by Briscoe White | Jan 20, 2010 | Exploring, Flowers, Growing, Life on the Farm |
I planted these yellow flowering Campis vines several years ago. The gate is into our farm orchard, but the Trumpet Creeper was planted so that it would grow up and over the arch and imitate the vine encircling the pages of the first version of The Growers Exhange.com, which is based in the nursery next to this orchard.
Who would have guessed the web-store would grow faster than a Trumpet Creeper? The newer version sacrificed art for function so the vine no longer lives in cyberspace, but should reach the top of the arch this summer here in Charles City. Trumpet creeper grows so well here it can actually be a problem in some places, we chose a yellow hybrid to be a little different from the wild cousins growing in nearby trees.
The plan is to bind the vines to keep it growing a along the fence and up the arch over the gate. Each winter we wrap it with old baling twine to keep a neat column of foliage along the cedar post. Look for a picture this summer when it will be covered in Yellow Trumpet Flowers, which is also it’s name!
by Briscoe White | Jan 18, 2010 | Growing, Herbs, Miscellaneous |
I have a little experiment going in our greenhouse using some really cool towers that let us grow vertically. The towers are a series of stacking bowls which allow for 6 plants on each level. We have been experimenting and looking for a crop we can grow in these towers; it turns out herbs work great.
What we want to do is be able to cut fresh herbs in winter, vertical growing lets us use more of the heated greenhouse space. Mints work great, but we worry they will become pot bound soon. Peppermint is most popular followed Spearmint. Chervil still demands some shade, even from winter sun!.
Oregano has a lot of variations: Italian and Greek, also Marjoram and Zataar. Parsley: Italian for cooking and curly for a garnish. And for our furry friends, we grew Catnip, as most of us have at least one. Herbs do not grow as fast in winter, so we wait for sunny weather and see how fast the plants grow. Being an experiment, we are not sure how well herbs grow in winter.
by Briscoe White | Jan 15, 2010 | Exploring, Life on the Farm, Miscellaneous |
The Growers Exchange keeps a small laying flock out behind the office. We have a flock of mostly Rhode Island Reds with a couple of Sexlinks, Wyandottes, and two Speckled Sussex roosters. A mixed lot for sure, but very reliable egg layers. The staff takes turns collecting and taking home our egg bounty.
The few miscellaneous breeds mentioned above are actually the remnant of our last flock. The Rhode Island Reds were raised as replacements this past summer. As the accompanying photo shows, it is not just us interested in our laying flock.
This young Great Horned owl was inside our chicken coop this morning. I caught him in a crab net and released him outside. He is recovering his dignity in the picture. The good news is this young owl was very easy to forgive as he didn’t hurt the chickens! Usually, the chickens are not that lucky. Fortunately it is not often one of our neighbors finds a way in to the chicken coop. Proving again that “ good fences make good neighbors.”
by Briscoe White | Jan 14, 2010 | Gardening, Growing, Inspiration, Miscellaneous |
It is done! These are our favorite words around the nursery. The Growers Exchange staff has created our first plant catalog. Yes, after all the light years of journey through cyberspace to create our internet web store; we had to step back and make a printed catalog. It just seems gardeners and paper plant catalogs go together like a companion planting.
The Growers Exchange catalog will be available on request, ORDER ONE TODAY. Spring getting closer every day!
by Briscoe White | Jan 11, 2010 | A Year in the Life.., Exploring, Gardening, Indoor Gardening, Life on the Farm |
The winter wind makes being outside an endurance test; one step outside and any thoughts of working the garden shrivel like body parts in a deep freeze. I admit that I do not like winter, and I hate being cold. So like anyone suffering with cabin fever, I have begun to dream about warmer times. No need to think about warmer places, because soon enough this place will be hot enough to have us wishing for winter.
My dreaming has become more like sleep-walking as I turn an old cold frame into a season extending covered garden. I hope to use this area much like a homeowner would use their deck, patio, or balcony to grow what ever plants possible.
Many crops are planned for this new garden, The Growers Exchange will document all that we grow. The beds in this picture will grow salad greens and the logs surrounding it have been impregnated with mushroom spores. Check in regularly to see what we have growing.
