Oakton House and Gardens

apples all summer!

2011-08-24T15:57:00.005-04:00

It has been an apple fest all summer! I am in mid season season form. This picture is from our "Early Harvest" variety that started producing mid June. We have gone through Liberty, Lincoln, and are now getting Arkansas Black. I have made gallons of cider as many of the apples are not pretty enough(bad spots) for Michelle to sell @ the Market. This is one of the side effects of not consistantly spraying. It is worth it to me because I want to have folks walk by the tree and be able to pick and eat an apple w/o having to take them inside to wash off any chemicals. So many fall on their own and have bruises, so off to the press for them!

2011-08-23T11:03:00.007-04:00

Michelle is right, I have been a BAD BLOGGER. We have had a wonderful growing season and over the next few days I will pass along some things I have learned - both good and bad.

Our onions were one of the 1st things we put in the ground back in March. We picked most of them in June/July. I still have a few in the ground. When you pick them, lay them on a dry surface outside for a couple of days. They will "harden" and store better inside. If you don't, they might rot in your pantry and smell to High Heaven!
I love things that have a good shelf life inside that we can use for a long time.

Anatomy of a wedding

2011-06-28T16:39:00.001-04:00

We had a big (260) wedding for the daughter of some very close friends of our at the house on Sat. night. I did all the decorations and wedding flowers. I thought it might be fun to share all that goes into getting it done......

The rental co setting up the 40'x 60' tent on Thurs a.m.

It was a really big tent.

I picked up the flowers Thurs. morning. It takes a long time to unwrap , strip the leaves , recut the stems ,and put them into buckets with fresh water. I chose summer flowers with a garden look and feel. My Bride wanted a elegant, southern, summer feel.

The sunflowers were for the food tables.

I just love a big bucket of sunflowers.

All the flowers ready to be arranged. I still have to pick flowers and greenery from the yard.

Cute painted port a potties.

The ceremony site.

starting on the birdbath at the ceremony site on Sat. a.m..

My crew(4) total, working to make the inside of the tent beautiful. The chandaliers were way too plain, so we added greenery and flowers.

The tables were set with white cloths and had sage green burlap toppers. I alternated centerpieces, big bowls of peaches and hydrangea blossoms on some, and antique bottles with flowers on the others.

My girls in the cool basement starting the bouquets.

To be continued.....

Rasberry time!

2011-06-14T09:47:00.004-04:00

This is the 3rd year of our rasberries. I pruned the plants to the ground in February, composted, and with such a wonderful spring, we have the best crop yet. the 2 varieties I planted were Dorman Red and Heritage Everbearing. They both fruit at the same time(June). The Dorman Red is more colorful, while the Heritage is sweeter tasting. Michelle picks about a pint every other morning!

Old plant reintroduced

2011-06-14T09:31:00.007-04:00

After the flush of new growth, azaleas and dogwoods have done their chore, there is a bit of a lull in the landscape that is filled with a pungent lavender bloom of Vitex agnus castus (Chaste tree). This midsize sunloving tree was quite popular in the 19th century, but as many plants do, lose favor only to be reintroduced as a "new plant" in our landscape. The placement of this small tree next to an evergreen back ground is something I look forward to every June. I have 2 that flank my home as an anchor on the driveway.

balcony for 2

2011-05-19T15:33:00.004-04:00

We built a balcony off the kitchen when we remodeled several years back. When enlarging the kitchen, we lost a much used terrace that had a great view of the back yard. Not wanting to lose the outdoor space totally, we added this balcony that has Michelle and me seated many evenings. It is a wonderful space that is accessed by french doors from the kitchen.

Roses in May

2011-05-14T16:40:00.004-04:00

May offers the best in Rose bloom opportunities in Georgia. The days are getting longer, the temperature is moderate, and we are getting just enough rain. We have many types of roses that offer an abundance of frangrances and growing habits that all seem to come together this month. We may not be England, but this month I don't remember many areas prettier.

Now that pollen is behind us

2011-05-13T14:14:00.006-04:00

Every spring we wait until the pollen has done it's damamge and then begin to clean the porches. It is quite a task to move all the furniture and rugs off the porch. We then hose and scrub floors, railing, walls, and ceiling. Then it is off to clean all the furniture. We have several Brumby rockers, three wicker chairs, and 5 wicker tables. Once everything is dry, we place everything back and look forward to many summer nights with company listening to our Owl family hooting in the front yard trees.

Mustard

2011-05-05T10:39:00.010-04:00

We planted Mustard this fall. The greens were great during the cooler months, but Michelle wanted to harvest the seeds for making mustard. The bright yellow blooms in March were beautiful when they "bolted", but we had to wait for seeds were suitable for harvesting, which took until mid April. I really wanted my garden space for spring planting!

Michelle has some great recipes for making different types of mustard and we now have the main ingredient!

Too hot for Pots

2011-05-03T17:17:00.007-04:00

Several years ago we added a balcony off the kitchen. The setting provides a wonderful view of the back gardens and we take advantage of this almost every night. However, it is South facing and we have 2 urns built into the railing. It is SO HOT during the summer months, we are very limited as to what will succeed in them. After several attempts, we have stuck with a combination of low succulents surrounding a cool cactus. The small space for soil and their tolerance of afternoon heat are perfect for the conditions. They even have faired well with the winter winds. Low maintanance is becoming a good friend!

Some bad with the good

2011-04-20T10:50:00.006-04:00

This past Friday night, the storm we had took out our "barnyard" tree. It was a 100+ yr. old White Ash that received a lightning strike to it 17 years ago. 70% of the tree came down then and I told my father to go ahead and take the tree out as I figured it would not recover. I am glad that he didn't listen to me as it spouted out to a very handsome tree and we got to enjoy it for all this time. However, the new architecture of the tree was structurally poor and the heavy, wet leaves were too much for the winds we got on Friday night. My mother and I planted a Chinese Elm nearby, knowing the Ash tree days were numbered. It has now grown into our new barnyard tree so the loss wasn't quite so bad.

A good time

2011-04-18T10:41:00.003-04:00

One of the fun things we get to do is have parties @ our house! Recently, our friend Holly Walquist turned 50 and her husband, Bruce, asked to celebrate the momentous occasion @ our home. The side yard was perfect for their group of 70. They got here in time to walk the gardens and eat a great dinner. Michelle and Bruce organized the party made sure Holly did't have to do anything but show up! The fun event lasted well into the evening and Holly was treated like a queen for the night.

