Our new property came with a 600 sq. ft. poultry house that was built in 1950. We call this the ‘big coop’ or the ‘new coop’ because we already had one from our old house. We are now done with the exterior upgrade project. Some ‘before’ photos of the buildingIncluded in the project: 1. Re-build…
Month: September 2017
Apple Trees
Our new property has three apple trees. One right by our patio, another on the other side of our grape arbor and another in a grassy area near the lane. This tree was just gorgeous this spring. Then it started putting on LOADS of apples. My fiancé’s dad brought his apple cider press over and we made…
Potting Up Rosemary
Rosemary is a ornamental plant as well has a culinary herb. It is not cold-hardy here in Iowa so I will need to bring indoors or take cuttings. I found a helpful post about growing Rosemary on The Spruce. I found ‘Tuscan Blue’ at Mulhalls a few weeks ago and planted it up with some…
Air Plant Update
Air plants are really catching on now. You might remember my previous post about growing air plants but I recently purchased two more so thought it was time for a refresher! What do you think of these two beauties?! I was mesmerized the first time I saw an air plant. How could a plant…
Saving Love in a Puff Seed
Love in a Puff, also known as Balloon Vine or Heartseed, is an annual vine that carries seed in ‘puffs’ and looks great in arrangements. The vine can be grown on a trellis but I just had mine out in the flower field this year and it did fine. You can see it here in one…
Hybrid Tea Roses
Hybrid Tea Roses were created by cross-breeding two types of roses: hybrid perpetuals and tea roses. They have traits of both parents, generally hardier and more often repeat flowers. Hybrid teas are very popular, especially with cut flower growers as they have a single flower on a longer stem. I purchased five Hybrid Tea Rose…
Moving the Little Blue Coop
If you remember, we fixed up an old cabin and converted it to a chicken coop back on our old property. We later learned that it was cabin #8 and was original part of a hotel somewhere in Oakland, IA. I’d love to learn more about its history at some point. If anyone has any…
Flower Field in September
Dahlias and celosia are the stars of the garden right now. It’s really fun to photograph across the four 100 ft. rows and find pretty layers in the shot. My favorite time to shoot is late in the day when the sun is almost gone. Happy gardening!
Fall Container
I’ve never actually made a fall planter before. My first attempt includes mums, ornamental peppers, purple fountain grass and kale. When I bought the peppers they were green and purple and went with this color scheme a little better. The ice cream bucket leaks really bad so my fiancé thought I should use it as…
Passion Bouquet
This bouquet was inspired by passion flower vine and hyacinth bean vine. The purple theme carried all the way through this arrangement. Can you spot the passion flower in the bouquet? Featured in this bouquet are dahlias, celosia, scabiosa, cosmos, ammi, hyacinth bean, passion flower along with love-in-a-puff, scented geranium, lemon verbena and artemisia for…
Red & Gold Bouquet
In honor of yesterday’s game, ISU vs. Iowa, I created this ISU themed arrangement. As some of you know, I attend Iowa State University – GO STATE! Unfortunately they lost the game but I still hope they have a great rest of the season. What do you think of this color combo in an arrangement? This…
Dinnerplate Dahlias
Dinnerplate dahlias are SO fun to grow. They are difficult to work into arrangements but look stunning alone in a vase. They take longer to bloom and have less blooms per plant but I think they are very worth the time and space in the garden. I absolutely love this color palette of creamy peaches,…
Dahlias at Dusk
The dahlia field is just unbelievable right now. I’ve been telling people that it peaks every day at dusk and here is some proof. The light during the last portion of ‘magic hour’ is gorgeous anywhere but here on the farm it’s at a whole new level. What do you think?
Hot Air Balloon Landing (In Our Yard)
We had an exciting morning here on the farm. There were a total of six balloons in the air that I could see from our house when I got outside. They were up and moving northwest until they all disappeared about the same time. They landed in the fields surrounding our house and our neighbors.Then…
Stories from Jane’s Garden
Meet my friend Jane. Jane is an extraordinary human being. She brings light and laughter to every room and is quick to make everyone feel welcome. I had the pleasure of meeting Jane last fall through our Master Gardener program training. I felt an instant bond with her as almost everyone probably does. Our passion…
Round Succulent Planter
Succulents prefer well drained soil and plenty of sun. I used my Cactus mix and stuffed this pot full of little plants. These succulents are not hardy in Iowa so I will need to bring this pot indoors before our first frost. They will probably do best under grow lights indoors. I was able to try…
Passion Flower Vine
The tropical passion flower or passion vine (Passiflora spp.) naturally grow in South America and Mexico. An annual vine here in Iowa, prefers to grow on a trellis in full sun and in well-drained soil. The blooms were originally used by missionaries to teach of the passion of Christ which is how it got its name. Because…