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Friday, April 29, 2011

April On The Farm And FFF

Peter in the garden

I'd like to start my post
by saying that our hearts and prayers go
out to all those who experienced the
terrible tornadoes over the last couple of
days especially those who lost loved ones. 


April is nearly over
and I must say that this
has been the coolest and driest
spring I have ever seen here in Kansas.

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day.
Finally!
So I grabbed my camera and took 
a few pictures around the farm.


This is our 3rd summer living in the country
and it still thrills me to see some of the
HUGE and strange farm equipment
working in the fields around 
our farm.


The farmer must have been watching the
weather as yesterday was a fairly
calm day and perfect for spraying.
Today however...is another story
with wind gusts of 45mph
predicted for this 
afternoon!


Later today I'll be planting the baskets
on my bike.


Lizzy followed me around as I took pictures.


So did Olly.


Lizzy looking for trouble.
REALLY!
You can see from the 
photo above that
she's feeling pretty frisky.
Right after I took this picture she 
and Olly started chasing each other
but they were too fast for me to get a photo.





We got some new chickens last 
Sunday.
They are Golden Laced Cochin Bantams.


They are the sweetest little chickens
and have beautiful markings and color.
Above is the little rooster
Kahlua.
Doesn't he have a cute fluffy butt! 


I've named the girls Espresso who is above
 Cappuccino and Cafe au lait.
Below is Kahlua the rooster
again.  


It's Farm Friend Friday again
so I'm joining up with my blogging
buddy Amy over at Verde Farm




I hope you'll stop by 
and visit Amy and her hubby
and check out the other FFF
bloggers who are joining in 
this week.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Maura :)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

It's Porch Time Again!

Country Living

Don't you just love this time of year.

Many of you have been enjoying some
beautiful spring weather 
and have already got your
veggie gardens planted
and pots of beautiful flowers
sitting on your patio's decks 
and porches.

Unfortunately for us here in 
our part of Kansas it has been 
unseasonably chilly for the last 
couple of weeks so we're a bit
behind when it comes to 
gardening.

I've got a few potted plants on the 
porches but I think I've lost a
Boston Fern because it got too
cold one night.

HOWEVER...it looks as though
starting Thursday...we are returning
to spring temperatures and that
means 
PORCH TIME!

So..here are a few beautiful porches
and screened in porches
to get you in the mood
or to get you
dreaming.

California Living

I love the porch lights on the wall 
of the photo above this one.
We need a new light on our old porch
out back and I think one of those would 
be perfect for the old farmhouse.

Country Living

I thought this outdoor living space
above was kind of like a porch.
If the roof isn't glass then I 
think I would put 
something up 
there 
for those
rainy days. 

Country Living

I'm still thinking about a hammock
to put between two 
of the trees in the
shade garden.

Country Living

Hubby says he still would like
to build a screened in porch
here on the farm.
One day.

Robert Stern via The Enchanted House

In the photo above do you see those
two swinging couches?

Wouldn't that be wonderful if they 
were the size of a single bed.
Imagine laying there
reading a book 
until 
your eyes 
get so heavy 
you just fall asleep.
Heaven.

BHG

The above photo is more like a 
3 season room but 
I love the cozy look of it.
I bet it would be wonderful
even on a rainy day.

House Beautiful

Don't you just love that 
coffee table 
and 
hanging willow love seat!

Country Living

What a wonderful place to
enjoy a meal.
It's hard to beat living 
in the country.

Southern Living

What a great place to be on a hot
summer day.
Imagine sitting out there reading a 
good book and then when you get
too hot...you just walk out to 
the beach and dive into 
that cool water.

Red Bud Manor Inn

You don't need a beach to cool 
off on this beautiful shady
front porch!

Southern Living

This is another great porch above.
I bet that ceiling fan feels great
on a hot muggy day.

Whether you have a front porch,
back porch, screened porch,
patio a 3 season room
or just a lawn to sit out on...
I hope your weather
is warm and sunny.

