“No one can be uncheered by a garden.” Winnie the Pooh
I found something cheery hidden deep inside a moving box in a storage closet. I found this red bag.
And this red bag started me thinking “garden.”
And thinking “garden” cheers me.
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Debbie Bosworth
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
Rebekah Teal
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
Cathi Belcher
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
Mary Murray
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
Alexandra Wilson
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Nicole Christensen
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Howdy Rebekah!
I just saw the first crocus sprouts rising out of the ground beneath a mound of snow yesterday! I have three large flower which I putter around in every year but my new thing for this year is to grow an herb garden in containers. I’ve had a book called Little Herb Gardens on my shelf for sometime and this is my year to get going. Some things I’ll plant from seed ( the book tells you which herbs do best started from seed or seedlings). It’s perfect for the novice Herb Gardner.( Me ) I have plans to add to the flower beds and my veggie garden is moving more towards the front of the house where it will get more sun and grow in raised beds! I did a little post about the Herb Gardening book this morning!
PS. I made your Red Velvet Cake for desert yesterday. It was a hit! Thanks for posting it on your other blog!
Happy Growing…and Beach Blessings,
Deb
I solved the animals in the garden problem! I built my garden where I have to walk by it 100’s of times every day. I fenced it in with leftover pickett fence panels hidden in our barn. I used raised beds- metal and concrete water troughs, and a boiler from our church heating system that had been cut in half and remade into water troughs years ago. The rust holes are perfect for drainage. The gardens are high up and the animals leave them alone. I put gravel on the ground around all the troughs for neatness. I love my garden! I cant wait till it warms up enough to get started…….:)
Thank you! Every year I vow to start a garden in the Spring, every year I remember this vow in June. In the midwest, it is still too early to break ground but not to peruse seed catalogs. I think this year will finally be the year my garden will emerge! By the by, what other blog do you have….I’m always up for a new Red Velvet recipe!
Hey Rebekah,
I’ve been pouring over the seed catalogs for over a month! Every September I swear I’m not putting out half as much and every February I’m doubling the size from last year. Lettuce, spinach, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green beans, october beans, hot and sweet peppers, eggplant, sunflowers, okra, watermelon, muskmelon, squash and zucchini are topping this year’s list. I’m thinking about trying kohlrabi. Anyone out there tried it and loved/hated it? The weather here in TN is in the 60s this week. Spring fever has sprung! Happy planning to all!
Oh I am dying laughing at your joke! Recently in the fabric store I saw the PERFECT fabric for a small ROUND table. I had a "senior moment" as I stood before the YOUNG cutting lady. She said, "How much yardage?" I was mentally trying to calculate it quickly. I absently looked at her and said, "I’m trying to remember pi," and she said, "What does pie have to do with it?" …At that point I told her I’d be back later with measurements, and left.
YOU are "younger people", but it seems most younger people have no concept of basic math. That worries me.
This blog reminded me of my favorite gardening book, so I checked to see if I still have it. I do! It is "The Scented Garden", by Rosemary Verey, copyright 1981. It is mostly about flowers, but has a good section on herbs also.
Then I checked back to see your book blog. Wow! What a response. I’m so glad Wade wrote in. I too loved "The Sherwood Ring" and "The Perilous Gard" also by Pope. I used to borrow my brother’s books by Lathrop and, in addition to the Bowditch book, enjoyed another book about pathways in the sea. I can’t remember the exact title, or the name of the man, but it was about mapping the ocean currents and the success of clipper ships.
Must go. I need to check out the L. M. Montgomery site.
Oh I am so sympathetic with the snake phobia. I actually moved my family to a new house because of that reason. Someone told me moth balls keeps them away, so if I ever see one again, I’m sure to try it, or other forms of snake repellent. Not about to give up digging in the earth. I’m ok with worms. If they’re not too big. 🙂
I can feel it in my bones! Thanks so much for this post. I too have been going through all the seed catalogs, designing my garden this year. I always plant a lot. I am the lady with the bag of squash! I will start seeds in my basement in the next week. Can’t wait to smell the earth!
it is time to start planning that garden the seed catalogs are out like wish books for the garden and I love looking and planning even if most of the time I plant the same stuff. this year might be different there are alot of things that I never tried to grow that I would like to this year. and last year we had a pumkin carving party so this year I want to have a pumkin patch for the grandkids so they can plant and grow the pumkin they carve. I love the garden not only to help with the cost of food but when I put on my apron it makes me think of my grandmas and my 80 year old mother still helps me can. and there is nothing as nice as seeing your pantry filled with homecan goods. Thanks for what you wrote always makes me smile and most of the time it brings back memories.
I have only a spot in front of my apartment. I grow some flowers and a few plants. Usually tomatoes, green and red peppers and maybe onions. I tried squash, watermelon before but they didn’t grow. Oh I put marigolds as a boarder to keep rabbits out of my garden and because it is in front of my apartment I don’t get deer. I also have heard about putting human hair sprinkled around the boarder keeps animals out and tieing a string around the garden and tie to it strips of cloth, it flutters in the wind and it keeps animals out.