Acorn

2011-04-15T13:56:00.005-04:00

Across the street is a small dwelling built for the gardener/caretalker, William Annandale, and his family. Mr Annandale and his wife were asked to come to Marietta in the late 1860's after John Wilder and he met at a garden Annandale was taking care of in England. Annandale was responsible for the construction of the gardens, carridge house, and the maintanance of the property. He was a tall, thin, Scotsman that always wore a straw hat. His son took over the job and together, they worked the property for 50 years. While I have no blood relation with these men, I have Scottish blood, and take care of their efforts as well as I can!

An old bench revived

2011-04-14T15:02:00.019-04:00

One of my great grandfathers was W.P. Stephens. The above right image is a late 1940's picture with him and my great grandmother, Nanny. A bench in the background is one he had made @ his shop on the square. I remember this bench as it made it's way to several porches over the years. I remember painting it several times. It sat outside for too many years and needed a good bit of woodworking to be salvaged. The bench slats had to be replaced and the legs reworked. I ended up taking it down to bare wood. I did so last week and gave it new life. We should get many more years of good sits out of it and, hopefully, someone will want to take it over someday.

The Tannery

2011-04-14T13:43:00.005-04:00

Across the street from us now are the ruins of a 2 story stone structure that was a Tannery where leather goods were made. Believed to be Marietta 1st industry when constructed in the 1840's. Noses creek was actually altered for the construction of the building. One of the products of note made on this site were "shapeless" shoes. The shoes were neither left or right, but became very popular during the Civil War as when a soldier would lose one shoe, any shoe as a mate was better than no shoe! The operation flourished towards the early on the 20th century and the building was later left unoccupied. My Grandmother remembered having high school dances in the 1920's in the abandoned building. As a child, I remember cutting the grass around the building with a small push lawnmower. It is now mostly fallen apart and surrounded by large trees, but it had a great history.

A New Arbor

2011-04-13T10:48:00.003-04:00

We needed some more structure added to our 2 leveled kitchen garden. Trying to be cost effective and combined with my average carpentry skills, we decided on a rustic cedar arbor. I had access to some cedar trees that I could get appropiate sized "lumber". Michelle was a big help as this was one of the chores that required more than 2 hands. I set the posts by drilling a hole in the stone steps and driving a 5/8" pin 30" in the bottom of the post. Once I got the posts up, and steady, I was on my way. Michelle has planted climbing rose at the base that will hide some of my clumsy joints! We look forward to enjoying the show for many years to come.

Good use of old brick

2011-04-12T23:28:00.021-04:00

We created 2 quarter round beds in the front garden last year that needed some edging to be a bit more formal to the old rose garden. I had some collected old brick that fit the bill of making something new fit an older space. Also, because of the differences between the bricks, the finished product lends itself to my VERY AVERAGE masonry skills!

I installed full brick for the curb (vertical) and half brick for the gutter(horizontal). The curb holds back the dirt of the bed while the gutter serves as a mowing edge where the wheels of a mower can cut grass without using an edger or weedeater for a clean look.

Figs

2011-04-07T09:20:00.006-04:00

Our figs have begun leafing out. This means our winter wasn't too bad. We have 7 plants, 4 of which are, as far as I know, 1870's old. Of these, 3 are provide brown fruit and one white. We planted 3 more last year, 2 Celeste(white) and one "LSU Purple", which those cajuns seem mighty proud of that purple.

Figs have an interesting characteristic as they do not produce flowers. They set what is called a False Fruit(see top picture). This fruit is out now and will not ever form into edible fruit. It's sole purpose is to produce a fluid that attracts ants to the tree. The ants will step in the fluid and leave footprints with the sticky substance up and down the tree. This pollinates the tree and will produce fruit in Aug/Sept when it is HOT HOT. God is an interesting designer. So, if you have ants nears your fig tree, DON'T kill them! One of the few times you want ants around!

Playful grass cutting

2011-04-05T15:30:00.004-04:00

I do not have a perfect lawn. I do, however, have well cut weeds that are fitting to an older landscape. I cut the grass in areas with an artful flair to identify walks/design to a garden while allowing some of the weeds to flower in the spring. It seems every week or so I get different flowers that otherwise would simply be cut. Less work- more beauty! In this space, I planted tulips in the mid 80's and I want them to bloom and then let the nutrients get back to the bulb. As summer approaches, I will cut everything as the weeds tend to get leggy and flop where I don't want them, but during the spring, cutting some areas whlie leaving others alone can create a wonderful space.

Planting tomatoes

2011-04-04T11:41:00.003-04:00

I know it isn't April 15, but I ordered my tomatoes from a catalog and they arrived Friday. If it turns cold again, I can cover them. I dug a hole 30"deep/1' wide with a post hole digger and filled the hole with compost. I stripped the leaves off leaving the 3 top leaves and planted the plant with only the leaves exposed. The theory here is the plant will have a nutrient filled space for the roots to develop quickly and deep for a sturdy plant with a very deep root system. I planted 18 plants(12 different varieties) this Sunday and plan to plant another 18 in 3-4 weeks. This way I should have plenty of fruit all season long.

One of my favorites

2011-03-25T09:49:00.006-04:00

Everyone has their favorite this or that. One of mine is our Weeping Cherry (Prunus pendula). It has just finished blooming after giving us a great show for the past 2 weeks. Sometimes the character (form) of the plant is sculptural enough to be placed in the landscape as a feature just like a piece of art. The form of the small tree(up to 30') is appreciated all seasons and the fall color is a beautiful bright yellow. This one does it for me!

Our Masonry "Rugs"

2011-03-24T12:15:00.008-04:00

At the end of several projects at work, the masons have scraps from construction. Some are full size pieces while most are small "chip" pieces. Usually these items are carted off to the dump, but over the last several years, I ask them to pile them up in our backyard. We took the leftovers and created some interesting "rugs" that are placed in between garden rooms. I try to keep them different geometries for fun. The rug above has a sunflower with a wonderful round red bluestone center leading into a garden where we plant sunflowers every year. The one to the left is a series of circles filled with small chips that feel great on bare feet!

Apple of my eye

2011-03-23T15:02:00.009-04:00

Our Apple trees have started to awaken! I have 22 apple trees- 10 different varieties. I prune the trees in early February, then I begin the spray process of Dormant Oil in Feb, Fruit Tree spray Pre bloom, Fire Blight Spray during bloom, and Fruit Tree spray during the growing season. I tried one year with not spraying and had a poor crop of apples! I will continue spraying until the apples form. Even though the directions tell me to do so until 2 weeks of picking, I want to feel comfortable eating the apples right off the tree. I will have some with some brown spots, but the taste is great and I can live with a few spots. I will begin getting apples in June and will continue picking from the later varieties until Thanksgiving. Apples on their own are great. Apple juice, cakes and pies are great, but my nephew has mastered making us Hard Cider and Apple Jack. Wow!

