by Kenan White | Dec 28, 2016 | A Year in the Life.., Inspiration, Miscellaneous |
It’s nearly the end of 2016, and time for us to recount the highs and lows of this past growing season. We all have our areas of interest, but for me, it’s all about you …. Trends in what gardeners wanted this past growing year. Basically, what plant sold THE BEST in 2016.
And, the winner is: Eucalyptus, Silver Drop. Always in the top 5, but never a winner. This year, Eucalyptus pushed out Lemongrass and would have done even better had we not run out near the end of the spring.
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by Briscoe White | Jun 11, 2016 | Flowers, Gardening, Herbs, Inspiration, Life on the Farm |
The sadness of summer fading can only be cured by the excitement of fall.
Cooler temperatures and the bountiful harvest draw our attention away from what was, to the beautiful changes before us. It feels good to bundle up in a favorite fleece for a morning jaunt into the garden. I hope you are making that little jaunt each morning; even ten minutes of trimming, weeding and piddling will brace you for the days work. Think of it as a kind of yoga or meditation practice. After a few weeks of practice, you get flowers and veggies. All that squatting down, reaching around, and scratching in the ground does kind of limber you up, and a few quiet moments looking over your plants does clear your mind, and those veggies will nourish your body and soul. Flowers brighten your day!
Fall is our favorite time to garden
Why would we not start the day in the garden? I don’t know because all of the above is true and we all know how busy and complex life is today. I try to visit my little home herb garden each morning, my excuse is to let the chickens out, but I always piddle and pull a few weeds or pick a little something to leave in the kitchen for dinner. This is a nice start for me because I also know that during the day, through some intrusive media source, word of mouth, or just something I see walking down a city street will give me pause. And I will truly wonder how the human race has gotten thus far. Since there is not much to be done about the world at large, one needs some means of maintaining sanity. The only salvation is a sanctuary, and home with a garden has the deepest roots. Whatever goes on elsewhere, it is grounding to know that the garden is there, orderly and bountiful. (more…)
by Briscoe White | Jul 25, 2015 | Herbs, Inspiration |
Here is a confession: I haven’t always been an herb grower. Sure, I grew herbs along with everything else. Proven Winner Annuals, perennials, succulents, foliage plants, bulbs … you name it, I grew it. We had a garden center in Richmond, VA and my customer base was my guide. Whatever they wanted, I grew. Or, was it the other way around? Whatever I grew, they wanted? We had a very good relationship, my customers and I. It was truly an EXCHANGE.
But, in 2005, when I decided to close the store, my intention was to take EVERYTHING online. I would keep growing as I had been since 1985. Guess what? Everyone else had the same idea. There were plenty of folks growing and selling perennials online. I just had to get in line. It didn’t take me long, with the help of Google, to realize that what folks REALLY wanted was a quality herb grower. I had grown herbs all along, and actually loved growing them. But, here was my chance. I could begin growing MORE than the ‘usual suspects’; I was a kid in a candy shop. Send me the seeds, and I will grow them.
So, the unintended consequence? Enter some of the ‘unusual suspects’ with a BIG following. Among the most important?
This was one of those eye opening experiences ~ I began growing two types, Holy Red and Holy Green. I was getting seeds from a variety of vendors, but that was my first mistake. What was I really growing? Among my first customer was a wonderful grower from Texas. She was Hindu, and she educated me right away: ‘this is not Holy Basil’! Well, it said so on the seed package. My education began. (more…)
by Kenan White | May 10, 2012 | Herbs, Inspiration |
Just announced this week by The Herb Society of America, the 2013 Notable Native Herb is Monarda fistulosa, or commonly known as Wild Bergamot or Bee Balm. The information debuted at their annual educational conference held this year in Austin Texas, and we are honored to have been selected to be the exclusive grower and distributor for this program! Katrinka Morgan, Executive Director of the Herb Society of America, chose use because we are long term members, are dedicated to conserving natural resources and encouraging native plants, and said “This historic American farm is the perfect partner to help us bring attention to the vast selection of native herbs found in North America.”
The honor of Notable Native is bestowed on native herb plants that are found growing wild throughout the U.S. and who thrive in most any garden in every planting zone. Morgan goes on to mention that, they consider the plants versatility and usefulness as a culinary, medicinal and companion plant, as well as additional benefits like its aroma, usefulness in attracting pollinators, and longevity in the garden.
“Bee balm is used mostly today to attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden, but its uses are far greater. We selected it for its culinary, medicinal and aromatic values, as well as its usefulness as a companion plant,” Morgan explains. “It also performs well in most gardens throughout the US.”
