Putting Down Roots...

Bleeding Hearts

I think I told you last winter that I had a vision for the plantings at the farm...plants that I typically think of when I think of farmhouses and farmyards. Among the plants I mentioned were bleeding hearts.

Imagine my delight when I realized that one of the first flowers to pop out of the ground near our fence (which is well inside our property line) was a huge bleeding heart bush!

Two Ol' Girls

I asked Handsome to take a picture of me next to this huge plant to give you an idea of just how large the majestic ol' girl is. I imagine this plant is decades old, and her stately size makes her a well-established member of our yard. 

Newly Planted Rhubarb

I also mentioned that every farm should have rhubarb plants. Early Saturday morning, I received a text from Shelly's brother to let me know that a friend was thinning out his plants and giving them away. I contacted him within the hour. Soon after, Handsome and I were heading to St. Anna to pick up our rhubarb hills.

We stopped to pick up cypress mulch and a few other things and then headed home to plant. By noon, our two hills were planted and were being watered in.

Rhubarb For Freezing

We were also given all the cut rhubarb we wanted! I got those home and into a sink full of water to clean, cut and freeze. Of course, I held some back and made a crumble for dessert Saturday night. Now, our farm has rhubarb. I can cross that off my list.

Red Geraniums

When we stopped for mulch, I also chose a large cluster of red geraniums to plant into our half barrel. Shelley surprised me with a galvanized watering can when I arrived this spring, and I admit to copying her idea for displaying it. I found a small wrought iron hook tucked under the adjacent lilac bush, so I pulled it forward and hung the watering can from it. Isn't it a fun idea?

Front Porch Birdhouse

Yesterday, I decided to hang my Willodell birdhouse outside. We've had so many sweet, little birds and I wondered if one of them would move inside to start a family this spring.

Already Occupied!

Within an hour of us hanging up the birdhouse, a little wren had moved in. I had to smile when I heard it calling and singing as if to announce, "Look, guys! See what I've found!" It didn't take long for the wren to start the process of moving in.

Stormy Weather

The day ended with a turn in the weather. It was a breezy day all day, but the winds picked up late afternoon and we actually had tornado watches until 11:30 pm. We ended up with lots of wind, some lightning and rain.

Handsome, the pups and I were safely tucked inside our farmhouse, and I think those little birds had a wild ride in their houses. I'm pretty sure the plants loved the lightning and rain. The rhubarb is already sprouting again, and I won't cut that to give it a head start on the next growing season. I think we're all doing well, putting down new roots at Hickory Hill Farm.