1930's airial shot of Oakton

2011-03-11T13:08:00.005-05:00

In the 1930's there were several airial photographs taken as that included our property. The line left to right is Kennesaw Ave, possibly still called Cassville Road still at this time. There was a Pecan orchard to the right(North) of the house and a "Deer Park" to the left. There was an 8' fence that took up +/- 1 ac
that the Wilders kept a small herd of dwarf Scottish Red Deer. I still have a set of antlers from one of these. There were several pastures that are evident in the image. There are probably more trees now!

Fat Tuesday

2011-03-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

It's Fat Tues and we have been to a party a night for the last (3) nights in a row. We decided to stay in and I cooked collards from the garden. I seasoned them with dried chaynne peppers(last years crop) and leftover ham. I added sea salt , pepper and a generous splash of fig vinegar. Yum....

I also made dirty rice with the trinity(peppers, celery and onions) spicy sausage, brown rice, Cajun spices and chicken stock. I cook it all in a well seasoned cast iron skillet. This is all that was left after the (3) of us ate till we popped.

Oh yea... I also served biscuits and honey. Now to curl up with some homemade apple jack and a 1932 risque Jean Harlow movie. Heaven.

bottle tree winter 2011

2011-03-08T19:28:00.000-05:00

Just thought i'd show the same view of the bottle tree with a rare winter snow. By the way... I had to really convince Will how cool bottle trees were. He finally came around. I also had help coming up with empties.

A blast of yellow

2011-03-08T09:14:00.006-05:00

In the early '90's my mother commented that winter was lasting too long and she was anxious for color. While most southern gardens have late winter/early spring flowering plants, ours had lost many of them over time. We decided to add forsythia in several areas. I got 60(yes, 60) 3 gal. plants and placed them in groups of 5-9 throughout the yard. Most of them have done well and we enjoy them every March, even when winter keeps hanging on.

Our bottle tree

2011-03-07T15:51:00.003-05:00

A few years ago Michelle wanted to have me install a bottle tree in the vegetable garden. My understanding was they were a feature in the garden prior to scarecrows to deter birds from a garden. I learned much more from this website- http://www.felderrushing.net/BottleTreeImagess.htm
I got ours up on a section of Cedar tree we had to cut down. I set in a PVC sleeve 30" in the ground on a bed of gravel for drainage. I shaped the wood to fit the sleeve and placed to post. I inserted in some rbar into our"tree" and Michelle supplied the bottles ;>)

planting potatoes

2011-03-04T07:52:00.006-05:00

22 pounds of Seed potatoes arrived in the mail last week. I cut them into sections that included 1 or more "eyes". They stay inside for 3 days to develop a seal over the new cuts and I got 250 pieces in the ground on Tuesday. If I get an average of 5 potatoes per plant, I should have a mixture of varieties of 1250 potatoes! This planting had some help from our 4 year old neighbor, Rivers.

Oh Happy Day

2011-03-01T15:37:00.005-05:00

One of the many treasured memories I have is the 1st time I became interested in gardening. I remember so many things about that day. It was an early summer morning when I was 7 yrs old that I followed my grandfather out into the vegetable garden. Papa was a man I always looked up to and was fortunate he spent so much time with me. He handed me a shovel and told me to dig this plant up. With no beans, tomatoes, or squash visible on the plant it was not what I was used to. The effort was rewarded as under the soil was a collection of red potatoes! Like digging up a teasure! I was given an "atta boy" that the last of eight children was always proud of his grandfather's approval. We dug up the rest which filled an entire wheel barrow. I will be planting our next crop tomorrow as I do every year and will be thinking of him.

Spring chores cont.

2011-03-01T09:18:00.000-05:00

The beautiful Spring-like weather we have been having lately has kept me outside working to keep up with the garden chores. My kitchen garden has been neglected all winter, as you can plainly see in this pix. this is the before...

And this is the after.. I raked out all the leaves, thinned out the invasive white Salvia, cut back last years flower stalks and fertilized with 10.10.10.

I love the way the garden looks this time of year. The promise of Spring and all that it entails. Now on to the next bed.....

getting ready

2011-02-27T14:05:00.005-05:00

I am taking advantage of these SPECTACULAR dry spring like days. Most of the country is still dealing with snow! I have added compost, wood ash, chopped oak leaves I collect throughout the winter to the garden(like gold to garden soil!)along with some composted horse manure and have tilled it in twice. These nutrients are helpful to adding organic material to the soil as well as help with retention of moisture during the summer. I have no need for chemicals to aid with the soil with this "off season" attention. I have sent soil samples to Cobb County to see if anything else is needed. I usually have to wait until late March for these chores. I will use leftover chopped leaves throughout the summer as mulch.

Onion sets

2011-02-25T13:12:00.006-05:00

Spring is a bit earlier this year and I know winter is not over, but there are some plantings we can do even in February. While I order most of my vegetable plants online, they get delivered at planting time suitable to our Zone(7-A). I ordered 100 Sweet Savannah Hybrid and 100 Red Hamburger onion sets. They came in yesterday! When the plants come in via Fed Ex, you need to be ready to get them in the ground ASAP - Which I did last night, and THANKS for the rain! We should start picking onions in about 9 weeks and do so all summer. I don't care how much you water with a hose or irrigation, nothing sets a new plant in better than a good rain. Now, I can't wait for my potatoes to arrive!

a new walk

2011-02-24T10:29:00.004-05:00

A couple of years ago we needed a walk that connected my sister's house to the pool that goes through our vegetable garden. It needed to be attractive and good for bare feet, so the pea gravel we have on the rest of the garden paths would not do. Every time we add something new, I try to design the item so it will fit in with the 1870's theme. We used brick laid in a rowlock herringbone pattern set on a packed granite sand base. The brick were set "tight" (no mortar joints) that gave the appearance of being older than it was. We bordered the brick with an 8" band on small fieldstone pieces set on concrete I had from a previous stone wall project. It came off looking like it had always been there.

Pond maintanance

2011-02-21T12:55:00.005-05:00

This weekend was too beautiful to spend anytime indoors. While there are many areas to address, a chore I tackle every 2 years is a cleanout of our pond. A NASTY job and Michelle never seems to be able to help. It requires emptying the pond, scrubbing all surfaces, and making sure all the plumbing and electrial is working. An all day affair. My fish(and a bullfrog)did not appreciate the intrusion, but I am sure will be happier in their new environment. I am always amazed by the amount of pea gravel and toys thrown in by children! What is the obsession with this!?!?!?!? And where were their parents?!? I will start over with plants when it warms up a bit. That water was very cold!

