It's a sunny day at the farmette. Not as humid as it has been, and we received about an inch of rain over Friday and Saturday. Everything feels fresh and cool this morning. Yay. Mosquitoes love it too. Boo.
The grounds around the house are just flourishing right now. I thought I'd do another wee tour to show and tell the bounty of the farmette.
Here's a rose that I completely forgot I had.
Last fall, I put it in a container which I buried in the ground in the east bed. This spring, it was disguised behind a crapload of weeds so it took me a while to find it. Poor thing was nearly dead from all the droughty weather we had early on.
Still, it had green leaves on it, so I figured it was worth a shot. I potted it up with nice new soil, gave it a good drink and crossed my fingers.
And YAY. Here's what has transpired. This bloom just arrived this morning. Win.
The rose is more than just a pretty face. According to fossilized evidence, it's been around for 35 million years, and Confucius wrote about different varieties being nurtured in the Imperial Garden in 500 B.C.
My coreopsis, which is growing adjacent to the house, is pumping out the blooms, too. Apparently, in Victorian times, they represented joy and positive energy and were very popular in bouquets.
Well, I can attest that every time I look at these beauties, I get a shot of joy.
In my 'wild' meadow, I've had the pleasure of welcoming volunteer yarrow. Aren't they lovely?
The yarrow plant's formal name is Achillea millefolium, after Achilles of Greek mythology. He used the plant to heal the wounds of his warriors on the battlefield.
Yarrow tea has also been used to soothe stomach problems and fever and yarrow poultices are good for treating rashes and spider bites.
Handy flower to have around.
My domestic yarrow has really taken off, as you can see in the foreground of the front bed.
I bought the plants last year at a sale in Durham, and they obviously really love where I put them.
On the veggie side, we've pulled the garlic Rob planted last fall. They're quietly drying in the toolshed.
In another couple of weeks, I'll take their tops off, trim their tails and store them in the cool, dark basement for the winter. Then, we'll be joining a very long line of humans, dating back to the Egyptians 5,000 years ago when we chow down on the yummy bulbs.
Finally, my Roma tomatoes are coming along very well, after a crappy start in which we had a frost, and I had to replace all 12 plants. If we're lucky, we'll be getting a bumper crop this year. The tomato has an interesting history, beginning with cultivation by the indigenous people of the Andes mountains of South America.
The Europeans used them strictly as ornamentals initially, because they were identified as part of the deadly nightshade and bella donna families. Indeed, while the fruit is soooo tasty and benign now, the leaves and roots still contain solanine, a neurotoxin that can kill if taken in large quantities. I'll stick with the red orbs, thanks.
So that's it. The farmette's beauty and bounty are chugging along apace. Hope everyone is enjoying our summer, and staying safe and cool.
Gratuitous cat photo courtesy of Fred, who always turns into filet of feline when I'm talking to him.
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