Quick Easter Arrangements With What You Have

So India, and I made a little design challange for me. The challange was to see if you could take just found things around the yard and your own gardens to make something for the Easter table. We wanted to come up with something that would be very easy to do for anyone on any skill level.

Here is what we came up with! We used lilac, bleeding heart, pink flowering crabapple, white flowering crabapple, violets, and even (believe it or not !) the lowly dandelion blossom.

For containers we used a couple of older pieces that we have had for years. The duckling and the rooster are perfect for the Easter table. However, you could use anything really even pastel colored dishes.

The final selection was a large brown egg; yep the hen laying type, from which we carefully removed the top. To do this you gently, but firmly tap in a 360 degree formation on the edge of a bowl as you would when cracking an egg. Make sure to leave yourself enough room at the opening to work. Don't worry that the edge is not perfectly smooth this won't show when done.

Now fill all your containers with a little water and a little fresh floral design foam. Don't sweat if you don't have this. It does make your flowers easier to work with and stay together, but if you arrange them snuggly they will hold just as well.

One last note: be sure to give your flowers a good soaking before and after arranging to insure that they are properly hydrated with a spray bottle or gentle spray of water. We did ours a bit on the fly so they were somewhat "wilty" when used.

When finished put your little arrangements into the refrigerator low toward the veggie keeper until your ready to set on the table.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE !

Did The Cold Hit Your Plants ?

It became quite cold last night, and there was a predicted freeze; however, even though it did just hit the freezing mark all seems well.
We covered the young plants that are potted to resell with burlap "just in case". Usually; unless things are just not cold hardy at all, they will pull through in the event of a cold snap such as the low 30's F. The major problem is that they then are weakened and must heal and produce new growth. This in turn means that the results you were looking for are delayed. Generally it is a good idea to snip away the damaged parts of your plant so that it does not spend a lot of time trying to heal those areas. Whenever I do this I always err toward the side of caution and take a little less than I feel inclined to do. I don't want to create any additional struggle if it has already begun to heal itself.
By the way the two images that are shown in the previous post; of the beautiful Spring flowers, were taken by my daughter, India. The small pink multi petaled blooms are Flowering Almond; a very old fashioned low growing bush type plant that is rarely seen on the market these days. This sad as it is very pleasing all through the growing season (first blooms in early Spring, and nice green foliage in the Spring/Summer months. It is very easy to grow once established.
The 0ther blooms listed shown are Tulip "Carnivale de Nice". They are small this year but absolutely beautiful.

SPRING SEEMS TO BE IN FULL BLOOM

Even though it is early everywhere you look signs of Spring seem to abound. The flowers are really putting on a show. Everything seems to be spectacular! It's one of things about gardening; you fret about how things did over the winter, and you have to wait a year for the results. If that doesn't try or teach you patience I don't know what will.

Daughter, India has been photograghing anything that doesn't out run her. She has a fanatastic eye for detail in her photos. I am; so many times, amazed at how she will capture something in a way that changes your whole perception of it. I suppose that "there" is a good comment on life. It is all about our perspective.

Anyway, here are some of her pics from around the farm. I hope that they bless you as much as they do us.

Spring Is Here !

Spring has arrived--maybe a bit too warm, but no complaints. Everything is blooming so outstanding. God and his handy work WOW! As we make our way around the farm we are surprised by all things of Spring showing themselves in full display including a few unexpected guests!

AND WE MOVE YET AGAIN ?

As we prepare to move; what will soon be our former store front operation, to our farm we ask that you please bear with us as we get our sea legs here.
We are moving our business and our creative activities to the home studio and office . It seems in some ways that this is a major shift, as the thought of whether anyone would even remember or know that we exist. However, this was always the vision that we held. We have always been fearful to keep it just that simple. Maybe God knew we needed a push. After all it really is the place that we draw so much of our peace, creativity, and energy from.
We knew that when we were blessed with"the farm" there was something so much larger we were to do there. Things beyond our own immediate needs.
We are; all of us, so busy much of the time crying out to God to hear and answer our prayers. We can so often look at our neighbour, and see the answer to their prayer as plain as the nose on their face wishing ours was so apparent.
Maybe that's it. A bird in the hand is indeed worth two in the bush; however we must first recognize that we have a bird in our grasp.
For you as well as us ........have faith , believe in your dreams, and trust that God will make a way.
More later !

CHANGE JUST KEEPS COMING

It has been a while since we made a post here, but as Audrey Hephburn says in the movie "Sabrina"---- "I'm back !".
We started Ephraim Farm as a store some three years ago with a vision to do something that would allow for our whole family to be a part. Well, needless to say those intervening three years have been intense. Who knew that the economy would take all the crazy turns that it did.
The idea was to develop the concept of "Ephraim Farm" as not just a business but a vehicle. We were determined to create something that would touch the whole person (mind, body, and spirit) not just for ourselves, but for our customers as well. To create a more beautiful and nuturing environment for them and the spaces that they share with the others in their lives.
I have a sister-in-law; Irene, that lives by the motto "If it does not nuture the soul I am not about it." of her leisure activities.
Over the next several weeks Ephraim Farm will be going through some transformations. We absolutely believe that you will love what you see. More on this later.

Winds of Change Sweep Through

Friday night a storm pounded through and and carried on it's winds very possibly a tornado. Thankfully, we were spared major damage. As I stood at the door watching trees dance and contorting in ways I could not believe they withstood I was amazed. One funny (sort of) moment was when our younger son said "I think one of the hens was just blown away. She appeared to be wobbling in the drive and then suddenly was gone." There was a second of amused shock and we all ran to that window to look out. Then, the realization that this really isn't so funny. We tend to be those people who see that the well being of our animals is our responsiblity. Whatever their purpose on the farm we try to be good stewards of them. As we quietly stood watching; the wind continued to howl, and rain pounded on everything to the point that one could not see. The power went out, trees blew to the ground, and chaos seemed to be in control. One hour later a neighbor from down the road came to see if we were alright. We were heading out to check on other neighbors. We stood and talked together shaken but with relief that for now it was passed. As we talked the most beautiful sunset developed on the west horizon and later a double rainbow. The rainbow reminded me of God's promise never again to flood the earth, but I knew it was much more than that. Life throws all kinds of curves, and in the midst of the storm it is hard sometimes to believe that "this too shall pass". And then the sun comes back out and we find we have survived; when at times we wondered. Somehow, we are a little more thankful for the moments, we enjoy the conversation of friends and the simple things of just being alive.
By the way the "hen" was actually a gourd bird-house. It did survive !