catching up... in the garden

Well... I had the best of intentions last (ahem) August to start blogging again.  One post and before I knew it, it was the LAST day of May!  I do use Instagram (you can find me at RedGateFarm or the link on the right) so you may have kept up with me there, if not here's whats been happening in my garden so far this year!  This will be heavy on my favorites (lilacs, roses and peonies) and a quick catch up on everything else!

First up, lilacs.  Nothing says spring like the scent of lilacs.  This miniature lilac bounced around in a couple of spots before finding a permanent home in front of our pump house.  It is the last of my lilacs to bloom but definitely doesn't disappoint in blooms nor in fragrance!

We also are working on a hedge of lilacs to the west of our barn!  I'm sure it will take about 20 years to be a real lilac hedge but I've heard that patience is a virtue... so I'll be practicing that!

All but two of these were starts dug up from the lilac hedge behind my son's house.  They are white and a dark purple.  We potted them up for a couple of years to give them a real head start, then planted them last fall and they all survived this past winter.

One of my purchased lilacs is this one, Sensation.  Love the multi color!

My old lilac looked good this spring.  We had cooler temps while it was blooming so the blooms lasted for a long time.

I should pots up some of the little starts and add them to my hedge since this one is a paler lilac...

Next, they may be fleeting but they are oh so beautiful... the peony.

This peony is different from all of my others.  I bought it at a small plant sale and don't know the name but it is always the first to bloom.

Then my Festiva Maxima.  Huge, huge blooms on this old variety.  I now have 3 of these but really need to move at least two of them as they are getting overgrown by my hydrangeas.

This is actually two peonies.  The lighter pink is Sorbet and I need to track down the name on the darker one.

Here you can see this Sorbet bloom about to fully open and show of it's multi colors and petals.

This peony is always the last to bloom.  When I purchased this one it was just called "red peony" and the stems are definitely more of a reddish color than some of my other peonies that have similar blooms.

You can't see the final peony tucked around the side of the pump house... it finally has one bloom this year and I can't wait to see it as I have forgotten what it even looks like.  It was potted for a few years and I finally planted it last year.

This peony is Sarah Bernhardt.  Such a pretty pink peony.

Next year I hope to have my yellow peony in bloom!  Finally found one this year that was a reasonable price as they are usually very expensive.  It may find it's home next to Sarah here.

And the final of the triple favs are my David Austin English Roses. I pick mine based on growth habit, high petal count for that "peony look" as well as color and fragrance.

This white one is actually the only "non" David Austin English Rose I have, it is named Bolero.

My all time favorite is the Queen of Sweden.  Prolific bloomer, very disease resistant, great cut flower and very upright growing habit.

This one is Port Sunlight and was started from bare root.  It goes through different peach shades as it opens.

This is Sister Elizabeth and it is a purple-y pink in color.  Fairly compact.  It too was a bare root start.

Finally, in front of the barn is Alnwick.  It was the third of my bare root started roses.

It is the earliest of all my roses to bloom and is very, very prolific!

It's pink color is a bit darker than the Queen of Sweden and is definitely more of a round bush.

Not shown, as they are not yet in bloom, are three other David Austin roses...
Grace, another peachy color that smells like tea.  It also tolerates a bit of shade.
Winchester Cathedral, another white rose, a bit smaller sized plant than most of my roses.
And, The Pilgrim, a light, yellow rose.  This one is probably the most prolific of all of my roses, with so many blooms you can cut a branch like a spray type rose!

I have a few other roses such as this Knock Out variety...

And this shrub rose, Bonica, is a pale pink and will soon be covered!  It usually has 3 to 4 bloom periods.  It tends to get so heavy with blooms that I have it supported underneath.

Going a bit further back... to January that is... I got a real head start on my seeds this year by starting my Million Bells, Wave Petunias, Bacopa, Marigolds, Impatiens, Biden and Lobelia.  Germination rate was good and now I'm frantically trying to find spots for everything!

The nectarine tree is the first tree to bloom and it was a welcome sight back in mid-March.  Our winter (and early spring) felt very gray and dreary but apparently there was at least a bit of blue sky!

Daffodils in front of the barn.

Our magnolia was here when we moved in 13 1/2 years ago.  It has definitely grown and is healthier due to better and consistent watering in the summer months.

Apple blossoms... all of our fruit trees blossomed during good spells of weather.  Our apple, pear, nectarine, cherry and plum trees are all loaded with fruit this year!  Thank you bees!

Tulips were later this year than years past, but the weather was pretty mild so these red tulips up the driveway stayed in bloom for a record amount of time.

My "Mother's Day" Rhododendron put on it's annual show... right around Mother's Day, of course.

The purple Iris' were fleeting but I managed to get a shot of the yellow ones that come on a bit later.

Right now my purple lupine is blooming along the driveway.  I have had lupines here since we moved in... in fact, you may have noticed, most of my "profile" pictures on social media are of an early shot of lupines and our house.

And since I have been so derelict in updating this blog... something else that has been growing but more like a weed...