There won’t be any garden this year since the plan is to move so that my DH can finish grad school elsewhere. It pains me to think of no garden.
We had put in raised beds because we live in town and the soil here is a terrible hard clay. (It’s so hard that they use it to make tiles to put on the space shuttles.)
I purposefully pared down my seed catalog consumption this year. Still ordered the Baker Creek Seed one though. Love the glossy prints, the wonderful varieties, and their safe seed pledge. New this year is Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. With you living in Georgia it has plenty of varieties that would do well for you. http://www.southernexposure.com/
I hope you post lots of pictures so that I can live a little vicariously.
Beautiful post! I come here for my dose of happiness. The picture of your grandparents and their barn is a treasure. It reminds me of my homeplace in Kentucky. Brings back such good memories. I’ll plant a garden in a few months. I am looking forward to spending time outside again. Been cooped up all winter. Thanks again for sharing your world.
Hi Deb! Your garden plans sound great. I hope you’ll be showing it off on your blog. Glad you liked the Red Velvet Cake. Wish I had another piece right now, for breakfast!
Hi there, Meredith! Yours sounds great as well. I’m always so impressed with the ingenuity of Farmgirls! Awesome!
Hi Judith, Here’s the recipe (can’t do a hyperlink):
http://www.rebekahteal.com/2011/02/velebrate-valentines-with-velvet.html. Hope to hear more from you about how your garden does. Looking through all the catalogs and limiting myself is one of the hardest parts of gardening!
Hi Sherri! Now, your garden sounds amazing. I haven’t tried kohlrabi, but know someone who grows it–I’ll ask her more about it. Spring here too–69 yesterday!!
Hi Mary! Now that’s funny!! Thanks for thinking me young. :)Here’s another one sweet Jonni emailed: what vegetable did Noah not take on the ark? leeks. 🙂
Hi Kristy! The Scented Garden sounds great. I’m always so inspired by y’all! Are you going to aroma-plant this year? I need to consider that when I pick out what to plant.
Hi other Mary! I totally get why you’d leave. TOTALLY. Was it in your house? Yikes. I’m better, but I have a long way to go when it comes to snake. Moth balls are an interesting idea. I wonder if I put them around the yard? Hmmm.
Hi Sara! Well, I did a wee bit of hoeing yesterday and it felt wonderful. You’ll be there soon. I’m headed to buy some Sugar Snap seeds today. Good luck on your plantings!
Hi Brenda! Love your words about your Grandma; it’s the same thing for me. Transports me. Listen, we planted pumpkins at our moutain farm one year and had so much fun with something. When the pumpkins were small, we each barely scraped our names in the side of them, can’t remember what we used to do that, but don’t break the skin. Then as the pumpkin grows, the name does. Totally cool.
Hi Kimberly! Marigolds are one of my favorite flowers, so I’ll surely plant them this year. I haven’t noticed that they help repel bunnies, but maybe if I plant more. I’ll try it! Will try the other ideas too for the deer. I’m hoping to put up a fence, but if it is expensive, I won’t be able to. We’ll see.
Hi all8garden! I can sympathize with the no garden thing. When I gardened on my deck, I used earthboxes. That’s the brand name. They did a fantastic job. I recommend them highly. I harvested a lot of veggies from a small space. Google it and see what you think. Thanks so much for the link to the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. I’m going to check it out!
Hi Anglea! Thank you so much. I love that picture of my grandparents. I had never seen it until recently. They look so happy. And peaceful–with 10 kids! The last few days here have been glorious. It does feel good to get out some. The warm weather will be to you soon!
Thanks everyone for such wonderful comment-versation!!!!! Love you all!
I’m so jealous that you can even plant something in February! I live 90 miles south of the Canadian border which blesses us with short, sometimes cool summers. It is almost impossible for me to plant the garden before June 1. I long to put my hands in the dirt…I solve some of my problems by using a greenhouse with heat mats which allows me to start "gardening" in late April. When I transfer my plants to the garden I plant them in raised beds with solar mulch and floating row covers. They are a bit of an investment but they allow me to be far more successful than if I didn’t use them. Our summer nights frequently cool off to the low 50’s. By the way, I’m probably the only person who can say that a zucchini plant doesn’t grow enough zucchini for me! I love zucchini that much! Thank you for writing such thought provoking articles. They linger in my mind for days after I read them…
I love this site. My friend shared her magazine, so of course I had to come look you up! I have a small garden, My Granddaughter who is 4yr old, Anela, helped me plant every seed in it. She says it is her garden now. Hopefully my garden will be bigger next year. We have some chickens so I am trying to teach my grand children about the farm life! They are mesmerised with each thing I show them. Actually the Anela was in my baby chick pen this morning to play with the chicks that about 4wks old. She says they don’t have enough room. she was all in a ball I couldn’t help but laugh. Loved all the other comments, keep gardening!