I Want My Toes In The Water and My Bum In The Sand

Or is it, my bum in the sand and my toes in the water?  Oh well, either way, it's time for  Beach Farmgirl to take her annual bloggy break by the sea! 

Wishing you a wonderful week of whatever brings you joy!

 I'll see you back here at Dandelion House in a couple of weeks! ( or sooner if I miss you too much )
Debbie and I will resume Farmgirl Friday when I return... In the meantime, she'll be unleashing her inner farmgirl in the garden and will be sharing her doin's on her adorable blog Farmgirl Unleashed! 

Here's a DANDELION WISH for you: Wishes are what dreams fly on. You never know when or where they will land, but they will and when they do they'll be even better than you had dreamed they would be, so keep the faith and DREAM BIG! 

 ENJOY the lazy days of SUMMER with your peeps!
Much love,
Deb

GROWING UP~ VERTICAL GARDENING

 I don't know about you, but I think there's something absolutley magical about watching plants clamor up arbors, fence posts, trellises, garden teepees and even other plants! 

No matter the size of your plot, vertical gardening benefits both gardener and plants.

There are too many flowering vines and climbing roses to mention in one little ole garden post so I'm just going to show off a few plants that are " growing up" in my garden this summer.  I purchased sevaral bamboo teepees a few years back and they're holding up pretty well!

"I spray painted them black for a little garden drama... I like how the bright green of the leaves contrasts against the darkness of the black paint."

 I have one 4x8 bed filled with three types of  climbing beans. Scarlet Runners, Royal Burgundy and Roma 11.

 

Plus, I planted a long row of Edamame in front of the trellises. I'm hoping to make some homemade hummus using my harvested Edamame beans!

Slicing cucumbers also love to climb and will take up much less room in your garden beds if you give something reach for the sky on! I planted one slicing cuke plant right in the middle of my summer squash and eggplant this year and so far we've harvest two very large cukes with many more on the vine!

I love this little baby cucumber just beginning to form on the vine. 

Watching a garden " grow up " is such an inspiring thing to do!

Even these volunteer morning glories are happy winding their way through the openings in my chicken run fence.

 Happy plants make a happy and healthy garden and gardener!

Don't you agree? 

What's  " growing up" in your garden this summer? 

I'd love to hear about them and any tips too!

Love,

The Dandelion Lady!

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 166 and FARM FRESH Flowers

Howdy friends and welcome back to your favorite farmgirl stomping grounds.

You may recognize this way too cute Flower Market Cart from my Facebook page and Farmgirl Chit-Chat. I fell head over heals in love with it and then I shared it so much that another farmgirl friend recognized it and pointed me directly to the maker of this genius flower cart. That's how I met  farm mama, blogger, seamstress, home builder and flower farmer, 

Dori of  The Red Feedsack and Farm Fresh. blogs.

I'm so excited to introduce you to her today! 

Here's one of her angels in a darling dress she made. Love the braids and the sweet little covered button at the top f the dress.  And, that print is just oozing farmgirl charm!

Here's one of Dori's Farm Fresh bouquets.They are so beautiful and vibrant!  And, the label adds the perfect finishing touch!

Dori, if you're reading today, I want you to know you have inspired me to move forward with my dream to sell my cut flowers! I'll be fashioning a  FARM STAND stand for my front yard just in time to start cutting my zinnias, sunflowers and dahlias! 

Thank you for the beauty and inspiration you share on both of your blogs! It's simply delightful! Do you mind telling us where you had your adorable labels printed? 

You can read all about how Farm Fresh came to be in Dori's column called Monthly Moo's! And learn how she and her husband built their beautiful farmhouse in the rolling hills of Tennessee from the ground up! 

Be sure to follow both blogs to keep up with all of the Farm Fresh Goodness happenings! 

 Inspired yet? There's more to come on the hop!

Be sure to stop by Big Sky Acres to see Debbie's ( aka Farmgirl Unleashed) beautiful blooms too! She resurrected them from a week of neglect ( while she was away bonding with her NEW grandson Arlo)  and they're glorious!

Time to link up for your weekly fix'n of farmgirl soul-food!
Tis' the season of plenty and there is so much to celebrate! Share the bounty here!
 Crafting, cooking, canning, chickens, gardening, farming, and just plain farmgirln' around!

What's bloomin' at your place? 

As always, we thank you for your participation in the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 

Put Down Some Roots And BLOOM!

The Soundtrack of My Life...

 

 Do you ever wonder what life is really like behind the scenes of your blogging buddies? I do! I don't mean which rooms aren't being featured, or where the laundry pile is stashed. I'm talking about the heartbeat behind what drives us to create and share. The motivation and inspiration that fuels us to keep an open heart, our eyes pointed towards beauty,our ears tuned to the extraordinary and our desire to share it with the world!

 If you were to drop by here on any given day you would probably find me busy writing, cleaning house, tending the garden, paying bills, taking shots for my blog and tending the chickens and max. My hair might or might not be tended to, my teeth might or might not be brushed and the toilets may or may not be scrubbed. That's what you would SEE.

 Some days are quiet, peaceful and nature is my soundtrack, but more often than not it's music, sweet music that's playing in the background of all of my days. 

Both of our children are music artists. Aspiring music artists. Our son is a hip hop artist and our daughter is a singer songwriter. Some days they work together on music. Most days I hear loud thumping and rapping coming from one room and piano music coming from another. They inspire me to be fearless in my creativity and in living life.