Enjoy your week!
Maura :)


Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Shade Garden Is Coming Along


I would just like to say HELLO to
all our new followers...
it's so nice to have
you come to visit
us here in the country!

Our shade garden is coming
along nicely.
We bought a few more
plants and hubby worked
on the trellis
so now I just need to find
some climbing hydrangea for that.


Tara Dillard if you're reading this
my plan is to put mulch down for now
but as time goes by ...replace it
with a ground cover.
;)


One of the new hosta's in the 
photo above.


I've planted a few hardy ferns.
This is one of the smaller type but
I planted 2 that will be quite
large in time.
Ferns remind me of
when I lived in 
British Columbia.


I still have to plant the front
and back carriers 
on my old bike.


Here are a few of the hosta's 
that I just planted today.




I love the colors in the one above!




Above is a Japanese Painted Fern.




I love the colors in this Columbine.
I plan on planting pink and yellow 
David Austin Roses
and soon the 
house will be a soft yellow.


The fern and these two 
hosta's are new


Hubby got the wooden support 
strips on the trellis for the
climbing hydrangea.

In the background I hope to plant
a couple of Rhododendrons. 


Ok...I know these aren't shade 
plants but I just wanted to show
you the old wheel barrow 
hubby made for me years
ago.

Isn't it cute! 

I love geraniums.


Well...hubby is back from getting gas
for the power saw so we're off
to get firewood from along the creek
behind our farm.

No rest for the weary! 

I'm linking up with Amy 
from Verde Farm for 

FARM FRIEND FRIDAY

I hope you'll hop on over and
say Hi to Amy and check out her
post and visit the others who
are joining in this week.

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Our Weekend (Part2)


It's wonderful to be
outside working in the dirt
after what seemed like a
very LONG winter.

It was a busy weekend
but a good one.


While hubby worked on the 
picket fence
I planted hosta's 
ferns and columbine
in the shade garden.

I've still got a lot more to 
buy and plant
but we're going to have to 
do a bit at a time.
Perennials are SO expensive!


Here's a few more pictures
of the start of the 
fairy garden.


If you look closely 
above the windows
you'll see something 
amber...it's a
lantern 
that comes on 
when it get's dark!

I'm sure I'll find little
things here and there to 
add as time goes on.





If you look closely in the above picture
you will notice a curving line
in the soil in front of the
trees.


It took me two days to put
all these rocks in place.
You're only seeing the
tops of most of them
as many of them are
over 7" deep 
5" wide and 
12" long.


There was LOTS of digging
and lifting involved so by
 the time I was done
my arms felt a 
couple of inches longer!



A few of the rocks were
about this size.

Once the plants are in place
it will be time for mulch.

If you look closely at those photo's above
you'll notice little white things
in the garden area and where
the  new lawn is starting to 
grow.
It's elm tree seeds!
You know what I'll be pulling up
for some time to come.



Unfortunately the lilacs are
about done.

I'll miss them when they're gone
so I've been trying to 
get a whiff of them as often
as I can.





Chelsea likes to come with me when
I walk the lilac lane to the mailbox.



This is a 'hitching post' 
that we found in the old barn
before it burned down.
I had hubby put it out by the 
picket fence.
One day maybe I'll
 have a horse again!




Me in my flattering overalls
looking up at hubby
in the JLG lift.
After this picture was taken 
I went up with him.



The picture above shows you our
lilac lane with the lilac 
grove on the right and our south pasture
on the left. The house actually sits sideways
on the property and looks out on the lilacs
and pasture. 
The road in the background is the dirt road
we take either to town or to the city.

See that orange rust colored thing 
in the center of the picture?
That is our propane tank and it
was once bright white. 
This is what our water does when it
touches it.
This is why we can't paint the fence white!


This last picture is hubby's brother
burying the foundation of our 
old barn that burned.
You can see some of the tree's 
that were damaged in the fire.
Some of them are starting to leaf out!

So as you can see it was a very busy weekend.
Lots of work...but it felt great.

Have you got some outdoor projects going on 
right now?

Have a wonderful week!
Maura :)

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