungent scent.
It is used to repel mosquitoes.

This porterweed has been blooming nonstop for about 3 months.
It's a favorite stopover for pollinators and birds.

The beautyberry is starting to flower,
and will soon be full of bright, purple berries for the birds to savor.

 The one hibiscus we have planted in the rear of the back bed
frequently treats us to beautiful, crimson blooms.

 The gloriosa lily plants continue to soar to the sky
and reseed themselves at will.
They are always welcome in our garden.

 Isn't it brilliant?

This coreposis is also known as tickseed,
and is a Florida native wildflower.
We enjoy the pop of color.

 Our transplanted Florida maple tree is doing well
after careful watering and a week of generous rainfall.

The rosemary is always a fragrant delight,
but with its delicate blue flowers in bloom, it's a treat for the eyes as well.

A new pigeon pea plant has sprung up, unexpectedly.
We profiled this crop here.

We are inundated with the caterpillars of the
black swallowtail butterflies.
As long as we have enough parsley to keep them fed,
we'll be blessed with a garden full of flitting fliers.

We'll be giving some away,
as we have done for the past few years,
so that others can enjoy these amazing creatures.

 Maybe I need to plant more parsley?!


   

    An InLinkz Link-up