Farm Kids and Hummers

Emilie and Ethan.

 
Emilie.
 
 I love that my nieces and nephews work on the farm with the adults. This weekend we did a lot of our hay and the kids were right these alongside of us. They can't do much work, yet, but they're learning by observing.
 My 11 year old niece Abi did begin learning to drive the hay trailers through the fields; and picked up some bales.

The humming birds are back! I made some feeble attempts to get some pictures of them. I stuck my hummingbird feeders in the midst of a bed of lilies and they  love it.

 

 

I have discovered a downside to extensive gardens.

 The time it takes to keep them up.

 I feel like I spend every waking moment in the garden/yard.

And I am getting ready to embark on my biggest project yet - a massive bulb garden in the front yard, with iris, glads, tulips; and whatever else comes my way - complete with a antique hay rake for climbing roses to ramble over. (This entails more moving of rocks - ugh)

 But I just can't stop. I  am attached to this idea of sprawling, cottage style gardens surrounding the house. Gardens growing willy-nilly and spontaneously all around me.

 Every day, just about, I find myself on line somewhere, reading about gardening - because I am not a natural born gardener.

 I go to Lowe's, or Home Depot, or Wally World and look around, pick up a pot of something and think to myself "this is pretty". Buy it; take it home, and stick it in the first available patch of empty dirt I spot. That's how I am "designing" my cottage gardens. Also, people give me cuttings of this or tthat, or give me cast off bulbs, slips, etc. from thinnings and I just stick them anywhere that seems good.

 I only hope that, one day (in the not too distant future) it will begin to make sense and look like the dream in my head.

 And, my hope is to not have to plant everything every year; but to have returning plants.

 We'll see it my mad gardener method produces the desired - and expected - result. Then I can sit on my patio and enjoy my flowers, hummingbirds, and cats while drinking sweet tea and reading a magazine.

 That's the plan.