We are overjoyed to be a member and partner to the HSA and hope you will visit their site to learn more, donate or become a member, too! You can visit the “Try This” section of our Bee Balm page to read more about the HSA and visit their site!
by Kenan White | May 3, 2012 | Books & Design, Containers, Exploring, Gardening, Growing, Herbs, Inspiration, Life on the Farm, Miscellaneous, Recipes |
We had a great time showing James all around the farm- we even sent him home with some potted herb souvenirs!
Last week, our good friend, James Farmer came up for a demonstration on garden to table living and while here, he stayed in the cottage on our farm. We had a wonderful time strolling through the test gardens, talking about his favorite culinary herbs for his infamous Southern recipes, and chatting about country life, gardening and everything in between!
In the greenhouse, James discovered the benefits of Holy Basil and even helped us pot his very own herb garden kit, the James Farmer’s Favorites Herb Collection, where he includes his favorite culinary herbs for making his delicious drinks and dishes.
Our newest herb kit, the James Farmer's Favorites Herb Collection was hand picked by James himself!
We introduced James to Holy Basil and taught him about its rich history and wonderful medicinal benefits.
When walking through the test gardens, we discussed the investment and versatility that perennial herbs lend. For example, I showed James that more than just a beautiful flower for the garden or in arrangements, Pyrethrum is a natural insect repellent and is used in many organic insecticides.
"Pyrethrum is beautiful in the garden or in arrangements, and is also a natural insect repellent used in many organic insecticides."
You can purchase James’s book, A Time To Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living and get loads of design tips, recipes and more, AND six of his favorite culinary herbs to create endless concoctions and dishes when you buy the James Farmer’s Favorites Herb Collection and Book!
We had such a wonderful time with James on the farm, we can't wait until he comes for another visit!
We had a such a fantastic time with James and can’t wait for him to come back! For more information on James, or his newest release, Sip and Savor: Drinks For Party and Porch, please visit his website!
by Kenan White | Apr 25, 2012 | Basics, Books & Design, Flowers, Gardening, Herbs, Inspiration, Life on the Farm, Miscellaneous, Recipes |
We are so excited that our good friend, James Farmer is coming to visit and stay at our farm this week! As part of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week, James is coming to visit and give us an exclusive demonstration on his garden to table arrangements as well as share some of his favorite food and drink recipes from his two books, A Time To Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living, and Sip and Savor, Drinks For Party and Porch, which was just released. James has a wonderful eye for design and has used his talents to bring gardening to a gourmet level. Throughout his elaborate table settings, stunning arrangements and in his Southern-chic food and drink recipes, James incorporates his passion for herb gardening for a refined but “down home” feel. As the most creative new personality in the garden living world, James still stays true to his Southern roots, drawing his inspiration from his family farm in Kathleen, Georgia.
James Farmers Favorites
To celebrate James’s visit to our farm and his fantastic new book, A Time To Plant, Southern Style Garden Living, we’ve created the James Farmer’s Favorites Herb Collection to offer some of his favorite herb plants! We’ve included Lavender ‘Hidcote’, for its beauty in arrangements or as a garnish, and for its wonderful fragrance and light, floral flavor in drinks and recipes. For a true Southern experience, we added ‘Kentucky Colonel’ Mint, a robust spearmint that grows effortlessly and is the key component to a real Southern tradition, the Mint Julep. ‘Lemon Sweet Dani’ Basil was chosen for its delicate citrus tones and lovely blooming spires, making it perfect for flavoring seafood, salads and garnishing summer desserts. To share a savory note, we also added our Rosemary ‘Arp’, a flavorful, cold hardy, Rosemary that seasons meats, stews and full flavored desserts. (James loves using the Rosemary twigs as skewers for adding fruit kebabs to his delectable drinks!) Rounding out his favorites, are ‘Italian Flat Leaf’ Parsley for its full body flavor and lovely leafy foliage, and ‘English’ Thyme, a classic culinary herb that grew in his grandmother’s kitchen garden and of which he has fond, flavorful memories.
We have even included the option to buy either this collection of six culinary herb plants to get your garden started with Southern style, or the James Farmer’s Favorites Herb Collection AND James’s new book, A Time To Plant, Southern-Style Garden Living, for a lovely added gift.
If you may already have these wonderful culinary herbs in your garden, you can purchase A Time To Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living sold separately. Whether you treat yourself or give this as a thoughtful gift, the James Farmer’s Favorites will be a sure delight for entertaining in the garden and in your home!
