Fall Color

It's fall people! My favorite time of year.

So I thought I would take you on a brief color tour of the yard.

Katsura Trees come in a few forms. These have wonderful lush leaves and create a cloud of yellow in the fall. 

I also love the multi trunk structure. 

The Weeping Katsura has bit more variation when it changes into it's fall color. Almost a tiger stripe. Over the last few years we have been weaving it's long branches through the arbor to create a green canopy to walk though. 

We have several varieties of maple as well. All in different stages of oranges and reds right now.

This coral bark maple creates color when all the leaves are gone.

 Dwarf Lace Leaf

The Hydrangeas are also still going strong as well. Above is yet another start of the Oak Leaf Hydrangea.  The divide beautifully and even little sticks broken off of the base can bee replanted and thrive. These are from two little sticks I put in a large pot last spring.

Years ago, Mark received several starts from the Arbor Day Foundation and this Redbud is the only one that made it through our many moves.  I just love how the leaves look dipped in maroon.

The spiders are making webbed canons around the berries on our Nandina (also called Heavenly Bamboo)

And finally, my absolute favorite would have to be our blueberry bushes. They are mingled in with the rest of the plants surrounding the house but we also have a dedicated area that looks like a crimson explosion.
When I was a teen I would string them on thick twine, and drape the garlands around my canopy bed.

Part #2: Preserving Through Pie

Pie is perfection. You can take anything and make it into a pie. 

Before breaking my finger (I will spare you the photographs) I was busily making pies for our upcoming family camping trips. Hopefully I will be all healed before apple season…

So, though belated, here is my absolutely favorite recipe for a fresh summer cherry pie:

In my arsenal I have (from top to bottom of the photo):

My really cool all purpose scale for measuring the weight of the cherries

Metal bowls galore

My trusty kitchenaid mixer

The Martha Stewart Pie Wheel

Click HERE to download and enjoy

The classic Betty Crocker Cookbook

The Betty Crocker recipe for pie crust is a wonderful, quick all purpose recipe that can be used for ANY type of pie. A lot of people prefer crusts with butter but this calls for shortening making it a bit more affordable and you don't have the wait time to refrigerate it before using it.

8-9" one-crust

1 Cup Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/3 Cup + 1 T Shortening

2-3 T cold water

I usually double this if I am treating a 10" lattice top.

Mix the dry ingredients, blend in the shortening until it is pea sized and sprinkle in the water and mix. 

Cook Pie at 425 degrees for 35-45 min

Now we are talking PIE cherries. Not table cherries like Queen Ann or Bing. Those are a different creature all together. I have tried a few different recipes for cherry pie and have made an alteration or two . Very sweet but tart. Perfect with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream.

2 1/4 lb pitted cherries. She says halved but I do whole

1/4 c sugar

2 T instant tapioca powder

1/4 to 1/2 tsp of almond extract. 

Let sit while you prep your crust and turn occasionally.

In the tradition of the all american cherry pie, I only do a lattice top but add a bit of my own flare. 

Pies are also an excellent way to preserve your fruit and pull out of the freezer when company is coming. I have canned pie filling but it just isn't the same. Plus, freezing the pie ahead of time seems to make it flakier. 

Another summer favorite growing up was the pitted cherries my mom froze for us to snack on, on those super hot summer days. Far healthier then frozen fruit pops and just as refreshing. 

Remember too that all cherries can be frozen in baggies (measure them out first for the recipe) and used later. Bing Cherries are also lovely in rustic pies. 

So now that I have gallons of these babies put away we can add them to smoothies, pies and create sauces with them in the winter. It is always worth taking a little time every evening during harvest time to put something away. Now that Blueberries are done my vegetable garden is brimming with cabbage I plan on making into sauerkraut for the first time ever. It could be a great success or a stinky mess. Wish me luck!

Part #1: My Almost Sustainable Lifestyle

My absolute favorite book growing up was by Steven Cosgrove called Little Mouse on the Prairie. Do you remember his books? It was the ones about horses turned unicorn that caught my attention but in the end I couldn't put down the Little Mouse book.

