Posts by Jenks Farmer
Beauty Inside
In downtown New Orleans we’ve seen lots of real life. And walking the garden district is an amazing mix of ultra swank, fluffed-up places, cute renovated cottages and seriously poor shacks on the edges. But we had an agenda — figure out what fits in my friend’s front pots. To avoid the too, too trendy,…
Read MoreStone & Cob Floor in the Farm Studio-barn
Why make a stone using cob mixture as mortar? Part of our “barn/studio” walls are made from cob. We liked the process of mixing. We have fine, sticky red clay, lots of it, so we didn’t have to buy mortar mix. We wanted a natural, low cost floor. So instead of mortar or wood, we…
Read MoreBreeders
I’m not a good breeder. That requires a forsite and planning that my mind doesn’t do well. So, my crinum selections are all happenstance and simply noticing something cool that’s happened in the field. But I am a good gardener and part of being a good gardener is remember connections between plants and people. Sometimes…
Read MoreMother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day! Thanks to all Mothers and friends who came to our farm to enjoy the early lilies, masses of larkspur, poppies, and beautiful breezes! Join us for a special, small group luncheon and an afternoon full of fun. The details and tickets are actually on this other page, so once more……
Read MoreFarm to Table? No, just dirt to mouth….
I had a beer with a scientist this week. She told me to buck up, get ready to face the future. GMO’s are nothing compared with what’s happening in Universities now. What’s coming down the pike, via the science of synthetic biology. It’s all amazing, scary, promising, complex and it’s going to be in your…
Read MoreWednesday’s Garden
Yesterday was so busy I forgot to follow up with my promise of new gardens everyday this week. If you’re in 75 miles of Aiken, take this once year chance to buy at Woodlander’s Nursery. Yep, this world renowned nursery is open just once a year. Here’s Carl from Woodlanders. In Augusta, this killer private…
Read MoreMagic Carpets
In this garden in Augusta, Jefferson Hubble, amazing stone mason and friend in Columbia, SC made a magic carpet patio. And behind that, a carpet of moss makes a brilliant lawn and contrast with the purple fence.
Read MoreGarden Week Head’s Up
I’m going to be in cool gardens all week — mostly hanging out, hosting, escorting. I’ll post lots of pictures here. Today, one of my favorite men, mentors and gardeners — we started out ‘designing’ his slippery slope garden about four years ago. At the time, there was no way to get from the…
Read MoreMust Have Happy Flower for Fall Seed-in
From mid-march all the way through May everyone who sees any garden I’ve designed wants that cheerful, easy to grow wildflower that I call Moroccan Toadflax. I like that name since this little plant looks like our native called toadflax, or field flax (there’s an essay about that lovely little wildflower in this book). But…
Read MoreWhat Do You Do First?
I worked with two different twenty-something couples this week. One planning to resell in a few years, one there for the long haul. It made me think of my own place in Columbia — I was 27 when I bought it. What were my priorities? 1. Privacy 2. A place to hang out…
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