Posts by Jenks Farmer
Perennial Plant Association, Baltimore & Books
It’s 6 a.m. pouring rain and I’m headed out to unload a truck of perennials and palms from Florida. I can’t wait. This is what I want to do — all the things involved in making gardening. From the soaking wet minutes and for the rest of the week, I get to think about how…
Read MoreCut, Prune, Rejuvinate
You know, when you prune a fig, the cut smells just like figs. I kept smelling it. Wondered why I’d never noted that and wondered why it surprised me. With my favorite hand saw, I got into cutting today. Just the biggest or problem trunks on…
Read MoreSC Horticulture Industry Show
This show actually starts tomorrow but I did a quick walk around while people were moving in. Here’s a quick impression: there’s more organic fertilizer than I’ve ever seen at a trade show! There’s also an interest in history and the ‘state of the industry…..Here’s an old John Deere, just like the one I…
Read MoreCarolina Gems
Today’s plan got canceled by the cold. And by the desire to do something fun like getting a new wash station set up in the nursery— Jacob and I dug trench and secured a sink. We were supposed to work with this beautiful plant, ‘Carolina Ruby’ Yaupon. Tomorrow maybe, we’ll dig holes to ready some…
Read MoreHere are a dozen slides or so of tools — pictures I’ve taken from around the world!
Read MoreBetter Than Boiled Peanuts?
I understood immediately when he said, ‘taste this’ that Mr. Ben wasn’t trying to trick me or wait to laugh as I grimaced. He was sharing. Now, he and I know and we know each other knows, the taste of the amber colored jelly that fills the bean pods of Kentucky Coffee Tree. He told…
Read MoreSoil Soul Test
I’ve been sitting inside all morning, a rare thing for me, trying to decide how to handle the disappointing results of our most recent soil test. Yeah, our great red organic soil failed. 60 points on a 100 point scale. I came up with a five step program to address the failings of my soil…
Read MoreSnails, Nails, Puppy Dog Tails And A Blue Princess Dress
We had a bunch of children over New Year’s Day. These are outside loving young-uns. Who ever says youth is all tied to technology today, hasn’t met these dirt lovers. A second grade girl, one minute in a princes dress and the next minute tricking me into smell her hands — covered in putrid, rain…
Read MoreMost days, Sugarbear is farm dog who rolls in manure and moves her buried treasures, dead squires, pizza crust, ham bones, from hole to hole thus keeping it secure from the cats, who’s surely just get it while she’s asleep in front of the fireplace, if they wanted a three week old squirrel body. Tough…
Read MoreRare Plants that Look Like Common Plants!
People say I’m not patient. But here is proof. Just this week, someone said to me, “oh no, we can’t plant a sago palm, my friend says it will get all brown and ugly in the winter.” What I didn’t say was, “How many species of Cycads does your friend grow?” See? The patience…
Read More