Who’s in the Garden and What’s Coming Out

Mabel & Emmet

Some delightful young friends of mine came over for an afternoon of scarecrow making. Emmet and Mabel both live on nearby farms and it’s always a treat to spend time with them. They have great imaginations and love to be silly, this adds a lot of fun and good energy to my day. Here are a couple of folks who magically appeared from some handy frames Rick had built and a trip to the Goodwill.

Falls “Wooly” Goodness at Fernwood

The fall “to do” list is almost as long as the one we write in the spring. There seems to be a misconception in our minds that as the nursery winds down and the gardens are harvested and cutback, we will have a bit more free time. Well, this is not really the case. Somehow our lists seem to get longer as the days get shorter. However, we are determined to fit in some creative activity amongst the continuing chore list.

Fleece growth since the spring

One of our fall tasks is bringing the sheep home from their summer pasture. I always look forward to this because it allows me an opportunity to evaluate their fleece growth, especially amongst this year’s lambs. This “wooly” goodness gets me excited about the winter’s spinning, knitting, and felting projects. Fleeces are always skirted, washed, and processed in the spring….leaving most of the dying and spinning (and project making) for the fall and winter.

Fall Colors at Fernwood

Helianthis divaricata

This time of year color in the garden comes from foliage as well as late blooming plants. The scene changes almost daily, much like in the spring when all the plants are awakening, only now most are preparing to sleep. But some plants put on a last minute show with their flowers,while others do it with their leaves. A few examples of these in our gardens today are shown here.