My vegetable garden expansion took place last spring. Farmboy was busy farming, the ground was workable and I had the skid steer! My exisiting vegetable garden was a series of 9 raised beds about 3 ft wide by 5 ft. long running north to south. My sister kindly pointed out that it looked like a graveyard. I’m not a rectangle with rows kind of gal. I need paths. A destination. It needs to charm me, enchant me… maybe I just wanted a place for the kids to play without stepping all over everything. I needed paths. I digress.

View of old garden raised beds (early spring). Note playset in background… picture two-story state of the art chicken condo in a couple of years. Don’t tell the kids.

New area to the left.

I started my expansion by layering composted horse manure from the barn and topsoil. Hmmm. If I had planned it on paper I wouldn’t have made a giant raised rectangle. It was supposed to be left until Fall but I COULD NOT leave it alone. I had to see structure, shape, green plants… and paths. Out of that huge rectangle, I dug out my little paths. Ahhh. Structure. Geometry. A destination. I worked like a crazyperson. It had to be done. I couldn’t garden in half of that space and watch the weeds take over the other half.

I added a bench to sit and rest from my path making madness. On Mother’s Day I was given a lovely birdbath/fountain to add as the focal point of my emerging potager. I added an apple tree to each side of the bench as well as Little Gem globe arborvite to mark the entrance and termination of the two main paths.

View to the west through the pea trellises.

Once the paths were established I added landscape fabric and mulch to keep the weeds at bay.  Along the raised edges I planted nasturtiums to keep the weeds down. They were very prolific and effective. Note to self: plant dwarf varieties next year.

View through side perennial garden and arbor into the potager (towards south).

View of potager (mid summer) from house.

View to east through center axis.

View to west from bistro set.

The bistro set was a welcome addition to the potager. La La and the Bean enjoyed breakfast out there on numerous occasions. Junebug (my mom) and I contemplated life, gardening and much more while watching the sunset and having a glass of wine. LaLa often brought us appetizers of chives, broccoli, mint and fresh green peppers.

Mid summer view to the south with oats in background.

View from studio in late fall.

First snow 2009. (view from studio)

Next year I hope to add two more fruit trees. One on either side of the bistro set as well as some type of fencing. I am entertaining the idea of a picket fence. One day perhaps the paths will be in some sort of stone. I think I’m ready to add permanence to the shape. My main quandary at this time is where to hide the compost pile.: )

My most recent design- the Peace topiary. Isn’t it about time? Believe it or not I had this sketched out in my notebook before the Gardener’s Supply catalog came out featuring a peace symbol wreath on the cover! I am seeing it everywhere. Green and Peace… a great combination. I like the theme. Plant love. Grow peace. I DO believe when we practice love in our “sphere of influence” that peace is the fruit. I would love to see it on a larger scale, wouldn’t you?

I picture this design in some form on t-shirts and totebags one day. It’s a great message… especially for a peace lovin’ gardener! Until then this design is available on blank notecards, linen guest towels and limited edition prints.

oats in my bucket
do you have oats too paley?
i like to eat them.

here comes farmboy again.
there goes that rake flashing by.
crunch crunch in my teeth.

there is a brown deer
i hope it doesn’t eat me
better to stay still

what’s that on the ground
following me every step
oh its just my hoof

michelle just came in
she turns, halter in her hand
yawn, stretch, pick me first!

What do these things have in common you ask??? Well, funny you should ask. I am strict about 8 pm bedtime for LaLa and the Bean. However… on Monday nights there is “The Roadshow”. My son can hear the intro music from anywhere in the house. He gets down-right grumpy if I watch it without him. While Farmboy is out watching Monday Night Football- LaLa, the Bean and I pile up on the couch with popcorn and watch Antiques Roadshow. We marvel how so-and-so bought such-and-such for a dollar at a yard sale only to find out that it’s worth a gazillion dollars at auction.

A couple of weeks ago while watching and crunching, the Bean said, “Momma, I want to go to The Cloisters.” Excuse me? “I want to go to The Cloisters.” Am I hearing things? What do you know about The Cloisters? “There is a famous tapestry there of a unicorn that I want to see.” How do you know about the tapestry? “In one of my Magic Treehouse books Jack and Annie travel to the Cloisters to solve a riddle and release the captured unicorn in the tapestry.” After I picked myself up from the floor, I thought… that needs to be encouraged and rewarded. The Bean is a reader. A lover of books at 8 years old. I’m thrilled.