I love it when the heartbeat of our home gets pumping with the sound of music!

Today, I'm happy to share with you our daughters first recorded cover on you-tube! She gave me permission to share it with you and I'm so glad she did.

She's singing " Stay With Me" by Sam Smith 

It's a beautiful song and I hope you enjoy her version of it. 

Thanks for listening... 

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 165 and Picket Fence Dreams

 Woot! Woot! It's Farmgirl Friday! How are things shaping up in your world this week?We survived the wrath of Hurricane Arther last weekend and our thoughts and prayers go out to our friends who were less fortunate during the storm.

Earlier this week, I was scanning through my Facebook news feed and caught an add for some picket fence panels being offered for a steal. Okay, a steal would have been FREE, but these were being offered for under 10 bucks per 4 x 8 panel and there were 10 of them! That's 80 feet of pickets that at regular cost would have been $250.00 ( including tax)  brand new. I was happy to pay $ 70.00 and haul them home in the back of my Explorer ( with my trusty helper, our son).

  I've been yearning for some pretty pickets to surround the raised bed garden since we put them in a few years ago for a couple of reasons. Looks, of-course! Who doesn't love pickets? No, really, who? But, also I wanted to have some protection for my cute flowers and veggies from the high winds we get here on the south coast. True, the wind will blow through the fence, but it will offer a little protection from the roots up which will help keep the flowers standing tall for cutting all season long. Reason number 2? I want to add more fruit bearing trees and shrubs in the future and now I'll have space in front of the fence for blueberry shrubs , and columnar fruit trees which are lovely in small space urban gardens( we grew them out west in our small backyard many years back)  or mid-sized backyard homesteads like ours.

Slow it goes on our little homestead but somehow the things we need ( and dream of ) have a way of turning up if we are patient! I've always pictured my pickets painted white, but the way they look slightly weathered is growing on me and just seems to fit right in to our current garden scheme. Time to schedule a fence raising party! Keep the faith! What you've been yearn'n for could be right around the corner or, in your Facebook news feed.

Be sure to stop by and see my co-hostess and farmgirl in crime Debbie Tegart of Farmgirl Unleashed Blog. She's not going backwards in her garden this year after all! It's amazing what a new perspective can do for a gardener under the gun!

Tis' the season of plenty and there is so much to celebrate! Share the bounty here! Crafting, cooking, canning, chickens, gardening, farming, etc... and just plain farmgirlin' around!

As always, we thank you for your participation in the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 

 You don't have to live on a farm to join this hop!

 Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJaneButters

5 GARDEN BARGAINS for $25.00 Or Less

 As homesteaders we are always looking for ways to cut costs on our summer garden purchases with out sacrificing the beauty and abundance summer brings to all living things.  Once the flowers and veggie seeds are planted and thriving I see what's left over to spend on container garden plants for accessorizing our deck and doorstep. Purchasing containers, soil, and plants separately can add up quick and before you know it you've spent 50 dollars on one pot. That just won't do at my house! I was at Savors recently and happened upon one of those plastic tubs for storing a garden hose for $ 4.99! With my $3.00 off coupon I had gotten for donating that day I snatched it up with the idea of filling it with colorful blooms to place on our landing near the front steps. A trip to the nursery a few days later and three pots of glorious annuals ( for 20.00 ) plus a couple of buckets of good dirt I already had and here it is! I just love the bold color combination of the red, purple and yellow, don't you?
 Here are 4 more garden bargains from my garden sure to save you a few bucks here and there!

My VINTAGE Sink Garden~ The sink was free and the flowers cost under 20.00!

Vintage Teapot brewing Nasturtiums~

VINTAGE SINK GARDEN 

 Fall Flowers ( Silk)  in a hanging pot I already had on hand. The flowers were 50% off at Michaels Craft Store. I think they came to 16 or 17 dollars total.

What kinds of CREATIVE garden bargains have you been able to take advantage of this summer? 

I've got another fun garden bargain coming up if all goes as planned.... 

Think picket fence dreams for me!!!

Farmgirl Friday # 164 and Happy Fourth of July!

 

Woot! Woot! Happy Farmgirl Friday and Fourth of July! Two great occasions to celebrate, don't you agree? The smell of bacon cooking is wafting through the house as I write this am. My handsome Yankee is cooking his special bacon, egg and cheese on an everything bagel for brunch served up with a side of fresh fruit! I'd better hurry if I'm going to " get it hot" so I'll turn it over to you, my talented farmgirl friends. 

Wanna know what the Daisies On My Doorstep have taught me over the years? 

Come on by the Beachfarmgirl Blog for a lesson or two in flower folklore!

It's time to get your farmgirl FOURTH on! Link up and strut your gardening, cooking, crafting, farming, DIY, and special 4th of July treats!

Debbie at Farmgirl Unleashed   and my Co-hostess in Farmgirl Friday crime has been busy " settling in" after a long stay with her daughter and new little family. She's been playing in the weeds in her gardens, proclaiming her a true "organic gardener". Stop in to see how she's doing at Big Sky Acres!

Tis' the season of plenty and there is so much to celebrate!

As always, we thank you for your participation in the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 

 You don't have to live on a farm to join this hop!

 Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJaneButters