Time To Clean The Ponds Out.......

This is what the fish doctor does when he's not watering all the mums.  

Hard to put words to this photo of him cleaning out all the guck from a clients pond.  Yes, he is wearing shorts and No, he does not have muck boots on and Yes the owners are watching from their screen house and probably thinking "Sure glad we hired HIM to do this".   The fish doctor and his brother enjoy doing this kind of work and after all it was a beautiful day to do it.

Was that Winter

I must admit I am enjoying our snow-less winter.  We just returned last week from Kentucky and I find it amazing how the weather there is so much like ours except it is much hotter in summer for longer and their snow doesn't last as long. I think our snowy winter's here just make spring all the more welcomed.

Something I learned about this winter is RAIN GARDENS.  A perfect addition to any one's garden.

The Department of Environmental Conservative in NYS has a very nice web site describing all the benefits one would get by adding a rain garden to their yard.  I can't help see the beauty in having one as well.

Storm water running off rooftops, sidewalks, driveways, and streets washes pollutants into nearby streams. As if that weren't bad enough, as storm water rushes over these hard-or impervious-surfaces, it picks up speed and force, causing local flooding and erosion. Impervious surfaces also keep rain water and snowmelt from seeping into the soil and recharging groundwater aquifers.

A rain garden can change all that. Planted in a shallow depression with plants such as ferns, cardinal flower, swamp milkweed, turtlehead and others that don't mind occasional "wet feet," a lush and luxuriant rain garden captures runoff from impervious areas and allows it to seep slowly into the ground. Concerned about mosquitos? Rain gardens are designed to hold standing water for less than 24 hours so that mosquitos can't breed.

To select a location for the rain garden, begin by observing your yard during a rainfall event. Notice where water is flowing from, and where it is going. Rain gardens should ideally be located between the source of runoff (roofs and driveways) and the runoff destination (drains, streams, low spots, etc.). Be sure to consider the following:

• The garden should not be within 10 feet of the house foundation
• Gardens should be located at least 25 feet from a septic system drainfield
• Gardens should not be placed within 25 feet of a well head
• Make sure to avoid underground utility lines
• The best location for the garden will be in partial to full sun
• Rain gardens should be constructed where the water table is at least 2’ below the surface of the soil. If you hit the water table when constructing your rain garden, consider turning it into a wetland garden.

 List of Plant Materials

Autumn Mussings

Even though is it only November I can feel autumn slipping away.  

We have enjoyed some beautiful weather this week but I know it won't last forever.  

Tyler got a jump on winter building a "stone" snow man.

We had a terrific pumpkin and mums season and decided - we need to grow more mums next year. 

Our little ladies are teens agers now and giving us a couple dozen eggs a week.   yum. 

Greenhouses are almost buttoned down for winter and we've got a good start on our wood supply. 

Started some lettuce, swiss chard and basil today. 

On The Farm

Today a family member was posting old photos to her facebook page. 

What a pleasant surprise to see these old photos of the farm.  

The gentlemen in the driver's seat is Edward Sr.  

That's their house behind them. 

And here is Ed's wife Freida.  

You can see the milk processing plant to the right 

and Clark Mills Road directly behind her .

Why the ChickHEN really crossed the road

And we know this is true - Our own henny penny despite her age of 10 years plus would pop out an egg or two every so often.  Unfortunately,  she meet with a demise this past summer when hurricane winds swept her away to the big ole chickHEN heaven in the sky.  This is in tribute to our dear Miss HP.

pumpkins and mums - autumn is here

The mums have turned out quite lovely.  We have a wide range of colors and varieties just waiting to make you home look like autumn.  

Just a sample of our mums and pumpkins.  We also have corn stalks for your decorating needs.
Stop in or call for to make sure were here.

Water Shield

Water shield is a perennial plant with relatively small, floating oval to elliptical leaves (to 5 inches in diameter) with no slit. Water shield has a distinctive gelatinous slime on the underside of the leaves and coating the stems. Leaves are green above while the underside of leaves and stems are reddish-purple. Stems attach at the center of the leaves. Flowers are small (9 1/2 to 3/4 inch), rise above the surface, are dull-reddish in color and consist of 3 to 4 sepals and petals. Water shield tends to be found in soft, acidic waters and can form large colonies.

Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates. Water shield seeds are consumed by ducks and other waterfowl while the roots and stems are consumed by muskrats and nutria.