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

Garden Dreams for 2011

While Winter does it's magic on the soil and sleeping plants outside I'm dreaming away inside about all the garden projects I hope to start and finish come spring and summer. 

I'm not sure if this farmgirl is day dreaming or just plain exhausted. Just look at the poor girl with her tattered dress and long face. That's no way to go into a new season of Gardening now is it?  I know it's a stretch, but for the sake of this post lets pretend she's day dreaming shall we? 

High on my list (a carry over from last years wish list ) is to add a few section's of picket fence to both sides of the front of our house with a garden gate for some cottage charm.
But, a picket fence looks naked without plants billowing from all sides of it so we'll want to add some tried and true cottage favorites.

Hydrangea, and Roses will get us off to a good start!

We'll add to our small flock of  back yard Chickens which has dwindled down to 3 from the original 8 we brought home from the feed store 5 years ago. 

 As chickens age they lay less eggs. We love having fresh eggs on hand for cooking. 

And we'll expand the run so they have a little more leg room to get at all those good bugs and nutrients.

And we'll expand our veggie garden area by adding raised beds towards the front of the house where they'll get the most sunlight throughout the day. 

We'll will pick up where we left off on our Council Ring stone patio and rock wall 

made from recycled granite slab pieces from my husbands dumpster diving excursions. I'll do a full post on this project when it's finished! It's top on our list of outdoor creative recycling projects! 

This outdoor space is where we'll go for that " camping " in the back yard feeling and 

where my container herb garden will grow! This project is underway and at the moment, under snow too.
It waits with all of the other garden dreams for 2011.

Where do you get your Garden inspirations ?
I check out books from the library all winter long and subscribe to English Garden for classic design ideas and Mary Jane's Farm for the best organic resources.

Blog land has become my new go to place when I need a quick fix for garden inspiration and that's why I entered the World Garden Carnival 2011!
( current topic is Garden Resolutions for 2011 ) 


What a fun way to meet new bloggers and share garden ideas. I bet some of them are signed up for this carnival. 

Play along and share your garden resolutions too!

Happy Garden Dreams,
Deborah Jean