Jon and I went to Second Hand Rose, the thrift shop in Schuylerville about a half hour from the farm. I got some large pieces of fabric that can be used for quilt backings.
Jon took a lot of photos of the shop that really capture the feel of the place (you can see them here). It’s a special place, jam-packed with stuff. I picture the colors and patterns I’m looking for in my mind then seek them out. Most of the fabric and clothing in the shop is $2.
The music threw me off a bit. It was an old mix of county and oldies. When Seasons In the Sun came on (can’t remember the last time I heard that song) I couldn’t stop myself from singing along. It brought me back in time, I kept picturing the transistor radio I got one year for my birthday.
Unlike the past few weeks, we’ve gotten a lot of rain this weekend. My vegetable garden seems to have flourished overnight. I cut the garlic scapes from my garlic plants. I was thinking of making them into pesto or just using them in a stir fry.
I also harvested some stinging nettle leaves from the barnyard. Someone (probably Lulu or Fanny) had eaten them all down. But they have grown back, so I thought I should get them before anyone else does.
I plucked off the top few leaves and will keep doing that all summer. I dry the leaves for tea on a rack in my office/guestroom. It’s the perfect room for drying herbs, hot all summer, and away from any prying animals.
Last year was the first time I made nettle tea from the plants on the farm and it lasted me all winter. It really does help with my allergies. I’ll also dry the mint for tea. It has a fresh taste that can bring me back to summer on the coldest winter days.
The dahlia’s are also coming up. But most of the seeds I planted in my back porch garden didn’t grow. That means I won’t have any Zinnia’s or big marigolds in the late summer and fall. It’s hard to imagine my garden without them.
But every year is different and my gardens are always changing and evolving. Maybe the seeds I planted in the front lawn will grow this year instead.
The cauliflower looks so beautiful!
They are kind of amazing plants. And they grow well in my garden. I do love making roasted cauliflower too!
Your cauliflower looks like it’s doing great! Rain does magical things to our gardens. I’ve noticed that even though we keep everything watered all of the plants stand a bit taller after a nice rain. This year a surprise hail storm has destroyed our flower and vegetable gardens, it is too late in our season to replant so we will turn the compost we have into the soil and let all the beds rest until next year. I’m hoping the local farmers didn’t lose their crops. We will see what is at the farmers market.
Oh that’s too bad about the hail Josie. But it sounds like your garden, (and you) will have a rest this summer. I hope it didn’t effect the local farmers too.
One of the songwriters of the Seasons in the Sun song was Rod McKuen. Decades since I heard that song and just had to click through.
Am going to try and get myself some stinging nettle seeds.
Am going to re-sow flower seeds that have not come up.
Picking strawberries
Weeds requiring attention every day
Oh you are garden busy. Maybe I’ll try planting more seeds. It was such a disappointment. The big Marigolds and Zinnias anyway if I can still find seeds. They make the garden in the fall.