Quote of the Day: The Garden Above
Gardens are rooted in the earth, but the sky beckons. To send plants climbing is to lift up the garden, to elevate it above the sprawl and damp. There the sun can coax forth the berry and beckon the rose to flower. In this process, we benefit: from an arbor’s shade, from a pergola’s shelter, from an increase in the garden’s bounty.
Linda Joan Smith (Smith & Hawken Garden Structures)
I am definitely thinking about the garden above here at Chiot’s Run. We could use a few arbors and pergolas to provide shade in the heat of the day. We’re thinking of placing a few on the house to provide some much needed cooling shade in the hot summer months.
I’ve been collecting images of trellises and arbors over on Pinterest, trying to figure out just what I want to do. I certainly know what kinds of vines I’ll be using, climbing hydrangea, sweet autumn clematis, and hops of course.
What’s your favorite garden climber?
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The Chicken BBQ
There’s something about firemen and chicken BBQ. In Ohio, the firehouses all had chicken BBQs to raise funds and here in Maine it is no different. If you don’t listen to the podcast, you might not realize that Mr Chiots joined the volunteer fire department. As a result, he’s now heading out to the firehouse bright and early to spend the day watching the chickens on the grill.
The only problem with this is that we now have a radio on all the time and hear all the local fire and EMS calls.
I’m most likely going to be joining my neighbors for a boat parade on the lake in the morning and then we’ll be off to see how good Mr Chiots is with a grill and hundreds of chickens.
How will you be celebrating this holiday if you live in the US? Does your local fire dept host a chicken BBQ?
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Quote of the Day: Neighbors
Gardens are living things that get pimples and have awkward growth spurts. They age and get wrinkles. The garden doesn’t care how it looks though. Only the gardener does (and maybe the neighbors).
Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn, 2nd Revised Edition
My mom’s neighbor is an avid gardener and her gardens show it! We’ve watched her garden grow, as they built their house around the same time my parents build theirs. Here are some photos of her lovely garden.
Ginger’s gardens have changed a lot throughout the years. I always enjoy visiting my mom to see what Ginger is doing. She has one of the most beautiful crabapple trees I’ve ever seen, sadly it was planted when they first moved in and she doesn’t remember the variety.
Do you have any neighbors with beautiful gardens that you get to enjoy?
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Jawdroppingly LARGE
Yesterday evening, we went out to a friend’s house to check out his Tamworth pigs. This is a breed I’ve been considering raising, as I read they do very well when pastured in the forest.
This big guy weighed in around 600 or 650, although Tamworth boars can grow to 850. It was jawdroppingly LARGE when he came out of his hut.
The lady weighs in at around 300 and is currently pregnant and expecting piglets in August.
Thankfully, because of Nina from Ruit Farm I have found a breeder that lives only a few miles from us. In the future we hope to raise a few different types of hogs in search of our favorite breed. These guys were definitely impressive, but it does get me thinking about Guinea Hogs which are a smaller breed.
What’s the most impressive farm animal you’ve ever been around?
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Resting Up
Traveling can be tiring! We’re one week into our two and a half week trip to Ohio and we’ve been busy. On Friday we spent the entire day babysitting our nieces and nephew along with a few of their friends. Yesterday we put in a LONG day of work and now we’re TIRED! I wouldn’t leave you without a post when I’m taking a day off, it always means there will be a photo of some cute furry animal that lives the high life at Chiot’s Run. These are our two indoor cats, Samson & Soafie, enjoying an afternoon nap in the living room.
Hopefully you can take some time to rest up this weekend!
