It’s a quiet time in the garden here at Seven Oaks Farm, the home of Home Garden Joy. Although we’ve had some cold nights, with temperatures in the teens, it feels like spring again. That means the daffodils in the orchard have broken through the soil showing green shoots like heralds of spring. Too early, fellas…spring won’t be with us for another two and a half months.
The cold weather won’t hurt them, however. Cold weather and snow won’t hurt the daffodils in the long run. The tips might turn brown, but the energy stored in the bulbs make them resilient. When spring comes, they’ll be back. It happens almost very year here in central Virginia; the bulbs sprout too early, die back, grow again.
Isn’t that like life? We grow vigorously for a while, then enter a season of rest. We may be hit with a “cold snap” in life – a challenge, a setback. Then, we recover. We grow. Life goes on.
2024 Garden Reflections
This is the season for reflection. I look back at my garden this year and am astonished at its productivity. Even though my business (I own and operate a marketing agency called Seven Oaks Consulting as my full-time job) took my of my time this year, the vegetable garden was especially prolific. We reached a new personal record of canning and preserving over 500 pints of garden produce: strawberry jam, beets, beet greens, turnip greens, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, ketchup, green beans, fig preserves, and countless herbs dried or made into tinctures. My pantry is full and I feel blessed. We gave away most of our fresh apples this year since we were still canning tomato sauce and figs when the apples were ripe, and there are only so many hours in the day.
At one point in mid-August, I would get up at 5 a.m., can figs, then go to work by 8 a.m. That’s how busy the year was!
Perennial Garden
But the flower garden didn’t fare as well. The weeds are back in the perennial beds, taking over once again the area near my holly bush and iris collection. This area has been problematic for many years now. We have dug it up, cleaned out the weeds, replanted the iris and daffodils, and yet the weeds are pernicious and tenacious. They refuse to be completely pulled out and we do not wish to use herbicides since the area in question is directly over our water well. I do not know whether or not herbicides penetrate deeply into the soil and perk through to the water table where we draw our drinking water, but I do not wish to find out.
Indoor Garden Reflections
Garden reflections this year include houseplants. The peace lily I saved from church (they were throwing out a perfectly good plant!) has now turned into four enormous plants. They form the backdrop behind me in the office. I could actually split them into eight plants. I may call my friend Susan, who owns a greenhouse business, and ask her if she wants a few.
Christmas Cactus
The Christmas cactus this year are glorious. They red one started the riotous blooms at Thanksgiving and the dark pink and peach colored one continue to bloom now past Christmas. I can’t remember a time when we had such blooms!
Happy New Year!
This year has been a year of blessings for sure. I am grateful for my health and the health of our family. The spring and summer were challenging with three out of our five cats requiring major surgery. Yes, you read that right!
We end the year together, my husband and I, with our usual celebration at home, joined by our dog and the crew of misfit cats. We will eat our favorite foods, read books and snuggle by the fire, and ring in the new year as a family. From my family to yours, from Seven Oaks Farm, my blog Home Garden Joy, and my business, Seven Oaks Consulting, we wish you a Happy New Year!