Pruning roses

2011-02-20T09:57:00.000-05:00

The weather continues to be spectacular here in Ga. Yesterday I tackled the rose pruning. Feb. is the month and I was just in time. The roses are about to leaf out with a weeks worth of warm temps.

Our center garden, aka the Italian garden, is made up with old fashioned shrub and tree form roses. Every March, I take cuttings of the existing boxwood's and root them to make a border around the beds. We fill in the beds with peonies and seasonal veggies and herbs.

When I prune the roses, I cut the dead wood off, remove any decesed branches and remove the oldest canes. I also cut back any crossing branches to allow light and air into the center of the bush. I also remove any pealing bark to encourage new , vigorous canes. We top dress with composted horse manure. Almost forgot... I put a dab of waterproof wood glue on the cuts over pencil width to prevent borers from entering the plants.

As you can see, all this hard work pays off come June. Lets hope March doesn't bring below freezing temps. Keep your fingers crossed.

Winter in Georgia

2011-02-17T14:46:00.001-05:00

Okay, this is Michelle blogging so be patient. I took these pix today in the kitchen garden. This is why we live in the South. I'm not kidding when I say it is 70 degrees out today.

I planted this lettuce by seed last fall. It came in a mesculin mix. I'm not sure what kind this one is, but isn't it beautiful? All other lettuces in this mix have died out.

This lettuce I also planted from seed last fall. It's called "red sails."

A freshly picked basket of red sails lettuce.

I soak the lettuce in cold water to clean off the dirt, etc.

The lettuce is washed, spun dry and ready for my salad. Now back outside to prune the roses--but first I need to change into some shorts!

Taking advantage

2011-02-17T11:47:00.007-05:00

We had some tree work done recently. I choose NOT to go up in trees, but I did give the climber my camera. What a great opportunity to get a view that the birds get of your property! This image is from what I believe to be the oldest tree on our property, a White Oak that is probably 220+ years old, pre-dating our house. I found a 1900 Indian Head penny at the base of this tree last year. The view catches our side yard with our outdoor fireplace and a peagravel walk I installed where an old pea gravel walk used to be. The lawn area is our best entertaining area when we have large crowds. Having flat and mostly shaded lawn area is a wonderful place for tables, chairs, and tents for outdoor functions.

Apple Trees

2011-02-16T14:43:00.010-05:00

Winter has not left us yet, but there are several garden chores that need to be done before spring pounces on us. Yesterday, I pruned our apple trees. The back gardens from the 1870's had apple trees surrounding the boxwood hedges. Fruit trees are not long lived trees, so they get replaced every 20 or so years. I have 20 trees that include 12 different varieties. The purpose in this is to spread the fruiting of the apples from June until November.I will begin my spray program this weekend. It is great to get a few good dry days in a row. I spray the trees dormant with dormant oil. Next, pre-bloom, bloom, and every 2 weeks until apples form with Fruit Tree Spray. The books tell me to keep spraying until 2 weeks from picking, but I want to feel comfortable picking apples straight off the tree w/o having to wash them. I might have a few spots on the apples, but they taste great!

House Chores

2011-02-15T14:53:00.003-05:00

When my grandfather bought our home in 1939 the wood portions of the house were painted grey. My grandmother always had a fancy for green, but my grandfather was not ready for a change. I have pictures(3-D)of the home in 1949 showing the house still grey and others taken in the late '50's, so I know my grandmother won out somewhere between these years. This past summer the many coats of layered on paints had taken its toll on the detail the woodworkers added in the 1870's. We decided it was time to sand down to original wood on the front porch, which was quite an undertaking. We stuck with my grandmother's green. It was interesting to note that while MANY coats were added over the years, there were only the 2 colors. I was so pleased to have the detail show again. I will not have to go through this excersise in my lifetime - It will be somebody else's chore!

24 years ago today

2011-02-14T13:17:00.003-05:00

Michelle and I are celebrating our 24th anniversary. Yes, on Valentine's Day! We were introduced at a party 25 years ago on the same day. There have been several weddings @ our home, the most recent being our neice on Dec 19, 2009. We have 2 scratched sets of initials in our upstairs bedroom we believe to be from an upcoming bride with her new diamond from the 19th century. Our's was outdoors in the front Rose Garden on a beautiful winter day. We spent $1000 on the entire event. Take that Wedding Channel! Flowers were provided and picked by friends in the morning. Food, drinks, and desert were provided by friends and family. Michelle wore a wreath on Winter Honeysuckle in her hair and an antique dress she got in Little Five Points. 300 folks attended the afternoon event and festivities lasted into the evening. Folks still tell us it was one of their favorite weddings! Simply the best decision I ever made.

blog wars

2011-02-06T21:11:00.007-05:00

My sweet husband, Will, has recently been encouraged to blog. I have often posted how I pretty much suck at blogging. I'm a huge procrastionater. I also have often said that I can't spell. Yes, I do know about spell check. My sweet husband is the complete opposite. That is the reason why our marriage has lasted 24 years this V-Day. My point of view is different, some might say better. The Super Bowl is on as I'm posting and I just thought some of you might want to know what I did today. I worked out this a.m. at the gym (necessary as I've been a tad bit over-indulgent of late). I then decided to do some winter garden clean-up. It was a beautiful and sunny February day here in Marietta. I harvested a bunch of ball carrots, as you can see above.

These are the carrots cleaned and ready to roast:

Here they are cut up and ready for olive oil, salt and pepper. They go into a 400 degree oven approx. 40 min. Yum.

Planning for Plantings

2011-02-04T14:01:00.008-05:00

In the midst of a MISERABLE winter, I take solice in not some rodent searching for his shadow, but the arrival and studying of the many garden seed and plant catalogs that are showing up in my mailbox. I have plans for planting some 1500 potato sets around March 15. I have placed an order for 20 pounds of seed potatoes for delivery
on the 1st of March. The varieties I ordered include Purple Haze, Purple Fingerling, French Fingerling, Red Pontiac, and Yellow Finn. Potatoes are some of the easiest vegetables to take care of and was the plant that I became hooked on gardening. My grandfather told me at the age of 5 to "Dig here." It was like a treasure chest found! I will look forward for a few consecutive dry days in mid March, then cut the seed potato into cubes(+/-3" sq) that include a minimum of 2-3 eyes per set. I will then place the sets in bags, add powdered sulfer to seal the new cuts for overnight and will plant in my prepared soil the next morning. Within 90-110 days, I should be filling a wheelbarrow like this!

