We’re rounding the corner on the end of Spring, and the start to my favorite season is upon us. We’ve been busy getting the yard and garden ready. Come on over, and see what’s happening in the ‘burbs. I’ve got some great tips to share!
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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”.
Hey Nicole! Looks as if spring is in full swing at your house! I love all of the old fashioned blooms you featured today…I DID see MJ’s Peony article and loved it of course. I have two plants that bloomed while we were away at the cottage this weekend! I’m going to cut some this evening when it cools down a bit! We know all about poison sumac and poison ivy too. Seems like almost everyone in our beach community has a story to tell about being broken out with the rash at one point or another. It’s all over our little island! WE have to be careful that the poison sumac doesn’t end up in any bonfires. The smoke can cause a break out! Love your deal on your potting shed too! I’ve been busy in the greenhouse and planting my raised beds with flowers and veggies! Enjoy this wonderful season!
xo Deb
Happy almost Summer Nicole!
Hey Deb, Thanks for the reminder…I meant to include that fact in my blog….NEVER burn poison ivy, poison sumac, or poison oak. Like Debbie pointed out, the smoke can carry the poison. It can also infect the lungs, too. (This happened to my brother once). Happy Almost Summer to you, too, Debbie! -Nicole
Yikes! I used to have the most wonderful ‘vine’ at my rock garden’s edge. Then came the rashes (mostly in lines!) and there you go…My hubby used one of those flame weed killers (a propane tank hooked up to a hose with a flame devise on the end) to burn it to the ground and then I used something similar to your recipe. If you live in a wooded area it seems to be a natural occurrence.
Yes, it’s been a wonderful year for peonies here in eastern Washington state. I just picked a large bouquet of my old magenta type. I also have a fern variety (deep red) and a tree peony which is blooming for the first time (grabbing the camera as we speak!) and is a double creamy yellow with swirls of pinky peach mixed in…Delightful…I also noticed that there don’t seem to be any bugs dropping off of the bouquet blooms once I bring them in the house- unlike the previous lilacs.
Love the toad! Wish I had them here!
Good luck with your continuing garden projects!
Thanks Jan! You, too! My double light-pink peonies on the other side of the house haven’t bloomed quite yet…any minute now! I just love them. And the smell of a peony…delicious! Happy Gardening! -Nicole
HI Nicole!
Your yard and gardens look great! How fortunate you have been to see so many different birds! I’m jealous! LOL
I am glad to hear that your Poison Ivy seems to have been killed, and that you were able to do it naturally! Good for you! Glad you found the vinegar/salt/dish soap to be successful!
Great score on that potting bench too! What a find!
Enjoy the gardens- I certainly have been enjoying mine here across the sound on Long Island!
Farmgirl Hugs,
Laurie
Farmgirl Sister#1403
Hi Laurie! Made a new batch of "Poison Ivy Poison", boiling the salt and vinegar…which worked great-no clogs! Thanks for the tip! The poison ivy rash is gone, and I am back to normal. Still putting coconut oil on the marks, since I look like I’ve been hugged by Edward Scissorhands! Another week and I think it will all have faded. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hey Nicole, I love your postings and look forward to see what you are doing. The plant under your hosta is not poison ivy nor oak. They have only three leaves. Your five leaf plant is known as Virginia creeper and is not poisonous. I can’t wait to mix a batch of the vinegar solution. Love your toad and owl. Keep us posted 🙂
Aha! Thank you…I did find some poison ivy under the hostas, as well. I didn’t want to get too close. If you saw me, you’d know why! I seem to have the Virginia Creeper taking residence in many places, too. My gardening friends and I have have all noticed many more weeds (some very invasive, too) than ever before. I think it’s from the hurricane blowing seeds and from a very mild winter. As for our toad friend, it has taken up residence in the veggie garden. My daughter has even named her "Toaditha". Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nicole, Thanks for the poison ivy recipe. I’ve been using plain vinegar in an empty dishsoap bottle to squirt between my patio bricks to keep the weeds away but I had no idea it was strong enough to spray on poison ivy, which I try to keep at bay along my forest tree line. I hate using the chemicals and will be making a batch of this up right away. Also loved your dad’s idea with the pallets. It’s so great to pick up ideas from each other!
