Like many of you die-hard gardeners, this past New Year’s Day found the His Glories crew mulling over gardening magazines while eating cheese and chili soups – making plans and trying to predict the 2011 garden season.

While we spent a lot of time discussing the finer points of all our garden produce selections and arguing whether to try new varieties or stick to the tried and true ones, we also were able to laugh and groan (thankfully without crying) over the 2010 season.

Does anyone remember the 2010 garden season?  It seemed to have come and gone in an instant!

So with this in mind, we resolved the following:

1.  We will pull more weeds (even if we do have to sleep at the Farm to get it done)

2.  We will not plant our pumpkins and gourds until the middle of June or first of July (no matter how crazy it makes Johnna)

3.  We will not plant as much sweet corn (there just isn’t enough time…)

4.  We will recruit more volunteers to help us pick greenbeans (we promise you will have fun)

5.  We will enjoy the pond at least once a week-

So from all of us “veg crazy” gardeners at His Glories, we wish you best of luck with all of your 2011 resolutions!

This past week, Vanessa, Jocelyn, Grace and Audra all entered flower arrangements at the Effingham County Fair- and Hannah entered a quilt she made with her grandmother.   After all the hard work, we were all excited to see the many blue ribbons-

Kudos to all the winners this past week!

You are invited to visit the Farm this Friday evening from 4-7 pm and Saturday morning 8-Noon to see the “glorious” flowers!  All the gardens are blooming, and the effect is simply beautiful.   As one visitor said, “It really inspires me to keep working in my own yard!”

So come be inspired and enjoy a walk among the daylilies, perennial and vegetable gardens – greet the goats, barn cats and guineas.  A visit to the Farm is a great way to end the work week or begin the weekend.

And if you choose to wait until Saturday to visit, plan to stop at our northern neighbors, “A Stone’s Throw.”  Offering stained glass stepping stones, garden stakes, window handing and Christmas items as well as taking customized orders, Sue Pikesh and Joy Shumard are hosting their eleventh annual Open House.

Directions are simple:  On Route 32 watch for 1200 North.  You will turn west and drive to the second house on the right side of the road.   Or stop at the Farm, and we will be glad to send you through the “country route.”

It doesn’t seem possible, but summer is only days away.  The Farm is already bursting with incredible produce and breathtaking flowers.

This Cancun lily is a favorite of mine.  Gorgeous yellow color which is complimented so beautifully by the Big Daddy hosta.  The hosta was planted just four years ago so you can see just how truly “big” it will grow in a short time.

Below is the Butterfly Weed a plant that loves sun, warm weather (it will also tolerate wet soil)- and Monarch butterflies!  It is also wonderful in bouquets.

Remember when you visit the Farm we are ready to dig the flowers you are interested in and send them home with you that same day!

So don’t think you have to wait until Fall to get a piece of your favorite plant – we want you to begin enjoying your garden as we do ours

Thanks to all of you who visited the Farm this past Saturday.

We were so excited to see you either in Strasburg at the Flea Market or at the Farm’s location just 1/4 mile north of Strasburg.

New to the Farm this week is this beautiful Cecropia Moth.  What a treat it has been to watch this creature every evening and morning-

Also new to the farm is our Fishing Gnome.  With all the gnomes in Strasburg we knew we had to have one for our Rural Route address.

He doesn’t have a name yet, but all the men involved in the Farm appreciate the fish on his line and his laid back attitude.

Have a great week. Take some time to enjoy the summer of 2010- and come stroll through our Farm soon!

This weekend at the farm, we are all celebrating the sunshine and warmth!  It won’t take long with the 80 degree + temperatures for all the plants to recover from last weeks cool rains.

Early Spring to Summer has to be one of my favorite seasons because you can walk through the garden each day and notice great changes!  The pictures above certainly highlight some of Spring’s best.  The top pictures is a variety of false blue indigo.  Typically, a true light blue this variety is actually almost burgundy.  Because this flower holds so well, Vanessa loves to use this flower in bouquets.

The second picture is our guineas or sentinels.  When you visit the farm, listen for their constant calls or watch for them ducking in and out of the prairie grass or walking with goats.  We have been so pleased that they have made it through the winter.  We hope some are beginning to sit on nests, but they are notoriously attention deficit about nests so having young ones this year might not work out.

I love iris.  They are such a stately spring flower and bi color ones are especially gorgeous.  Then can you guess the next flower?  It is a foxtail lily.  Very unusual and eye-catching.

Saturday, June 5 from 8-Noon, we will be hosting a “sneak preview” of the gardens at the Farm in conjunction with Strasburg’s all-town garage sales (although only the earliest of daylilies will be blooming) produce and plants will be available for purchase at the Farm.

For those interested in flea markets, look for us at Patsy Lenz’s Flea Market (east side of Route 32 at the north end of Strasburg – you won’t miss it ).  We plan on being there from 7:30 a.m. to Noon too.

Spring Planting began in April

Spring at the Farm is such fun!  We planted over 150 pounds of potatoes, 100 tomatoes, etc.  The whole family turns out to work on days like this… With the early warmth, most plants are growing quickly – and those almost frosty nights have had us all holding our breath.

Vanessa’s email produce route begun last week.  It was so good to see many of you and catch up on what has happened over this past winter.  If you haven’t had a chance to email Vanessa and add your name to her weekly email, please do.  We will be glad to let you know what is available-    Have a great week and keep watching for the sunshine.