Raising Border Collies

2011-02-03T09:21:00.011-05:00

Last year we had success in breeding Lily, our then 3 yr. old Border Collie. In early April, "we" had 6 pups (5 males and 1 female- all black and white). She was a wonderful 1st time Mom. We set up a place for her in the basement and as weather allowed, created a safe environment between the milk house and smoke house. Lily learned to be wary of and scare off hawks- a real threat while the pups are young. Every evening we would wheel barrow(literally) them out to the side yard to let them run. We would be joined by neighborhood children and parents with bottles of wine. We would stay until it got so dark until you could only see the white of the pups. We found wonderful families interested in this breed. They have many unique characteristics that need study before bringing one of these dogs into your life (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Collie). Lily should be coming into season soon and we hope to have a similarly wonderful experience.

Getting chickens

2011-02-02T10:58:00.006-05:00

Michelle has been on me to get chickens for some time. My grandparents had them here.

I said we would when the last child went off to college. Well, that time came last fall and we converted an 8'x8' Sears tool house into a chicken house. The design was generated from various farm outbuildings I have seen and the need to incorporate a copper finial Michelle gave me some time ago.

This fall we got 8 chicks that have now grown to pullets (egg bearing age) and we are on our way to getting eggs. We have 2 Dominics, 2 Golden Comets, 1 Road Island Red, 2 Amerucanas, and 1 real cool looking hen Michelle picked out that we cannot remember what it is! We have all become fast friends and Lily, my border collie, is learning how to herd them in the hen house. We are now getting 1-3 eggs/day and should do much better as spring arrives.

1870'cold frame still in use

2011-02-01T09:51:00.006-05:00

We have a stone structure(8'x 25')that was built in the 1870's that functions as a compost and cold frame. Every year we plant Plumbego auriculata in our urns(3).

This plant cannot tolerate our winters so I transfer the plants into the cold frame every November. I have 4 hard plastic doors that protect the plants from the cold. When we get warmer rainy winter day like today, I take off the doors to let the plants get some water. They look poor now, but in April, I will take them out, prune, and transplant to the urns. The cast iron urns were purchased in Italy in 1890, shipped to Mexico City, and then transferred by DONKEY CART to New Orleans, and then trained to Marietta. What a trek!

Nice weather FINALLY!

2011-01-31T15:33:00.003-05:00

This is Will of Will and Michelle. I have been "urged" to begin describing my activities at our gardens. I plan on pocketing a camera to help describe what takes place month to month at our home. I hope this ongoing description of "how I roll" will be of interest to you. While in the midst of a real winter, before our gardens can look like this ----------------------->

there is alot of work to do. At the end of fall, I began collecting Oak leaves from the front yard. I take them to the basketball court that my son never uses and chop them up with my Gravely tractor. We then add them to the cleared vegetable garden plots( I have three 50'x50' plots and let them sit/keep down any weeds. over the winter. I got 3 loads of well composted horse manure(still kinda smelly) and added a 2" dressing over the top and looked forward to the opportunity to till them all together. I will let upcoming (today) winter rains soak the nutrients into the soil.

Christmas preporations cont.

2010-12-22T15:55:00.003-05:00

Greenery from the garden to use around the house in various containers. Boxes of various stuff to be used around the front rooms.

What a mess!! The naked dining room table tree.

I promise to show the completed rooms. My 1st event at the house was on Dec. 11th. As you can see by the date of the pix, I have had a long way to go.

Christmas preporations

2010-12-22T15:37:00.003-05:00

O.K. once again the pix are backwards. My niece,Carrie, has promised to help me. Anyway this is the table cloth for the dining room table. I inharrited(cant spell) it from my Italian Grandmother. Its a bitch to iron but so worth the effort.

This year I added a red satin undercloth. This is the proof that I really did iron it.

This is a pix of the decorating process. I started the day after Thanksgiving and really have just finished.

The candleleer in the kitchen.

The kitchen table with assorted stuff to decorate with. By the way, im sorry to have taken so long to post, but ive been so busy with decorating and hosting events. There all over now so i'll be much better. I promise.

Thanksgiving cont. wish me luck

2010-11-28T10:44:00.005-05:00

O.K. i've totally screwed up the order. This is my brined bird, almost ready for the oven. I stuff him with fresh herbs(rosemary, thyme, sage and Italian parsley) and oranges. He sits up on a bead of onions. I stuff butter between the skin and add chicken broth and white wine to the pan for basting. It was yummy.

boy we are totally out of order. In this pix the finished cookies are drying. Arent they fun? We made them on wed. before the caos started. Did I mention that we were (40) strong this year. Thank goodness I didnt cook the whole meal. This is the cookie decorating aftermath.

O.K. I got pix but as usual....backwards. just start reading my posts from the bottom up. Anyway these are the finished gingerbread turkey and acorn cookies made by me and beautifully decorated by the kids.

I had lots of helpers this year. Here they are busy decorating. I colored the royal icing festive fall colors and laid out all the sprinkles. Griffin, Maddie Joe, Tommy and Rivers took over. It was messy but fun. Now to put it all away and start on Christmas.....ugg, i'll keep you poasted.

Thanksgiving cont.

2010-11-26T11:32:00.004-05:00

O.K. dont know what the heck I did this time, and I cant seem to upload any pix. Ill keep trying..

2010-11-26T11:28:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving cont.

2010-11-24T11:33:00.003-05:00

Living room table finished.

Hallway table finished. Big dining room table finished.

O.K. thats it for now. I'll blog some more later today. I promise.

Thanksgiving cont.

2010-11-24T11:19:00.002-05:00

Once again i'm backwards with my pix. Oh well!! This is the final set little dining room table. The acorn gingerbread cookies cooling on the rack. My neice, nephew and neighbors child are helping me decorate the cookies at 1:00 this afternoon. I'll blog the results.

Rolling out the cookie dough. Its pretty messy.

Flowers from the yard all ready to arrange.

Turkey planters all ready to fill with above flowers and foliage.

The girls are free!!!

2010-11-21T19:24:00.003-05:00

We let the girls out of the coop for the 1st time yesterday late afternoon. They went straight for the garden beds and began scratching, pecking and pooping. I love the girls!! Dont they just fit right in to the landscape? The best part is that as the sun began to set, they made their way back into the coop on their own. We are going to let them out more and more every day. Ill keep you posted.

Thanksgiving cont.

2010-11-21T19:10:00.004-05:00

Still going strong with the decorating. This table for 6 is in the living room. The china is wedgewood.

