For many years, I kept a pretty large garden. Or maybe I should say, it kept me. It was a lot of work, but I didn’t mind. I mostly loved it. When we moved to our new house we thought we would bring our raised garden beds with us and try to recreate our garden here. We did bring one of the beds over, but then stopped. I couldn’t decide where to put them, and it felt strange to move them. They belonged where they were, and the folks in the process of buying our house seemed interested in gardening. So that was that. And I don’t have the time for such a huge garden right now, so I don’t mind that we left them behind. I get to see them every time I drive down the road. It’s fun to see what the new owners are doing, but also challenging not to seem too obvious that I’m looking (I’m so nosy!) and to stay in my lane.
This spring, I’ve been wanting to grow a little something at our new house. Mainly strawberries. Eyeing a stack of cedar logs that Jonny has had sitting for some time, I thought they might make some simple little garden beds. My sister recently did something similar at her house using logs, so I asked Jonny if he would build me a few beds with some of his cedar. I went ahead and bought a bundle of strawberry plants, and sent my boys over for a big load of soil from the spot where our goat barn used to sit (We are still trying to sell the parcel of land next to our old house, and that is where our goats used to live.) Jonny built me four little beds, each about half the size of our previous garden beds. Jonny doesn’t think much of them, (they’re not all the same size! they’re not fancy enough!) but I do. I love them. They are just right. I planted strawberries in three of them, and greens in the fourth. Nearby we planted a couple rows of blackberries, and one of raspberries. I’m very pleased with this. This week I will put some dahlia bulbs in the ground and maybe start some flower seeds. As far as a giant vegetable garden goes, Jonny says he’s going to plant one. I have my doubts, but we’ll see. I’d love for him to prove me wrong. I’m going to stick to my four little cedar beds and the flower beds around the house. That’s enough for me.
We’ve been slow to make changes to this house, a combination of lack of time and resources. But a couple of weeks ago some friends offered us a set of bunkbeds for Silas and Job. I was so excited to get their mattresses off the floor that I went out and bought some paint. Keats and Gabe painted the room (beach glass by Benjamin Moore,the same color of our living room at our old house.) It’s so wonderful having kids who can paint! Unfortunately, my choice of color was extremely upsetting to Job who disclosed through hysterical tears that he wanted it to be orange. I told him that I was very sorry, but orange just wasn’t an option. I made it up to him by letting him choose orange bedding (from Ikea). Silas is really obsessed with mushrooms right now, so I moved my little Twig&Moth mushroom prints to the wall in their room. He’s pleased with that, and with the little birch hooks we hung for holding scarves and other important things. Maybe we’ll get the girls’ room painted next. We bought the paint over a year ago. In fact, we bought it before we even moved into this house. I don’t know what happened….
(Links to my notes on Mabel’s knits: bonnet and sweater. And here’s the post about the little dress she is wearing with them. I made it many years ago for Beatrix!)
Sabrina says
Oh my, we have the same bunk beds! They are the best. We actually have a set from when my husband was little. When we added more children to our home, we searched for more and found two sets about 100 miles from our home. It was totally worth the drive for those solid beds.
Linda says
You find beauty in the little!! I love finding it too!!! Love your pics!!!! His creation is such sweet gift!!
Susan Kuhlman says
I was with a group of friends and we looked up online houses we once owned. Most have been resold since we sold them. The best response was a house that had been flipped and looked wonderful. My houses were the worse. One had a horrible tedo and was filled with recliner rockers. The next was a 60s ranch with some opening of walls. Since some of the rooms were small I kept it simple with clean lines ala HGTV. New owner filled the place with bright pained rooms and heavy old furniture painted odd colors. The bed in the small master had eleven pillows.
Susan Kuhlman says
I now live on Cape Cod and everyone has blueberries. You can get some for your area and acify the soil.
heather says
There is something so thrilling about a fresh place to garden, isnt it? I hope your new strawberry patch is a lot of fun and grows a great crop! I’m anxious to get gardening too…
Joan says
Mabel is getting so big. Jacob and Silas must be thrilled to have bunk beds. Lark and Beatrix are such lovely young ladies. I love the outfit Mabel is wearing. Hope your strawberries prosper.
Joan
Marilyn says
I love following your blog. The children are always a delight to see. They are all so energetic and beautiful. Good luck with the garden.
Marilyn
Marion says
Thank You Ginny for this blog about gardening . I love seeing your children. They are all so beautiful and always look happy. Good Luck with the strawberries.
Marion
Donna says
Job crying over wanting the color orange for the walls is precious. Little boys and orange just seem to go together. Says so much about him, I think.
All your kids are authentic. You are very blessed.
I love that green yarn you are knitting.
Cousin Joan Benson says
I so enjoy this window into your very interesting life. I have always been fascinated by large families and how they “work,” only having had enough emotional and physical resources for two children.
The photos of your children sitting together, enjoying each other’s company is so lovely. I’m sure keeping up with all of them and all you do is at times exhausting.
I appreciate you sharing your life with us. I hope I will have a chance to stop by and see you some day.
Kate says
I hear you on the downsized gardening. In our old house where we lived for 15 years, we had a huge garden (and an orchard and grapevines and a rose and herb garden). It was mostly my husband’s therapy, but my kids spent a lot of time in there. As we got older and busier and the kids started leaving home, it became too much work and we felt guilty for neglecting all the wonderful space. Last year, we moved out of state to a smaller house on a smaller lot. The area designated for the garden is a tiny fraction of what we had before, but it looks just about right for us to manage and eat well.
Emily DeArdo says
I’ve lived in my current place for almost ten years, and there are still parts of it that are undone and sort of abandoned….it takes time! But it looks great! Having a strawberry patch seems like one of those idyllic English pastoral novel things. 🙂
And Mabel is getting so big!!! Wasn’t she just a baby?!
Grace says
Ginny, I look forward to your posts each week. Your photographs are gorgeous. What kind of lens do you use? I am in search of a good lens for taking portraits.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful days with us.
Penelope says
I just love looking at your photos——- ????
Janet Reinhart says
I sure do enjoy your posts! What’s on your needles in that delicious turquoise-teal color?
Janet Reinhart says
Never mind – saw the post on FB that it’s Antarkis. I’m crazy about anything Woolenberry!
karen says
oh spring, where art thou? it seems to be at your house 🙂 Love the boys room and I chuckled over orange paint (not a fan). You sound happy and settled in your new bigger home. I drive by my old house from time to time. Our ranch was blue and they painted it barn red and all I keep thinking is ‘why didn’t I think of that!!!’. It’s gorgeous. I miss my screened in porch with a swing and butter fly bushes surrounding it.
However, there is lots that I love in this house like my privacy which I didn’t have at the old one. nosy neighbor and such…
ina says
Interesting wool skeins. Are you selling it on Etsy.
Oh, and enjoy the ramps. They are very healthy as a chimichuri sauce on everything. I wish I was there for their season 🙂
Helena says
Their room turned out great! Enjoy your small garden. We had ambitions to plant a big garden this year, but we missed the window (again) for getting things in the ground in time to mature before the crazy heat sets in. So we’re just growing a few things in containers and beds here and there and calling it good. And I say ‘we’ but it’s really mostly my husband these days.