'Pick Your Own' Farms

There's just something great about going to an orchard or farm to pick your own produce.  My husband is satisfied only if he can go into the woods and find the berries growing wild, but I love local quaint farms, like Sunshine Valley Farm in Rogersville, MO, that plant the trees and let patrons pick from them.   This is a great activity when you need some peaceful time to yourself, or to do with a girlfriend, or to get the kids outside and involved in nature.  It's darn near therapeutic.   

My new backyard neighbor invited Maggie and I to go with her and her little boy this morning.  We usually end up having our breakfasts together over our back fences since both our kids play in the yards in the morning, so we knew we'd be up for an early morning trip to the farm. We had a great time and I came away with seven pounds of blueberries for less than $20.  Pies, pancakes, and muffins are in my families' future. 

To find 'Pick Your Own' farms near you go to PickYourOwn.org.  

For instructions on how to freeze berries go here.  The key to freezing berries for use all year is to make sure you store them in freezer bags and all the air is removed from the bag.

Maggie Picking Her First Blueberries

You can eat them right off the vine and they are perfectly sweet.

Exploring the orchards

Taste Testing

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Break Time

The Two Little Pickers Learning to Share their Berries

We finished off the morning with a blueberry muffin...

...and a nap on the ride home.

Fall Planting

Have you planted your spring bulbs yet?  If not, you still have a little time but do it soon before the first real freeze happens and the ground is too cold.  When the winter snow begins to melt and little green stalks and leaves start to peak through the frozen ground you'll be so glad you planted these now.

Planting bulbs is easy.  A large variety of flowers come in bulbs, though the most common you'll see show up in early spring are daffodils and tulips.

Daffodils
These will bloom just before your tulips.

Tulips
They come in a variety of colors.  Consider what will look best around your home.

Here are a few tips to make sure the bulbs you plant now show up bright and beautiful in the spring:

• A bulb will have a flat, rounded side and a more pointy side. With tulips this is most defined and with other bulbs it could be a bit more difficult to tell which is the pointy end.  Try to make sure the pointy side is up when you put the bulb in the ground. But if you're not quite sure, the bulb will usually find itself right side up on it's own.
• Bulbs can be planted just about anywhere but make sure to read the package so you'll know if the flower prefers more shade or more sun.  Many bulbs can take either but prefer more sun.
• Make sure the bulbs are planted in an area where water doesn't sit too long and drains well.  Though they're hardy and easy to care for, bulbs don't like "wet feet" and will rot if soaked too long.
• Bulbs show best when planted in good company.  Plant them in clusters and never plant just a single bulb by it's lonesome.  Consider when the bulbs bloom or how high they crow and stack them.  For example, plant crocus, which grown short, in front of tulips, which grow tall.
• In general the fatter the bulb the more flowers it will produce.  When picking out a package of bulbs bigger is usually better.
• There's no need to fertilize bulbs the first year.  Just make sure the soil you plant them in is loose.  I add a bit of extra potting soil in with the bulbs when I first plant them.
• Be careful not to plant the bulbs too deep.  Read the package directions and don't plant any deeper than the instructions advise. I've done this too many times only to find nearly none of my bulbs bloom.
• Plant bulbs in areas where you don't plan to put summer annuals.  Or be prepared to remove the bulbs by early summer to make way for your annuals. Bulbs can be stored over the summer months by digging them up after the foliage begins to die and the bulb goes dormant. Then keep the bulbs over the summer in a well ventilated space to be replanted in the fall.

I'm eager to see how my fall bulb planting efforts will turn out come spring.  I planted 50 Pink Narcissus in my front flower bed.  In my backyard berm I planted red tulips stacked with purple and white crocus in front.  

Entertain Outside without Mosquitoes

I love eating and entertaining in our backyard during the summer, but I absolutely hate mosquitoes and other warm weather pests.  To keep them away there's a few attractive tricks to keep your patio and deck clear of bugs, while also creating an inviting ambiance.

Two things mosquitoes dislike are citrus and citronella.   Fill a vase or a pitcher with sliced lemons for your table centerpiece.  Hang glass votive candle holders from trees or shepard hooks.  To keep the lemon theme going use yellow citronella  votives, like these I found on Amazon. Yellow Citronella Votive Candles, Set of 20  Tiki torches are also a great way to warm up your backyard and keep bugs away using citronella oil. 

From the yellow lemons to the yellow votives to the yellow flame of the torches your outdoor entertaining space will glow with warmth and the only guests will be those you invited.  Now all you need is an adorable yellow dress...I'm in love with this one from Anthropologie.