While watching Leslie Keno discuss a beautiful old Kentucky highboy the Bean went on to say, “I also want to go to the Empire State Building, ride in a taxi, see the Statue of Liberty and ride the subway.” Well, okay then. What can I say? I got all excited and started planning our trip before the next commercial came on. After whipping the Bean up into a frenzy about a quick trip to The City, the next morning I realized that I hadn’t yet breached the topic with Farmboy. Ooops. I wasn’t quite sure how he would feel about traipsing through NYC with a 5 and 8 year old in tow. Sweet man that he is, his response… “Let’s do it!” LOVE that guy!

After cooking two turkeys (don’t get me started about the benefits of brining) and having 12 others over for Thanksgiving Dinner, we left the next day. I packed LaLa and the Bean’s clothes as they packed their cuddlebugs. What a trip we had!

The highlight of my trip? The Cloisters. The Bean introduced me to the tapestry. How did he know that I needed a reason to visit there? Secretly I have always wanted to go. I’ve seen those lovely gardens in magazines. The tapestry was icing on my cake and I now have a lovely porcelin mug to remind me of the magic of The Cloisters, Reading and The Antiques Roadshow.

I am so excited about this design. As you can tell I am on a “dog in the garden, on the furniture” kick. The offical name is Posh Pet Digs- Cutting Hedge Portraiture of Your Favorite Pet. One of the things I love about doing dog portraits is researching the various breed that is being featured. For instance…I didn’t know that the Pug is often referred to as the Foo Dog. They were originally bred for Chinese royalty and yet THEY consider THEMSELVES royalty! As an artist I have the opportunity to incorporate the numerous elements into an image that captures the personality and sometimes the history of the breed. I hope you like this design. It’s one of my favorites!

“Puglets Portrait” is available on notecards, lavender sachets, linen guest towels, limited edition prints and limited edition pillows.

Overwintering rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is quite easy if you have enough available light and are diligent to not let them dry out. I recommend potting them up from the garden before danger of frost and putting them in glazed ceramic containers or foam based planters. Terra cotta drys out very quickly in a heated space. I have lost many rosemary plants in the winter due to drying out. Rosemary is very unforgiving.

Use a peat based potting mix with some sand mixed in so that the water soaks through the roots evenly. Rosemary does not like wet feet so be sure to provide good drainage. Adequate light is essential. My rosemary plants are situated in front of my south facing french doors to bask in the winter sun. I also use tiny pebbles on the surface of the soil to act as mulch to help keep the moisture in.

Happy Potting! It is such a treat to enjoy your own fresh herbs in the winter.

A wonderful recipe for using fresh sage and rosemary from the garden is  Tuscan Herb Seasoning. Simple and savory… you will love it!

This is my favorite way to use sage and rosemary from the garden before cold temps set in. This simple rub is delicious on pork tenderloin as well as chicken and vegetables. It can be used as is; however, I always make extra and dry it for later use. In the photos the ingredients have been tripled.

Tuscan Herb Seasoning

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 TBS kosher salt
• 1 small bunch fresh sage (about 30 leaves)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

On cutting board, mince garlic with salt.

Place herbs in a mound and coarsely chop.

Add garlic salt and chop them together to make a coarse rub.

The salt can be used right away or dried in an uncovered bowl. I like to leave the rub in a large plate and let it dry on the counter for a couple of days. Every other day or I stir it to let the particles on the bottom have more exposure to fresh air.

The dried salt rub can be stored indefinitely in a clean dry jar. Some of my foodie friends will be getting some in a pretty jar during the holidays… don’t tell.

Machinery is getting moved around at the farm. I can hear tractors, trucks and the combine faintly. It’s that time of year again. The corn has turned that beautiful soft pale ochre that I love. It sparkles against the dark fall sky. The clouds are getting fluffier, bolder in their reminder of what is coming.

