The circular patio holds a 1,000 pound urn. We made it. It’s a seating bench, a place to rest a drink or plate and it is an urn for a Japanese Apricot tree. The earth-formed texture, (as well as patio texture) come from our farm’s clay, roots and thick weave burlap. In the sides, there… Read More
Can someone try to explain this to me? I’ve worked with a lot of palms and I am sure that these poor palms are embarrassed. There’s no good reason to do this to beautiful, mature palms. It borders on abuse. It can lead to “pencil pointing”, nutrient deficiency and eventually death. And if we get… Read More
That winter sun. Me and the dog comatose on the lawn, energizes flower oils and bees.
When the saw mill guy untarped our deodora lumber, the fragrance made every man there stop, enjoy and forget about the heavy work ahead. I thought of my little deodora, how I dream of watching it grow, providing privacy and shade. I don’t think of it’s death. I dream of the teenage years, it’ll need… Read More
Buy your Crinum Lily Gift Pack Here Who wants to get one of these things ? People who appreciate a raw, just out of the ground, natural wonders (tarted up with some fancy paper and a letter press card) Special people love being challenged, who love history, geography and cultural connections. People who are just… Read More
What’s a sekki ? It’s a micro-season in short. Or a moment that reminds you that the constant fluctuations of the natural world are really part of a bigger cycle. It’s a Japanese concept; a calendar of annual occurrences imbued with emotions. First frost. Last day of summer. The peak of peach season. Sekki moments,… Read More
Note; I’m working on a new book about daily life on the lily farm. Each short essay like this would be followed by an in-depth essay on the plants mentioned. I’d love your comments about this style of writing. And, there are pictures and video at the end but you may need to ‘View in… Read More
When I first meet with the owners of Blue Poppy Farm, we stood surrounded by endless turf. They said, “We ride the horses into the woods around here and it’s so beautiful out there. ” Can you make this look more like that?” The transition will take years. The long term goal includes Sandhills meadow… Read More
Classic Perennial Gardens 1. Columbia Eryngium pandanifolium – evergreen, soft yucca like Scilla peruviana – cobalt blue flowers, spring bulb Yucca rostrata & orange Crocosmia Verbascum ‘Southern Charm’ Spring white, pastel spires. Crinum ‘Peachblow’ Styrax japonicus Small tree, tons of white or pink bells in spring. Cordyline australis (Cabbage Tree) Nicotiana mutabilis 2.North Augusta Salvia… Read More
Black flowers always seduce us. I’m not sure why but there’s a mystery to them. This one is a seductive garden plant for so many reasons. It also has sway. It bends and bounces and moves like a pendulum but it always stands right back up. Rub your hand across it and it bends down. … Read More