Miss Bee just turned 4!  Where does the time go?  She is such a funny, spirited little girl.  Her imagination is beyond compare, the stories she comes up with... and she is sooooo convincing!  As you can see... she is a pink and jewels kind of girl but not afraid to pair that with a set of boots!  Lately she has "taken up" flower arranging and wanted to put a little bouquet together when she was here in mid-May.

And her brother?  Little Bug isn't so little any more.  Those chubby little legs can barely squeeze into a pair of rubber boots... He's more into trucks and tractors (some of his favorite words) or Batman and Spiderman (he does a mean "Pew" from his spider wrist shots) for which he will happily don a mask!  He will turn 2 next week.  A sweet little boy, unless you try to take a turn on "his" tractor!  I think his favorite things to say are "I did it!" and "No"... pretty typical for an almost 2 year old!

So that's a recap of what is growing in my garden... how about yours?

Chris at Red Gate Farm

smitten with pickles

After our cool, wet spring our summer has really been heating up and my garden is starting to produce one of my all time favorite things... cucumbers!  I grow pickling, lemon, english and plain ol' regulars.  Of course, the pickling being the smallest are the first to be ready and this weekend I had enough to make a batch of pickles.

I have made both traditional canned pickles and quick refrigerator pickles and hands down my favorite are the refrigerator pickles.  I also like that a recipe can be tweaked a bit and since these pickles are usually a short shelf life in the fridge I don't worry about the safety kinds of issues you have with actual canning.

I've tried a number of recipes over the years, both dill and "bread & butter" style, this recipe was found on Smitten Kitchen and looked right up my alley to try.  I even used this opportunity to finally use my mandolin and it was so quick to slice up this little pile of cukes!

Salt, vinegar, cukes and dill from my garden was all the recipe called for... well and a bit of time too.

Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles - Smitten Kitchen
8 larger or 10 smaller, firm,  kirby cucumbers (depending on size) sliced thinly 1/8 inch or so
3 teaspoons pickling, coarse or Kosher salt
1 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 large head of dill (this is my tweak to the recipe)
1/2 cup white vinegar

Place all ingredients in 1 liter, lidded jar and shake a few times (I actually shook a bit more, until salt dissolved).  Place in refrigerator.  For next few hours shake jar a few more times.  After 6 to 8 hours you have fabulous and easy pickles!  But if you're like me you didn't wait that long, they're pretty good at 1 or 2 hours as well!

These pickles will keep in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, just be sure cucumbers are covered by pickling brine/liquid.

Here they are ready to go into the fridge, you can see that the liquid doesn't cover the cucumbers or pickles to be...

But here they are after just a couple of hours of sitting and shaking.  You can see that the recipe was correct in that the liquid from the cucumbers releases and adds to the liquid in the jar... or do the cucumbers shrink? or both?  Either way, they are now submerged.

I hope you give these a try if you have some extra cucumbers with a need to use... or try this slightly sweet version of pickles from FPFG (now Shannan Martin Writes) from a few years ago... it's quite tasty too.  I have a "bread and butter" pickle that is called Ice Cream Pail Pickles, because you use a 1 gallon sized container that I will have to share, it's the recipe that made me actually like the sweeter pickles AND you can use any vegetable in it!

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted here in a bit... almost a whole year actually.  I'm not quite sure how a break ended up being so long and if you're like me, you wonder what happens when someone just sort of disappears... I've been active on Instagram but intend to try and resuscitate the blogging too!

One thing that has changed is my little grand babies have grown by leaps and bounds.  Miss Bee is three and the Little Bug has turned one!  They grow up sooo very fast.

And I'm pretty smitten with these two, that's for sure.

Hope summer is treating you well,
Chris at Red Gate Farm

another wedding...

I was fortunate this past weekend to have the opportunity to help out at a family wedding... not only with loaning some of my "treasures" but also with decorating beforehand as well.  When the bride and my cousin approached me a few weeks back I was thrilled to hear that the bride's ideas were pretty eclectic!  One of my favorite styles of decorating, of course if you've been here before you probably noticed that about me.

I think one of my top 5 favorite things at this wedding was actually a bit of a happy accident.  The bride wanted to borrow my vintage metal wash stand, I believe to hold ice and bottled water.  On Friday during the set up the water idea was nixed but the plan to fill the tub with extra flowers turned out to be truly inspirational!  I know I will be trying this myself at some future Red Gate Farm party!

 A little vignette filled the space under the wash stand... a couple of soda pop crates, lace doilies and silver full of baby's breath.

A little different angle shows off the front of an old card file drawer that usually rests on my coffee table.

This little alcove was one of the first areas I tackled on Friday morning.  I have a number of panels of sheer curtains from IKEA used in my daughter's wedding as well as my niece's.  I believe this is 12 panels (or 6 sets) and these panels are just $5 for two!  Super large and very "tulle like", they filled this space like a wispy ballerina tutu.

You may recognize this chalkboard sign from my daughter's wedding... as well as the "wedding cakes" sign.

The gold and white paper and tissue fans filled in the other side of the space.  Pink, pale green and gold were the predominate colors the bride was using.  You can't tell from this photo but this pink tablecloth is sequined!  So cute and sparkly.