 Collecting moss, berries and wood for the winter was so...simple and soothing to me. Sure I had no idea the work it entailed but boy did I admire that industrious mouse!

I was raised to consume wisely and spend thriftily. We heated with a wood stove, ate mostly from the garden and the majority of our meat was raised right in our back field. The work of raking and watering was spent as a family and my older sisters always made it into a game. 

Fast forward to today.

Being raised this way,  it is second nature to do many of the things we do around here like canning, gardening, recycling (we dont' use a service) and even hunting for our own meat.

I don't regret this life but living simply and sustainably is an art I have not yet mastered.  Probably because I have way too many interests beyond the farm. I have done my best to avoid the projects I would love to do (oh pinterest how I love/hate you) and eliminate the temptations in and around my home that call to me like designing fancy raised beds and repainting EVERY room just because it's fun. 

Soooo many people say when seeing our house and land say that it is a dream of theirs to live like us. They survey the lush green yard and breath in the fresh air with a dreamy look in their eyes while I ponder how on earth I am going to get the cherry juice stains off of my hands and notice yet another huge scratch on my leg from weeding near the roses last night…wait is that infected? Oh well.

So here is a list for those people:

THE CONS

(mainly for those who are dreaming of leaving your lifetime of living in the city or burbs for this)

Now that I am actually collecting, canning, chopping and gardening in my almost sustainable lifestyle I don't think it's all that romantic at times. It's hard. You have to make choices with your time and energy most do not make:
      Should we go to the lake or can peaches today? Uhm, peaches.
      Should I curl up with some tea this Sunday afternoon or deworm the sheep? Uhg, the sheep.

Sheering day and a big ol' pile of wool

You will never, I repeat, never have presentable hands again. You will forever be scrubbing and moisturizing. I count five slivers in my hands just now. Just thought you might find that interesting…

I am a 9 hour of sleep a night girl….That does not happen too often. If there is nothing urgent to do in the morning, chickens or sheep will inevitably use the wind to carry their  obnoxious cries to your window at 5:30am  for no apparent reason.

THE PROS

Living off the land slows you down in a way. Makes you appreciate those things you would have missed if you were just running from errand to errand. Summer is filled with gardening and harvesting. When the strawberrys are done it is already time for the cherries, blueberries and so on. But picking the warm-from-the-sun pie cherries while talking and laughing with my daughter or discovering tiny birds eggs tucked among the strawberry patch while picking are those sweet moments that keep me looking forward to the next harvest season. Not to mention the abundance of fruit in my freezer year round!

We know what we are consuming and where it has come from. I can't say that for most.

Hard work is a confidence builder for you and your kids. I am so glad I had the experience of pushing myself physically and getting to see a beautiful end result. This is something many kids don't get. The memories of roasting our food over the burn pile of branches we spent the better part of the day cutting and gathering from the orchard is one of my favorites.

I should also mention that Mark is an early riser and one of his hobbies is to garden making the lovely landscape a possibility. To embark on an adventure such as this you must have a partner with compatible skills and the same beliefs. I couldn't imagine doing all of this on my own and Mark has bitten off more then just he can chew sometimes.

And at the end of the day I get to drink tea filled with my own nummy honey or toast with a cocktail made with my own lavender infused vodka.

If after reading my very brief list you don't necessarily want this life, keep following my blog to live vicariously through us!

It's not for everyone but it's a pretty good life.

Next Post: Preserving and Baking!

Building Paths: A Typical Date Night

With the unseasonably warm weather we had in May we have been SO BUSY!

For several evenings Mark and I had a date night in the secret garden…

For a couple of years we have had rocks on a sloping path on either side of the garden with large rocks placed like a puzzle but not quite fitting. So, each night we spend one hour scraping away, leveling and placing stones. Very romantic. 

This is the path leading into the side yard that I like to call the Gingko Garden because of the trifurcated gingko tree featured in the center. We placed extra turns and divided ajuga and primrose several years ago and now it has fully naturalized. Our basic rule is that it takes three years to look like it has been there forever. 

Now the side coming in from the orchard still needs a lot more plantings and since it gets a lot more sun and head we will be planting ajuga and low creeping geranium that are native to the area. 

