Memories of 2011

Those kids make me a little homesick ;-))

Robin, you have picked some great pictures for your ‘memories of 2011.

I love the pictures of the little kids, :) ..........and the chicks. The pictrue with the elderberry bush…is that also the berm you were developing? It is coming along beautifully, isn’t it?

Your garden looks like my father’s. Weedless, in neat rows and very productive. Lovely!

Although the snowstorm was destructive, it certainly made a pretty picture.

Thanks for sharing. :)

-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'

Very nice. Wow – snowat Holloween??? My that’s early.

-- Pam grows 'em - I cook 'em...... Melbourne, Fl

Fascinating pictures of your garden in 2011, Robin. The pictures cover different subjects and all look so pretty. Because of the restriction of six pictures we could not see more of your edibles. The GT Flip book would have been incomplete without your pictures.

Sharad

-- Bagwan-- “If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they have never tried a new thing in their life”.-Albert Einstein

Robin – I agree with Sharad; the book would have been incomplete without your posting. I’m hoping many, many more will join in before the time is up. I’m green with envy over the space you have, for your veggie garden alone. And the kid-sibs playing together is priceless.The thought I keep coming back to in your fifth picture is, “this would be a nice place for a window box.” :-)

-- There's a box?

A wonderful entry in our memory book!
I’m glad to see the kids in the pix. When I talk about GT-er’s with Rick I usually pick out one “story” to remind him who I am talking about. You, Robin, are the lady with the goats. :D

And speaking of Steve … I don’t think we really heard about the visit, did we? I wondered if he had been able to visit. How exciting.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Nice to see the goat kids there. When I look at your photos, I truly long for property that is as expansive as yours. That 5th photo is wonderful, and I could wake up every morning and look at that and feel good. Thanks for sharing.

-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown

Thank you for all your wonderful comments. I am glad you liked the photos I chose. I feel very blessed to live in this wonderful old farmhouse and have all this space to learn how to live more sustainably. I know I still have a long way to go.

Iris, when we moved in, everything except the swampy wild area was just a monoculture lawn, with a few trees scattered around. I planted the row with the elderberries the year after we put in the pasture fence for the goats. In that row, there are so many different plants in addition to the elderberry bushes: a persimmon tree, an apple tree, high bush cranberries, aronia, rhubarb, comfrey, bee balm, nasturtium, Sweet Cicily and at the end I have Sunchokes, Amaranth and Flax. It is one of the places that I am trying to incorporate plants to fill different layers. I had been thinking of starting to grow a copse there, but the weather last year killed all the oak seedlings I had started. Now I am rethinking my plan.

Harold, not only was it early, we received over a foot of snow.

Joel and Jroot, I like the way that tunnel looks too. If you come out to Massachusetts, Joel, look me up and we can plan how to include a window box there. Right now, that corner of the garden has cherry blossoms and daffodils. : ) I too hope that we have lots of entries for our memory book.

Debbie, Steve came to visit the same time that Hurricane Irene arrived. He was able to see the gardens before and after the destruction. Seeing is believing:

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

What is it about goats that makes them so darned adorable?!? Those kids are the cutest things around…

-- ~ Cindy, Virginia Appalachians, UDSA Hardiness Zone 6 ~

how wonderful. What a great photo!!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Cindy, I agree. Watching a kid prance around will always bring a smile to my face.

Debbie, Don’t you just love my son’s face? He is at an age where picture taking means an opportunity to make the most creative of faces. Steve’s camera took the photo. : D

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

priceless for sure!!
kids … and kids!! Gotta love them.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Hi Robin,

Sorry I have been late to this party. The highlight of my trip to MA was the sidetrip to visiting you, surviving hurricane Irene, visiting Chuck’s workshop, the dart gun fight with your kids (I think I lost) and exploring your old timber frame building.

Here’s what part of your garden looked like after the storm ( at least the most dramatic photo!)

-- Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. - Thoreau

We really enjoyed having you here, Steve. You are welcome back anytime. As for that photo you posted, that was the start of my copse. The three tree seedlings I had started there (two oaks, one persimmon) did not survive. Now I am rethinking where I want to put my copse and my children are pleased because they say it makes a great snow jump when sledding. : )

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

oh those silver linings!! haha

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Nice choices Robin and great memories.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more