Calibrachoa (million bells), angelonia, dahlia, zinnia, geranium, petunia, coleus, and salvia greeted me each morning as I stepped inside the greenhouses I worked in throughout college. The smell as I entered my summer work space was intoxicating. I remember thinking how lucky I was to spend my summer days amongst the flowers with happy people. […]
Month: May 2017
If Only The Walls Could Talk, What Would They Say?
If only the walls could talk, what would they say? In my introductory post of Westfalcon Farm I mentioned that one of the things that had an impact on my mother the first time she saw the old family farm was the many etchings on the bricks inside the old separator room in the barn. Well, […]
Mom’s Quick and Easy Homemade Tomato Soup
By the middle of May, here in Minnesota, our average high is 70F. This weekend we had several inches of rain with temperatures between 40F and 50F. Now, I’m not one to stay inside on a typical day, rain or shine. In fact, I very much believe in dressing for the weather and enjoying the […]
Get Outside And Get Into Nature: Your Mind and Body Will Thank You
My son asked me last weekend, as we were all helping to put the dock in the lake up at the family cabin, “Mom, why does Brook [our dog], love being at the cabin so much?” I answered, “Well, I imagine she loves the cabin for many of the same reasons we love being here. […]
A Flowering Lawn: Bees and Dandelions
A flowering lawn is not something that most people see as being beautiful or positive. When my husband and I had our first child we decided to forgo the fertilizer that treated the pesky dandelions, crab grass and creeping charlie because we didn’t want our little one crawling on chemicals. This was hard for me as […]
Mulch or Rock in Landscaping: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Application Tips
Ten yards of mulch, done! I should have bought 15 yards to finish off my gardens nicely, so I will make note of that so I order the right amount next time. One of the first questions many people have when completing a new garden or landscape project is “Should I use mulch or rock?” […]
Companion Planting
Companion planting: The act of placing plants together that can benefit each other in different ways. In the spring I like to think that little plant communities are being built when we plant our vegetable gardens. Just as human beings need shelter, food, water, and friends, plants need the same in their communities. They compete for resources, […]