Relaxing on the deck

Hello dear friends,

It has been a lovely weekend here at the farm and I thought I would show you one of our favourite lounging areas.  We have always enjoyed time outdoors so when our renovations were being done we made sure to include lots of living space outside.  Our home has a wraparound veranda as well as a large deck outside the kitchen area.  When we first described our vision to our contractor he was astonished and wanted to make sure that we understood how much wood would be involved in creating this project.  We did understand and we love it!

This area is close to our koi pond and we love the sound of falling water.  We use a variety of plants in the pond including irises and lilies.  Annual water hyacinths and water lettuce help to provide some shade for the fish and absorb some of the nutrients from the water, acting as a purifier.

We have so many frogs!!  Frogs are a great indicator of the health of an environment so we are always pleased to have such a large assortment of them.

The koi pond originally had one waterfall.  As the water circulates it goes through a filtering system.  We found that it needed a second filtering system so added another waterfall.

And of course we have koi!

A few weeks ago we decided to replace the furniture on the deck.  For this area I love to use blue in keeping with a water theme.  We ordered a new love seat and arm chairs and I am pleased to report that Willow has taken them for a test drive and approves.

A blue lantern and candle holders reinforce the theme.  I purchased a set of blue drinking glasses and we have blue and white "Willow" china to use in this area.  If you are wondering our coasters become "lids" when outside to prevent bugs from landing in our drinks!

A little arrangement of hydrangeas.

We completed this area with matching umbrellas and umbrella tables and an outdoor area rug.

I had never heard of umbrella tables before so when I saw one I thought it would be a great idea.  I purchased the blue umbrella and the umbrella table but after we set them up I thought we should have a second matching set.  Now we have an umbrella and table on either side of the love seat.

We have little decorative blue anchor lights at the koi railing and at the barbecue.  

The lighting in the umbrellas along with the candles all provide for the perfect spot to sit in the evening, enjoy a glass of wine and listen to the waterfall.  Now I must practice my photography skills in the dark.  I have been using a tripod but must confess I havent mastered it and most of the photos are too blurry to use.  I really wanted to share what this area looks like in the dark!  Wishing everyone a great week.

Thank you for visiting!

Thursday evening at the farm

Hello dear friends,

I was later than expected leaving the city tonight so by the time I got home I thought I would just indulge in a little stroll around the house.  Do come along!

My husband was able to take a break from some of the other farm duties to spend some time mowing the lawns.  For the last few years we had contracted this work out but this year decided to take this job back.  While it is nice to have someone else reliably cut the lawn every week we were saddened by damage done to some of our trees in the process.  We also experienced several dog toy casualties-while the crew had perfected a pattern for mowing as quickly as possible we learned that they also dont stop for items in their path!  

As it happens I also enjoy mowing the lawn using my rechargeable lawn mower.  The lambs, chickens and ducks all enjoy the clippings and whatever is left over goes to the compost piles.

As our trees become larger this section gets more shade.  We have a small vegetable garden in this area which I feel will ultimately need to be moved elsewhere to allow the plants to enjoy more sunshine.

I havent used my little greenhouse in years.  It has suffered wind damage over the last couple of years but we have managed to retrieve all of the flying parts and one day will rebuild it.

The privy is one of my favourite structures.

Our final cut of hay will happen this Saturday and it will be round baled next week.  These bales are obediently lined up waiting for the colder weather when the pastures can no longer be grazed.

I love this echinops.  I purchased the original plant at the Horticultural Society plant sale and since then it has multiplied happily.  I will need to become more ruthless and either deadhead it or start digging out the new plants as they are popping up in some unwelcome places.  The bees do like it!

Lately we have remarked that our Ginko tree is very slow to bud out.  A closer inspection over the weekend has revealed that the tree trunk has been completely girdled.  I would imagine that the rabbits that are hopping about could be to blame.

Jerry the Rooster is so happy to have company.  All of the new hens have settled in nicely and everyone is getting along well.

Two of the three stooges are wondering why we are wasting time walking around when they could be having their dinner.

We have constant frog activity in both our koi pond and the waterfall pond.  Perhaps this weekend I will take a stroll to Lake Ophelia to see what kind of activity we have there!  

We have had a fairly busy summer so far at the farm and I have started and save several posts to share with you!  I just need to finish them up and post them for you.

Wishing everyone a lovely end to the week and a great weekend.  Thank you for visiting!

Early July at the Farm

Hello dear friends,

 we have just enjoyed another week of vacation and although we had a very long list of things we wanted to do we actually spent a few very relaxing days doing none of them!  My sister in law came to visit from Montreal with her binoculars, bird book and note book in hand.  She is an enthusiastic birdwatcher and listed 19 different birds on one day alone!  It was lovely to see her again.

We have gone from a very cool and wet spring to some rather sudden heat and humidity.  There is little rain in the forecast so we have been cutting hay.  The mosquitoes have been horrible though so working in the gardens has been rather uncomfortable.

I somehow missed most of the peonies in bloom.  It seems like one day there were lots of buds then suddenly they were open and past their prime.

The plants in the koi pond are doing well.  A few weeks ago I purchased water hyacinths and water lettuce which will multiply rapidly over the summer, providing shade for the fish and helping to cool the water.

Horatio is happy to have his photo taken.

This is a bee and butterfly house.  We have mounted it on one of the veranda posts in a warm and sunny location.  So far no visitors though.  We do have a lot of pollinator activity at our farm but would like to do more to help them by providing food and cover.