In hindsight, twinkle lights behind the sheers would have been perfect!  The actual wedding day was pretty gray and gloomy so this little spot could have used a bit of light.

 Along with the colors, the wedding vibe was all about lace and vintage bits like old silver, china and even perfume bottles.

One of my vintage lamps (one of many used here) fills in with some height... and that little gold purse is just the right amount of sparkle.

Words like "love" and signs like "&" were sprinkled all about.

More love and silver...

Even a vintage hand bag made the cut.  This black velvet and gold handbag belonged to a good friend of my mom's and hung on my bedroom wall for a few years.

Lace doilies and lace trimmed linens too.

Gold, silver and pearls.

Vintage lamps and hydrangeas... a fun combination!

An old 5 or 6 foot ladder the bride found on the side of the road was filled with love, literally.

 And that roadside find ladder was a bit wobbly... so my little step ladder propped up the side like a happy little sister.  All around was filled with more bits of vintage from my stash and flowering plants.

 The bride and groom used 4 of these spools in various spots.  Fun to dress up the top and the bottom!

A final little vignette in this area with an "R" for the happy couple's name.

 And back around the covered area to that wash stand...

It was not only filled, it filled a need too.

Anchoring the end of the tables!  You can see them lined up behind.. this also gives a good view of the center of the covered area and the nook with the cake in the back.  In front of this area was the dance floor for the reception so adding this to the end of the table made for a pretty backdrop.

You can see that this venue is a rustic shelter made of logs.  Along with all the gold, pink, green, lace and pretty bits and pieces the rustic element was part of the wedding too; making this venue the ideal spot for this wedding.

This venue is also perfect for this little community of farmers and loggers to host weddings, parties and other events.  This venue was built over time by a local farmer on the edge of his property and includes a covered area, an open area, bathroom, lots of parking, camping areas and tons of spots to pick from for the actual ceremony.

The groom's sisters were the sign makers for the day... a cute one for the bar area.

Here you can see the river that flows on the edge of this property... pretty low this year as we've had a dry summer but still a pretty back drop for the reception.  And you may recognize this little bench...

And chair... a couple of more items from my house.

They made for a nice area to sit for a bit during the reception... or a pretty spot for a picture or two.

 Another little resting spot was created...

 More pieces from my house including this new little wicker shelf from my local thrift store, staged with fun pieces from Red Gate Farm.  This sign was all a work of art from the groom's sisters... and made from a slab of wood... you can still see the raw or live edge!

 A close up of pink, green, lace and rustic elements.

The bride's vision for her tables came to life with pieces she had collected and some extra pieces from my collections to fill out the table center pieces.

Teacups filled with succulents...

More silver, teacups, votive candles in wood and sheds or antlers.

The bride had also collected hydrangeas from a variety of sources and they looked fabulous!

 I didn't take pictures of the actual tables but they were all built by the groom and his friends and family!  What a wonderful contribution to the day!!

 One of the reserved family tables.

 Teapots in silver and china were on most of the tables.

A couple of my birthday presents even made it into the decorating... my cute blue cruiser bike, a birthday gift from my husband.

And the bike basket was also a birthday gift this year.   Filled with an old piece of linen and a cute little sign it was just the spot for guests to leave cards.

A strategically placed table for gifts...

And the bride's welcome bunting/banner and this vignette was complete!

The sign in table was to the left and was another one of the rustic spools. A lace covered arbor added some needed height.  When decorating in a wide open space like this it can be hard to make a vignette look "big enough"! 

Since the area of the ceremony was on the edge of a field, remember this is a farm, this area and the gift/bike/welcome area also created an "entrance" to guide guests towards the actual ceremony site... as did a sign or two!

It was a bit of a walk as you can see here...

The forested space runs along the river and to the right is the wide open farmland of this little valley.  I love the the rustic stumps that have been left behind.

Coming up to the ceremony site.

The bride had cuts of wood along the aisle.  A morning windstorm blew the pretty pink jars full of baby's breath and lavender onto the ground so you don't see them here... fortunately there were no casualties!

The altar area was very simple.  Just a couple of vintage doors and a few potted chrysanthemums.

And those doors?  Well those belong to my husband.  When the bride and mother of the groom stopped by a couple of months back to look over my stash of goodies my husband suggested these doors he had been hiding keeping safely in the chicken coop.  I think I've mentioned before that he "collects" doors and windows!  He made a couple of stands for the doors and with the unusual glass panes and white color they were perfect for this spot!

You may have noticed those benches mixed in with white rental chairs?  Well the groom made these to match all those tables!

Here is most of the wedding party, river behind them, seated at some of those gorgeous tables... the bride and groom's table was a bit wider than the others and had the most beautiful life edge on it!

It was such a fun and beautiful event to be a small part of...

Although the Friday we set up and decorated turned out to be hot, hot, hot... (we even broke the temperature record for that day!). The day of the wedding was cloudy, and more than a bit breezy, any actual rain held off and it turned out to be such a beautiful gathering.

Now it's time to put all the goodies away and rest up for the upcoming long weekend!  How about you?  How have you spent these last few days of August?
Chris at Red Gate Farm