I didn't get a proper before because, frankly, I was so tired of our date nights by this time I just wanted to get it done.

Overhead are two japanese maples that will continue to grow and create a canopy over the upper level.

The round gravel we have on the base of the sunken garden will meet up with the base of the stairs on both sides. It's just a matter of two more yards of fabric cloth. 

So now we are busy with the new driveway and I can't wait to post more pics. 

A Fall Walk Around The Yard

Well the rain is here but just before the downpour began I went on a little walk around the house for inspiration. So many ideas to hunker down and paint this winter. You may be seeing a few of these in the months to come. 

A year has passed and my favorite boots are still in one piece! I think this is a record.

And now, as I listen to the drip drops on the roof, I am working away on a few free Thanksgiving printables for you all in my almost completely cleaned studio. 

Our Not So Little Chicken Coop

Wanna take a peek into the chicken coop?

 OK. Here goes.

Our first out building upon moving in was our chicken coop/pump house. I had drawn up a funny little plan for it out of daydreaming and Mark made it a reality.

On the South side has a generous overhang to keep the mud to a minimum and a spare skylight to light the interior. The water hangs outside under this overhang and now has a metal grate under to keep their feet tidy.The East side faces the garden. Above is the bench and brick deck in progress.

The Gate is surrounded by hydrangeas and hostas with a hawthorn tree to soften the corner between garden and garage.  

Babies Tears creep around the square stones cut from an old driveway that needed re-pouring.

 An old climbing red rose with a terrible case of black spots I can't seem to get rid of covers the gates overhang. All of our roses came with us from our last home and have been divided over the years. 

The little path to the door heads off to the right behind the hydrangea bush and over to our recycling area and where we have been keeping the bees. 

The inside is half garden tools and half shelves for chicken food and gardening misc. The windows are from our last home which what painfully in need of an update. They are fixed by hinges so we can let the wind blow through. Chickens stink you know. A lot.

The chickens roosting boxes are separated by a half wall with a wire upper and a tiny antique door. 

And every day I get to collect these little beauties!
This is the life.

Blue Sky Poppies

This weekend this original work will be available at a local auction.

Measures 5x7 with one of our handmade oak frames.

Click HERE for the time and location. 

Taking a Closer Look

 Some days all of the work to be done around the house, inside and out, can be overwhelming. While I'm watering the pots, filling the chicken feed, weeding the path I still see the mess that is my gardening bench, plants that should have been repotted last season and don't get me started on the inside of the house!

In times like these it's important to slow down and enjoy the little things.

A few wonderful women I know have been slowly going through the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. You can see her blog HERE. The funny thing is I was too busy to start the study with them when they first talked about it. Fortunately it was held off and, as life always does, circumstances changed and we have been reading and meeting together since January.  Now I am changed by it.

The book goes over the concept of the Eucharist. In short: Thanksgiving, joy and the ugly beautiful in life. 

I am now practicing the art of thanksgiving and it has changed me. It is a discipline that has actually been difficult to exercise. Every day, several times a day, I write down anything I see I am thankful for. Perhaps it is a milestone I have made or just the brilliant white/pink of the native checker mallow plant in my back yard. Looking for these things slows everything down. Puts it all into perspective.

So I stop. Sit in the grass and every inch of my world is covered in the beautiful. If I didn't weed and fuss it would still be here. So why not take a moment to enjoy it. 

And sometimes I have my trusty companion to sit next to me. 

He says hi.

The Ugly Side of the Garden

I mentioned a while ago how we have one last unused spot of dirt ready for something wonderful. Until last summer/fall the space between the fire pit and the chicken coop has only housed Mark's leftovers from work (did I mention he is a contractor?) and the honey hives.

We still have our firewood drying in one section but as soon as fall hits we will have it moved.

Right now I plan on filling this area with flowers to cut and bring in the house! Goodness knows I have enough gladiolas to fill a church!

Unfortunately the gladiolas I presumably "removed" from the veggie garden are back. My hands are full at this point battling snails and slugs, planning the veg garden and working full time that I can't bear to waist more time on cleaning them out.

So, shaking my fist at them, I turn around and see...the garden bench.

Forget it. I'll think about that tomorrow.