This table for 4 is in the area between the living room and the big dining room. The divided blue willow plates I got at an antique shop in Murphy, N.C. years ago. I have 10 plates total. Little dining room almost complete. China is Masons vista and was a wedding present to my parents from my Grandparents in the late 50's.

The big dining room table is coming along. This is where I use the Johnsons bros. 'Wild Turkey' plates. My beloved Grandmother from Ct. gave me years ago.

All I have left to do is fresh flowers and more leaves and nuts, napkins, silverware and cooking. Stay tuned to the big day.

forgotten holiday cont.

2010-11-18T19:40:00.004-05:00

Sorry, once again i'm out of order. Ive started to decorate for Thanksgiving.

I collect a lot of vintage and fun Thanksgiving stuff, including vintage postcards.
I especially love the pewter turkey name tag holders and the vintage turkey planters.

I also have my kids turkey on a plater clay pieces from elementry school. Gosh I miss there art work and love to bring it out at the holidays.

These are the boxes of fall ready to bring down stairs to begin the decorating process.

As promised... these are last years Thanksgiving pix. Actually these are from several years ago. The little dining room walls are not yet finished.

The little dining room all set with my Grandmothers Johnsons bros. wild turkey plates. Note the bare plaster walls. I'll keep on going and post daily up to the big day.

The forgotten holiday

2010-11-16T16:14:00.004-05:00

I absolutely love thanksgiving. Its the one holiday of the year that every American can celebrate together. So whats happened to it? I think I finally figured it out.... Retailers (except for grocery stores) cant make any money off it so it gets shoved out of the way to make room for Christmas. Do you remember years ago when almost all the network channels ran "It's a Wonderful Life" 2 or 3 times a day and everyone got sick of it? Well thats the way im starting to think about Christmas . Im on a new crusade to recapture the holidays in there purest form. Good food, family and good fortune. Im sick and tired of all the fake ,plastic, pre made(in China I might add) crap that is shoved down our throats. ENOUGH. For the next days leading up to Thanksgiving, im going to blog my whole prep schedule. Ive pictured last years gingerbread cookies with royal icing and sprinkles. I make them ahead and the kids (my big ones included) decorate them on wed. Arent they beautiful? They taste great too. I would never buy them in a store. They would cost too much and not have our familys personal touch all over.

So far this year we will be about 40 strong. Ill need lots of set tables, linens ,napkins, cut flowers and foliage from the garden, my good china including my beloved Grandmothers turkey plates. Im keeping it real and setting an example for the next generation. There will be no Christmas anything till Thanksgiving eve when we can listen to Christmas music for the 1st time this season.

Ill keep you poasted, I promise.

Christmas high teas/luncheons and tours

2010-11-07T14:34:00.002-05:00

Its that time again. The annual Oakton luncheons, high tea and tours. The house is beautifully decorated inside and out. Guests will tour the inside of the 1838 house decorated with antique Christmas ornaments and fresh greenery. Im keeping it real to showcase Christmas as it would have been. The tables are set with antique china, crystal and silver. Main dining room.

flocked tree in the kitchen.

Kitchen fireplace mantle.

Little silver tree in kitchen.

Now taking reservations... Luncheon is $30.00/person. High tea is $30.00/person. Dares available are...Dec. 16th, 21st and 22nd. I can handle groups from 4 to 30. Book soon as the dates are filling up fast.

Hello stranger

2010-11-07T14:08:00.004-05:00

Seeds im collecting... Gompherina "strawberry fields". Moonvine.

Hyacinth bean vine. And many more.

The chicks when we 1st brought them home.

Welcome home girls.

Well its been a long time since i've blogged. What the heck have I been up to? The farmers market has wrapped up for the season. It was a great one. Ive made lots of new friends and aquaintences. Thanks to all who purchased from me this year. Ive been harvesting seeds for packing up and selling this winter. Look for my new Oakton House and Gardens store front on the Local Harvest web site. I hope to have it up and running by mid Nov. The weather here in Ga. has finally been feeling like fall. I cant wait till winter when I can slow down, get some inside chores done and read. The "girls" chickens are doing well. Weve lost (3) so far, (1) was murdered in the pen, the other (2) just mysteriously died. They are very friendly and come over to see what goodies weve brought them. Lillie loves to come into the coop when we go in to feed them.

simpler times

2010-09-06T20:35:00.002-04:00

We finally got around to setting up a clothes line behind the house. We had some left over , cut cedar trees from a job site just sitting around, waiting for an opportunity to be used.

Will set (3) posts in cement and strung the line. The sweet autumn clematis was there already. I just ran it up the post for almost instant presence. Its taken some getting used to, but I love the way our clothes smell and Im hoping to save some on the electric bill.

I encourage and challenge all of you out there to put up a line in your own backyard. Everyone used to have one. What happened?

LE JARDIN JOLI FALL PLANT SALE

2010-08-31T10:08:00.002-04:00

Its that time again........ The le Jardin Joli's fall plant sale. October 14th 2010, 9:00-4:00. Rain or shine. Old fashioned perennials, annuals, bi-annuals, herbs, seeds and fall decorations. Stroll the historic gardens.

Get expert garden advise.

Come early for the best selection.

sorry

2010-07-27T18:16:00.003-04:00

O.K. I still suck at blogging. I have great intentions but every day gets the better of me. Maybe this fall, when i'm an empty nester...... Anyway, here are some receint pix courtasy of my Katie.
Sunflowers in bud. Zinneas with butterfly!!!

Heirloom tomatos(dont ask what variety, Will lost tags, again)

We have bees!!

Will has started back to the chicken house..... in the background.... Maybe we will have chickens by fall.

Off too Montana on sat. highs in the low 80's, lows in the low 50's. OMG Heaven....I'll let you know.

camping cont

2010-07-05T21:54:00.004-04:00

My beloved doing what he does best. Good bacon for breakfast. Thanks Ted.

Amanda is on the scrambled eggs.

View of the creek from the camper. Actually, view of the creek from the toilet.

Were heading up to mt. Mitchel on the blue ridge pkwy this weekend. Damn, life is good....

camping

2010-07-05T21:44:00.003-04:00

Sorry, once again out of order. Our first camping trip of the season. Panther creek in western N.C.. Garden potatos for supper. Yum!!!Fresh garden tomatos with pesto and spicy endiname.(cant spell)

Steaks over an open flame. Heaven.

Our little home away from home.

We had 4 people and 4 dogs. Someone left this tarp up and it shaded out yhe afternoon sun.

Last nights harvest

2010-06-29T17:59:00.003-04:00

So after supper last night, as it got slightly cooler, Will and I got to work harvesting. These are white and red onions laid out on the edge of our pond. Also a few zuccini and cucumbers.