The lawns have been growing like crazy and it is a big job to keep them mowed.

We have lots of frogs in our ponds.  I have spotted four in the koi pond alone!

We observed a Baltimore Oriole and learned that they like oranges.  I threaded orange slices and cranberries and hung them in a tree but it doesnt look like it is very popular.  It looks pretty though!

  We have a number of glass wasp traps which are supposed to help control the wasp population around the house.  They are all made of glass and are quite pretty.  I am not very good about remembering to add liquid to trap the wasps so most of the time they are just decorative.

The local statue shop has been sold and the owners are moving to Northern Ontario.  This is sad news as I do love buying statues!  We purchased a big goose that is in memory of one of our Muscovy ducks as well as a sweet statue that will mark the resting place of Drakk and Holly, two of our lovely German Shepherds that were brother and sister.  Perhaps this weekend we will find the time to move them into position.

Jerry the rooster is thrilled to welcome 18 new laying hens!  Jerry and our one surviving hen have been very lonely for the last few months.  They are appreciating all of the company and seem to be so much happier.

We have so much happening in the gardens but those photos will need to wait until later.

Thank you for visiting!

Father's Day Dinner at the Farm

Hello dear friends,

Last week we celebrated Father's Day at the farm.  It was one year and 6 days since my father passed away but we thought we should celebrate regardless.  As my husband and brother are both fathers we thought it would be a great way to combine and honour both!

The weather has been unseasonably wet and cool and along with those conditions we have mosquitoes.  Absolute clouds of them.  So while we love to eat outside we decided that we would have to be inside.  We set up shop in our partially completed dining room.

My mother is very partial to shrimp.  Traditionally we have steak.  And since my brother, his partner, and my husband and I are tiny foodies I like to try new recipes.  We had fettuccine that was tossed with assorted types of cherry tomatoes that had been marinating in basil infused olive oil with garlic and parmesan cheese and a corn salad that was made with red onions and an olive oil cider vinegar dressing.  I loved the pasta but the corn salad....not so much. 

I had prepared a large pitcher of ice water infused with lemon, lemon balm from the garden and kiwis.  We had home made croissants and candles just for fun.

The table cloth was a find at a vintage store.  I like to serve kosher salt in a pinwheel crystal liqueur glass.  I was gifted a number of little glass yogurt pots from a dear friend and used those to make a very impromptu flower arrangement.  So impromptu that while everyone was coming in one door I was dashing around the garden with snips of shrubs then sneaking in another door while everyone was getting settled.

The dishes are a discontinued pattern from Royal Doulton that I have had for about 30 years.  

This is Bridal Wreath Spirea.

This is an old honeysuckle that was already ancient when we purchased the farm.  Another little pot has a few springs of Centaurea Montana which is a lovely but ever so weedy perennial.  It is actually a cobalt blue but the candlelight makes it look purple.  And I love the vintage glass candle holders that were a Christmas gift from another dear friend.  

Thank you for taking a quick peak at my dinner arrangements and I look forward to having you visit again soon!

Late Spring Gardens

Hello dear friends, at this time of year it seems that the gardens are changing by the day!  It is also that time of year when the weeds are aggressively trying to get the upper hand.  This gardener has a plan so we shall have to see who comes out on top!  

Our koi pond is in essentially the same state of completion as last year....which is to say mostly but not totally finished.  We still need to add rubblestone around the outside walls of the pond and then will need to put flagstones on top to hide the edges of the pond and the liner.  Hopefully this project will be completed this year.

We planted mounds of tulips 2 years ago?  3 years ago?  I dont remember.

This Alpine Currant came to the farm from my parents' garden about 25 years ago.  Like so many transplants it performed rather poorly...then one day it came to life and now has a mind of its' own.  We dug it up and divided it and moved it around.  This division is on the road side of one of the sheep pastures.  When we bring the sheep back home many of them make a detour to take a mouthful of this shrub.   It has survived the abuse surprisingly well.

This photo is from a couple of weeks ago when we were on vacation and building the pergola.  I love the vibrant red from the red maple.  This is Jessie's Garden, one of the many German Shepherds we have had at the farm.  In the foreground is the statue marking Kodiak's garden.  Jessie and Kodiak were inseparable.

I love purple in the garden.  These purple tulips have been here for years.

Our puppy Abby thought it would be great fun to pick flowers and toss them in the air.  When I found them I put them in little vases.  

I do love our little garden privy!  It looks like an outhouse but actually houses the recycling and trash.  And it also has been home to other things that we own but have forgotten about.  A rake for example.  

This morning the weather was beautiful so I was up early trying to snap a few photos.  This was a view from our portico deck towards Crab Apple Grove.

Purple tulips again.

This apple tree shades our parking area.  At this time of the year it is so pretty but later in the season it drops apples on our vehicles!

One of the rather wild lilacs at the farm.  The scent is divine!

My husband has been working on the vegetable garden.  I confess to being much more interested in flowers than vegetables.

Our little garden arbour in the early light.

A view from the upstairs balcony towards the chicken coop.   In an earlier post I had lamented the passing of all but two of our chickens.  This week a raccoon feasted on our day old White Rock chicks.  A new supply of chicks have been ordered but sometimes I wonder why we go through the grief of battling wildlife.  Our day old turkeys are all alive and flourishing.  Of course once the frustration subsides it is really very gratifying to raise our own chickens.  

I hope you have enjoyed this quick little update!  We are being promised four straight days of perfect weather so I hope to be very busy working in the gardens.

Thank you for visiting!