Thanks, Nella! For the composter, use hook and eyes to attach the pallets. That way, you can open up each side to scoop whatever compost is ready to be used in the garden. The slots allow air to circulate. Thank you for reading and commenting! -Nicole
I so enjoyed following you through your back yard. Time for a glass of cold ice tea!
Sandy, Iced tea is my favorite! Nothing is better after a warm day of gardening! Enjoy! Farmgirl hugs, Nicole
Hey Nicole, sorry about the poison ivy. I hate it. I too have allergic reactions and I use Tecnu, my husband knew some cable/phone guys and they say that is what they keep on their trucks for the guys when they are working in the weeds. My doctor told me once though and he was so right when someone asks what to do to get rid of poison ivy, wait 10 days. No matter what we do, we will keep it for 10 days. HA! Happy summer and stay away from that stuff.
Vivian, Isn’t it horrible? But…not keeping me from being outside. I am being very careful, for sure! I don’t want to go through that again! Thanks for reading and commenting. Glad to know the Technu works. It also says on the bottle it can be used for skunk oil. (Hope I never have to try it for that, ha ha).
Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Peonies have a waxy coating that needs the ants to gather or eat it off the buds before blooming. When my peonies wouldn’t open for a couple of years I talked to a master gardener about it and so I moved some ants I found on my neighbours peonies onto mine and watered it with a light mist of sugar water for good measure to attract the ants back and they bloom faithfully now as I don’t get rid of those wee little ants any more.
Nancy, the sugar water trick sounds like a great tip! Thanks for commenting! -Nicole
Nicole. Thanks for such an informative blog! I wish I had more time to do the activites that you do.
Have you heard of Jewelweed? It grows next to poison ivy and can be used in a salve to treat poison ivy rash. I am glad that you are feeling better!
Rose, thanks for commenting! I have heard of Jewelweed from several farmgirls on the Forum, but need to research to see which weed it is. Thanks for the recommendation! -Nicole
Wow ! What beautiful spring pictures ! I too have been plagued by poison ivy, and my yard has been invaded by the stuff. I am so excited to use the natural weed killing solution in your blog. Thanks for providing it in your blog. I never knew that it existed and I have tried pulling the stuff out for years….needless to say it has been a losing battle. With a 90 degree weekend coming up and this solution, I am armed and dangerous. I am sure glad I have stumbled on your blog. Starting my garden and switching out my winter clothes has kept me off of the computer.
I hope that you feel better.
Thank you, Valerie! Good luck with the solution. I find it really does work! -Nicole
The cure to removing poison ivy from your body..the Key to not breaking out with poison ivy is to get the urushiol off of you ASAP. DO NOT USE HOT WATER.The irritant in posoin ivy is urushioil. It is a sticky oil. If you come into contact with it, it will cause problems until it is removed from your skin and anything that comes in contact with your skin. There are several products sold just for this. I’m very allergic to urushioil and have tried many. The best and most readily available is the same soap that your mechanic uses to remove motor oil from their hands.Because urushioil is a sticky oil it does require a little more scrubbing but it works 100%. Directions for removal:1.Apply the soap dry (DO NOT ADD WATER) to the affected area.2. Scrub for 2 minutes. The soap needs to get between the urushiol and your skin. It will temporarily break down the oils ability to stick.3. Wash off completely with COLD water. If you use hot water, then you may be in for an unpleasant surprise!Note: The residue soap will now contain the urushioil, and when the residue drys it may become sticky oil again.4. All itchiness should be gone. If not repeat the process. I like Lava and JoJo brands the best. The grittier the better. Walmart, KMart, Your local auto parts store will all carry this soap. I usually buy the 16 oz squeeze bottles for around ~$2.This soap also gets the urushiol and many stains out of clothes. Just be sure to hose the residue off the clothes before adding them to your laundry.
Hi, the Tecnu wash is the same concept, but is a liquid and is easy on the skin. I wondered about Lava soap; I remember it from my childhood, and will look for it. I found out the hard way about hot water! Thanks for the tips. The invisible sticky oil in poison ivy is derived from a Japanese word. Thanks for all the tips, hope you have a poison ivy free summer! -Nicole