'Rio Colorado" potatos.
Lots of onions. I will leave them here to form the skin.

I also pulled up some baby beets and carrots. I love this time of year, if we could drop the temp 10 or 15 degrees.

oops

2010-06-29T17:58:00.001-04:00

I cant believe I blogged chantrells 2 times. Im really slipping.

chantrells

2010-06-29T17:48:00.003-04:00

Wow!!! look what popped up in our front yard. I had the Ga. chapter of the herb society over for a meeting and tour and one of the members pointed out the gorgious chantrells growing in the front yard. My neice pointed out that whole foods sells them for $30.00/lb. They were fab and delish sauted quickly in olive oil and butter with a little chopped garlic and a splash of white wine at the end. What a great suprise.

harvest

2010-06-18T19:00:00.002-04:00

sorry its out of order, this is the finished roasted veggi platter that i brought to garden club party last sat. squash, potatos, carrots, beets, and a suprise chantrelle mushrooms.

who knew that we grow the rare chantrell fungi all over our front yard. an austrian woman pointed out that i have chantrelle mushrooms growing all over my front yard. who knew. actually we started choping up the many oak leaves 2 years ago, and leaving them where they lay. we dont use chemicles and the fungi has thrived. they are so yummy.
tons of squash. i cut, than oil, than season with spicy mix. bake at 375 till soft. yum.

beets yummmmm!!!! dry roast in a 400 degree oven let steem peel the skin add olive oil , salt and pepper, and enjoy

wedding

2010-06-14T17:55:00.003-04:00

O.K. my pix are not in order. any way this is the bridal party. I dont think they realized how patriotic this looked. All the girls wore cowboy boots.

There were 3 tents and 21 table arragnments which we finished arragning fri. night around 10:30. We were exhausted. The gazibo where the ceremony took place.

More :lodge" pix.

I could not have done this wedding by myself. I had a fantastic team made up of my 2 daughters Katie and Claire, my neice from NYC, Lea, and my husbands cousins wife, Lesa. Lesa is a photographer and took lots of professional pix. Ill share them later.

wedding

2010-06-14T17:37:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the dup pix. I am sooo much better but still have a lot to learn. Anyway... I was hired to do all the wedding flowers for a friends daughters wedding june 5th in Kingston Ga. Fortionally my father in law built a "lodge"(more like a WWII BUNKER)but the air conditioner kept it cold as a floral cooler. I drove up on wed. and brought up my supplies. Thurs. a.m. I picked up the flowers at the wholesailers and drove up to prep the flowers b-4 my helpers arrived later that evening.

The Mexican rug on the floor was to throw the stems, thorns and petals on so I could drag it outside as we filled it up.

Her colors were royal blue and white. The wedding was outside at 5:00 p.m. and it was hot. I used 165 blue and white hydrangeas from Holland, peonies, stock, asters, delphiniums, daisies, casa blanca lillies and hundreds of roses. The "lodge has never smelled so good.

Here are the boxes of flowers I had to process. It took about 5 houres. This was a big wedding.

posting slacker

2010-06-14T09:25:00.002-04:00

So last night my neice informed me that I havnt posted in a while. Sooo sorry. Ive been very very busy so far this spring. My son and youngest child graduated high school on may 22nd. The graduation ceremony took place in the morning and we came back to fahitas by the pool. We had his football jersey(#11) sandwiched between 2 pieces of glass and framed so you can see the jersey front and back, complete with colored helmet marks from the different colors of oposing teams. He has been accepted to Valdosta State college where he will attend this fall. Can you say "empty nester". In this post, ive included some garden pix. We have had one of the most incredible springs that I can remember. Pix above is on the bottom edge of the kitchen garden with dianthus and an antique climbing rose on the fence.

Kitchen garden with cabbage, lettuce, swiss chard and a lemon cucumber to climb up the curly pole.

Hydrangeas have been magnificant.

Gardenias too.

Lots more to post. Got to go and hike Kennesaw mtn. b-4 it gets too hot. 95 expected today. Yuck..

goings on at oakton

2010-05-25T09:29:00.002-04:00

Made some arragnments for a customer the other day. All flowers came from the garden. I love spring! She had some beautiful vases.

Have I mentioned that we have puppies???

Im harvesting lettuce every day.

My thumbelina carrots have been delicious, not to mention very photogenic.

O.K. enough playing around, its time to get back outside before the intense heat kicks in. Ill blog again later.

puppy love update

2010-05-06T15:22:00.004-04:00

The incredible cuteness continues. Most have blue eyes. Ive set them up between the milk and smoke houses. Lillie is such a good mama. They have sharp teeth and claws.

What a face!! This is the first born and definately the fattest.

I love puppies.. They need a good home by the way.

In bloom this week

2010-05-06T15:10:00.002-04:00

What a spring we have had this year. This is a view of the Italian garden as seen from one of the orchards. Foxglove in full bloom.

Foxglove and goldflame honeysuckle.

The rhododendron outside our kitchen door. Its never had this many blooms.

The kitchen garden with antique rose and fringe tree.

estate sale

2010-05-06T15:05:00.003-04:00

Great estate sale last weekend! I got this pair of lamps in perfect condition for $7.50. Did I mention the silk shades, also perfect. I think i'll use them in my guest bdrm.

puppies

2010-04-22T22:08:00.002-04:00

O.K. I dont think ive expressed the cuteness going on in my basement. This one is wiped out after a meal.

This one we call fat boy aka free willie. He was 1st born, Will pulled him out and he was the biggest of them all. He has the best disposition and loves to snuggle. I love them.

lettuce harvest to table

2010-04-21T13:10:00.002-04:00

I picked the 1st of the lettuce in the kitchen garden today. All washed and ready for supper. Yum!

Sorry, my pix are out of order. To keep it fresh, I put freshly washed and dried lettuce on a paper towel on a clean dishtowel and wrap and keep in the veggie drawer of the fridge. It will keep for several days.

Oakton in bloom

2010-04-21T12:58:00.003-04:00

a happy accident. Chives and bronze fennel. parsley, beets, spinach and allum with a beeskep.

swiss chard with iris, perennial batchlor buttons and baby chipolini onion seedlings.

Native azalia outside my bedroom window.

Money plant.

Ill post more later. Just a small taste of the goings on here at Oakton. Happy Spring y'all.

Easter at Oakton

2010-04-21T12:48:00.003-04:00

The little peach tree in bloom. Kitchen table centerpiece.

Another view. The bunnies were in the kids baskets when they were little.

I just love these wind up band bunnies.