It’s often a stressful time of year. Farmboy comes home from his 9 to 5 job, changes clothes and goes to the farm to do what is possible in the dark. Thankfully the combine has lights. He often can go into the evening long after the kids have been put to bed. They miss him and so do I.

Farming was foreign to me growing up in Mississippi. My grandparents had land and cows. Every now and then timber was harvested. My grandfather had the most beautiful vegetable garden. Our freezer was always stocked with brown peas, butter beans and okra. That is all I knew about farming.

The first time I visited Farmboy’s farm I was enchanted- the barns, the land, the sunsets. On the surface it was all so romantic and picturesque. I was so naive. I was clueless. I didn’t know the dangers of spinney things, the neverending jobs, the dependence on the weather, the delicate relationships of farm families. To me, harvest meant- Cornicopia! Harvest moon! the warm fuzzies! The first year after we were married I was in a state of shock. I mean, I know I got married… I saw the pictures. My husband was no where to be found. Now, memories are funny… especially mine because I seem to have so few of them, but that year was tough. I wondered what in the world I had done. I’m no princess but geez, how do you compete with a mistress so demanding?

Sixteen years later, how lovely that mistress is. She is still demanding, sometimes dangerous and wildly unpredictable, but how she revives me. How she revives Farmboy. He would suffer without her. Now I am happy when he is with her. She is good for us. She is a blessing. She embraces our children. I’m thankful that they have this taste of life. Both of our children have slept strapped to their dad in a baby bjorn in the heated cab of the combine on snowy nights. I am also thankful that Farmboy has a job off the farm. He doesn’t like the term “gentleman farmer” but I think its fitting because for us it works. Somehow he and his dad make it all happen after hours and on the weekends. I don’t know how full-time farmers do it but that is another post.

Hmmm. What does this boxwood want to be? A chicken. That is what I heard while browsing the nursery. It spoke to me. My kids got a big kick out of telling their cousins that “Momma heard a plant talk to her”. The plant wanted to be a chicken. “Henrietta the Hen”came out of the little boxwood. Soon after her mate Rocco the Rooster found his way out of another boxwood. They greet our visitors at the start of the front walkway.

There are many farm animals that I would love to have… the whole kit and kaboodle. Chickens, geese, SHEEP, goats, calves are on my list. Oh, I forgot ducks. I am currently at my peak of mouths to feed on this farm between the kids, horses, cats and dogs. Therefore I have decided to create in topiary all of the farm animals that I would like to have. This way I will hopefully not go over the edge of insanity… I’ll just give it alittle trim.

Just imagine two topiary sheep grazing on the meadow with a third looking up to see who is coming up the driveway… a yew giraffe nibbling on apples trees in a orchard. Yikes. I’m on to zoo animals now. Anyway… you get the picture. I’ve got alot of work to do. Either way.

It’s finally happening…drywall. Yep. You got it. Walls. Things to hang things on. Finally.

This weekend Farmboy and I went to the Everson Museum to see Turner to Cezanne. Masterpieces collected by the Davies sisters. A beautiful collection of work. My favorites were the Van Gogh and a small painting by Jean Francois Millet featuring a young girl minding a flock of geese.

While we were soaking in the art Farmboy said to me…”Isn’t it interesting that we are here looking at art on the same day that we were getting your studio ready for the drywall guy?” Yes, I had thought about it all day. I was excited to go to the exhibit and get inspired to paint again. Its been awhile. Design and painting are the same and different to me all at once. Farmboy, the sweet, generous soul that my soul loves, said, “perhaps the new space should only be for creation…. no production”. You mean no fabric up there? No frames? No storage? Just my easel. The view. And paints. No copiers. No printers. Just my easel? Oh, what a thought. Maybe a cat… a dog. You know, for distraction. Okay let’s not forget a bathroom and coffee pot, but other than that I think I’d be in heaven.

I haven’t painted in oils since my children were born. Hmmm. The Bean is 8 and LaLa is 5. It’s been too long. Will I remember? I am so jealous of the Painting a Day people. One day I will be one of them too. Just wait. Next year LaLa will be in first grade and I will have a chunk of time. Just you wait. I will embrace that time and mourn it all at once. Who knows… maybe I’ll paint a portrait of it.