Coffee table arragnment.

puppies

2010-04-21T12:39:00.002-04:00

Here they are!!! Just a few days old.

The tired mama.

Plant sale

2010-04-10T11:49:00.003-04:00

My co. , le Jardin Joli is having our semi annual Spring plant sale this thurs. 4/15 from 9-3:00. Come on out if your in the Marietta area and stroll the grounds, and take home a plant or 2.

Whats new

2010-04-10T11:38:00.002-04:00

Lillie finally had her puppies April 5th. 6 healthy, black and white boarder collies. 5 boys and 1 girl

how precious. Mama and babies doing just fine.

I love them

R.I.P. Shane

2010-03-31T07:01:00.002-04:00

Sad day... Our beloved Boarder collie "Shane" has joined his canine buddies in doggie heaven.

Shane Goodman

3/18/98-3/30/10

You were a good dog.

late winter

2010-02-28T19:45:00.003-05:00

not sure what rose this is, but i love it. Its fragrant and blooms all summer.

an antique variety that is fragrant and blooms all summer. close up of the same rose.

Hey! its been a while since ive blogged. Last weekend the weather was spectacular and I spent 2 glorious days gardening. I attended a Garden Council mtg. where the speaker was a master gardener specializing in roses. OMG I had a lightbulb moment as our speaker demonstrated the proper way to prune roses. She used waterproof glue to coat the fresh cuts so the wasp wont lay her eggs on the end and the larva wont be able to penetrate the stems. I came home and pruned all my roses. Im cut and brused, but have a great sence of acomplishment. Now for some rose pix from last year for inspiration....

mardi gras

2010-02-17T17:02:00.003-05:00

every year we have a mardi gras party. this year we had it on valentines day.

1 of 2 barbi floats.

this years table. I had 17 people and the menu consisted of a yummy shrimp mold, gumbo ya ya over buttermilk whipped potatos, crawfish salad and decedant chocolate cake with chocolate dipped strawberries for dessert. I cant wait till next year.

snow at oakton

2010-02-17T16:49:00.003-05:00

we got a rare snowstorm on fri. feb 12th. boy was it fun. the bottle tree in the veg. garden.

Lillie Belle.

woops.

wish we would get some more.

whats new

2010-02-12T07:42:00.003-05:00

V-Day place setting little dining room Valentines day/23rd anniversary.

Lillie and Pete

Hey fellow bloggers. Heres an update to fill you in on whats been going on in my life since my last post. We are trying to get my son into college. He wants to play football. Last weekend we visited Ga. Southern, next week, Lagrange. Lillie belle has finally come into heat and after a unsuccessful leasion with our stud of choice, we called in a pro"Pete". Pete gave it his best shot for 3 days, but we ended up with an artificial insemenation. Gross. If we were succesful, we should have puppies April 7th. Im getting ready for Mardi Gras/Valentines/Chinese New Year. Here are some pix.

Orange bowl

2010-01-12T11:17:00.002-05:00

My honey and me. Note the color of the ocean.

My cousin, Janet

I promise it was cold

Jan. 5th Ga. Tech played in the Orange bowl and we went. Will, Ted and I stayed with my dear cousin and her husband in Ft. Lauderdale. It was freezing cold. Game time was in the 30's and it never got uot of the upper 40's. That didnt stop us from spending the 6th in South Beach. We ate at Joes stone crabs and had one of those memorable meals that you long for from now on. Now for some pix. Wish me luck.

new year

2010-01-12T11:00:00.003-05:00

sorry cant find the Tate pix. This is Claires new dog, Gracie, and the bed Will built her for Christmas and our Christmas breakfast.

Once again its a new year. We went up to Tate mtn. estates with our good friends Maurene and Tommy. As I predicted, it snowed new years eve. I took some very dark pix of the brief snow. We ate a fab dinner at Maurenes sisters house, complete with a bourbon tasting. Makers mark one. My new years resolution this year is to be a better blogger, friend, wife, mother, businesswoman and gardener. Wish me luck.

Christmas cont.

2010-01-08T12:09:00.002-05:00

closeup of tree

Sorry. I ment to continue talking about Christmas decorations. This year, for the 1st time, I bought a flocked tree for the kitchen. I absolutely loved it and will have one from now on. I used colored and white lights and all the ornaments my kids made over the years. I also brought back some green glass beads from my Grandmothers attic in Conn. Now wish me luck in attaching the pix.

Christmas cont.

2010-01-08T11:56:00.002-05:00

The Merry Christmas cake 2009

Main Christmas tree

Big dining room table

kitchen

Sorry some pix are fuzzy. Here are some more.

Christmas at Oakton

2010-01-08T11:46:00.002-05:00

Kitchen mantle

kitchen

big dining room mantle

some of many old ornaments

Hey y'all im back again. Christmas was hectic as usual. I had 11 events scheduled at the house, ending with a wedding for my neice dec. 19th with close to 100 guests.

im back

2009-12-21T12:49:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving gingerbread cookies

my son #11

Ga Tech tailgating load up

Hey fellow bloggers. Fall was so very busy with football(my sons senior year) and the gardens and farmers market. Now for some pictures to play catch up. Lots more to follow.

it worked

2009-09-03T13:15:00.005-04:00

wow! it actually worked. this computer thing is amazing. now some random pictures.

It's red. It's rubber. Is it safe for your garden? - Fine Gardening

2009-09-03T12:09:00.001-04:00

It's red. It's rubber. Is it safe for your garden? - Fine Gardening

Posted using ShareThis

tcm movies

2009-09-02T20:58:00.002-04:00

Hey fellow bloggers ive been really busy lately... Im so sorry. I must tell you about last sun.... The waether was perfect for the last week in aug. in ga. Ted, Will, and I , went for a great 5 mile hike around Cheetham hill. As soon as wed got back, the sky opened up and we got yet more rain. Turner Classic Movies was featuring Jean Arthur day and Will and I had a total slug fest starting with If Angeles had wings, and progressing to Shane, You cant take it with you , and Mr Smith goes to Washington.
O.M.G. I't doesnt get better than that................
X.O.
Michelle
Thank you TCM for keeping it true.

baby fix

2009-08-20T21:13:00.003-04:00

my new neice, Gabrielle, 4 weeks old. I dont think my flash was working. sorry.

farmers market

2009-08-20T11:43:00.003-04:00

Wow!it worked.

Thought you might like to see some pix of my booth at the farmers market. Im using my new camera, and i have attempted to upload and post by myself. Wish me luck.

2009-08-18T07:43:00.000-04:00

sorry, i cant seem to get the caps right.