There is nothing like 70-degree weather three days after the pipes are frozen to get me dreaming of spring, and my fantasy farm.
I have a line on chickens. Two farms up, there is a very nice couple with a farm where they raise chickens, guineas, ducks, and geese. These people are like crack to me. What could be more exciting than farm animals with feathers? In April, they’re going to give me some chicken eggs and I’m going to hatch them in my incubator. I can hardly wait. If you’ve ever had a baby anything hatch out in your hands, you know what I mean.
I’m stalking another lady with miniature goats. I’ve talked to a few other people about horses and cows. Maybe I should get that fence finished first…. And, you know, build a barn. But all of that is finished handily in my fantasy farm.
Yesterday, we ordered a peach tree, a blueberry bush, and thornless blackberries. Thornless blackberries. Just had to repeat that, it’s so miraculous. (They’ll deliver the order in the spring when the time is right for our gardening zone.) I’m so excited. Our chicken neighbors? They’ve got grapes, too. I want some…. Maybe a “fruit section” over by our old derrick, berries on the edges, trees in the flat. Southerly exposure.
Kitchen garden near the house. Main garden….. Not sure yet.
This is our farm. It’s a fantasy right now, but it’s going to be real. There’s a peach tree, a blueberry bush, and thornless blackberries somewhere waiting to be delivered. Chickens not yet hatched. Miniature goats. A garden to plow. Fence posts that need wire. Grapevines to be started. The springhouse that I can almost see….. A house that isn’t done–but will be soon. Soon.
Don’t tell me it’s only January. Don’t tell me it’s gonna snow again. I am here:
(Our neighbors’ grapes, which they grow artfully on the wooden fence around their garden.)
Are you planning your garden yet?
Bayou Woman says:
I love your fantasy farm. I love chickens, too, and miss mine terribly. You’ll probably want them to range right? Well, just remember–they’re going to love your thornless berries and everything else in your garden just as much as you! Maybe you mentioned a fantasy fence around your garden? Oh, your neighbors have a wood fence around theirs. If they have chickens, that fence ain’t just for looks!!!! Maybe I’ll dream me up a garden, 6 Americana hens, a dozen Navajo berry bushes, 2 bee hives, and a partridge in a pear tree!
BW
On January 8, 2008 at 7:58 am
Kim A. says:
I don’t want chickens on my fantasy farm. My fantasy farm is really an animal rescue centre. But I’ll buy your fresh eggs– yum!
No garden-planning here, since I don’t have the space for one! 😆
I’ll just live vicariously through your posts, Suzanne.
-Kim
On January 8, 2008 at 8:25 am
Sonja Foust says:
I have 3 little bitty blueberry bushes in my back yard and love them. But the birdies love them too. This year, I think I might have to make some kind of bird net contraption so that I can actually get some blueberries. I’m bound and determined to plant a few tomato plants this year too. My husband doesn’t like tomatoes, but I do, and damnit, grocery store tomatoes are icky. 🙂
I also need to divide my peonies. They’re gorgeous, but HUGE. I think I’ll redo my mailbox planter and move some irises too. (They’re in the shade right now and they don’t bloom.) I’m being a little ambitious, I think, but maybe a few of those things will get done. Heh heh.
On January 8, 2008 at 9:23 am
Jan says:
I noticed you said A blueberry bush. I didn’t know this before we planted our 200 something (yep, stupid long story there), but you must have a male and a female. It may be the same with blackberries and peaches, but I’m not sure. You might want to check into that. The other girls are right, chickens and birds love stuff like berries! There is always that netting you can buy to put over them.
On January 8, 2008 at 9:55 am
rdennis says:
I’m not planning my garden. Of course, we just plant tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions.
But then where we live it’s pretty dry. Only about 15 inches annual rainfall. So we have to water the garden all the time.
And then we have wild fruity up the creek, when it doesn’t freeze in the spring. Plums, chokecherries, buffalo berries, currents.
No, I’m dreaming about baby calves and colts. 😉
On January 8, 2008 at 10:06 am
Fannie M Wiggins says:
I love your posts but I am not a gardener. I have a black thumb so I kill anything that grows. :rambo: Never could even keep a cactus alive. As for animals, I don’t have room for them. I am not able to take care of them if I had room. So, I’ll look at your garden and berries and animals and enjoy them that way. Have a great day everyone and :hug: to all.
On January 8, 2008 at 10:09 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
This is a self-pollinating type of blueberry bush (same with the peach tree and thornless blackberries) so hopefully that will work!
On January 8, 2008 at 10:53 am
Jill says:
Yay, your fantasy farm is going to be a reality! It sounds so lovely. Are you going to have ducks too, like you used to?
On January 8, 2008 at 11:22 am
Hetty says:
There is nothing like a good fantasy about a garden and growing things at this time of the year! I’m right there with you!
On January 8, 2008 at 11:26 am
Kathleen says:
I just posted about gardening, this warmer weather gets my gardening instints on the move! I have been working on a potager garden for a couple of years now and hope to be finished this year. I started grapes five years ago and had a lot last year, it takes about 3 to 5 years to get any but they are gorgeous whent hey start to ripen.
On January 8, 2008 at 11:46 am
Renna says:
I look forward to pictures of your farm as it comes along. I live in town with a small yard, so no gardens for me. :hissyfit: I do manage a small herb garden and a compost pile, but that’s it. I do have my fantasy garden, though.
On January 8, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Tori Lennox says:
Your fantasy farm sounds heavenly! Which is appropriate since it’s in West Virginia. 🙂
I don’t garden. I don’t exactly have a black thumb, but it’s sort of brown. *g*
My fantasy farm would have lots of horses. Maybe retired thoroughbreds. And retired greyhounds! They need homes, too.
On January 8, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Susan says:
I love your fantasy farm!
On January 8, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Mental Pause Mama says:
Suzanne, where did you order the blackberries from? I would love to plant those in my garden. My aunt had chickens that laid pastel colored eggs…you should try to find those!
On January 8, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Oh, wow, pastel-colored eggs! LOL. That would be fun. I ordered the blackberries from Gurney’s!
Jill, yes, I think I want more ducks!
On January 8, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Gardent Gretta says:
Wow what a fantasy farm! Sounds familiar to some people I’ve met in the Ozarks of Missouri. But their goats aren’t miniatures… Miniatures can be pains when it comes to reproducing… You should probably get some sheep, bunnies (angora and meat) as well as so miniature chickens… Guineas are amazing for eating buggies! :sheepjump:
On January 8, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Maureen says:
Now is such a good time to start seeds inside for spring. I always mean to do it but forget. Maybe this will be the year.
On January 8, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Vonda says:
:biggrin: I am sure your farm will be more than the fantasy soon. I love your site and am trying to catch up on some of the posts. We live on six acres in Oregon and I have around twenty blueberry bushes of various varieties, eight raised beds for vegetables and lots of wild blackberry bushes (the kind with thorns dang it). My husband also built me a grape arbor for mothers day a couple of years ago. I posted about this early last summer on my Wee Ones blog.
Oh and chickens. We have eight hens who give us plenty of eggs and more to give away. The Aracondas lay pale green eggs. Fun!
On January 8, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Estella says:
Good luck with your farm.
On January 8, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Brandy says:
Your farm sounds lovely. If I had more room I would have cherry trees, blueberry bushes, apple trees and tomato plants. *sigh* Last year we planted a tomato plant in a container and it did well, I think I’ll expand this year. And we have cherry trees, but it will be YEARS before they bloom.
Enjoy all those dreams of spring!
On January 8, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Janice says:
Not to rain on your fantasy farm parade, but I’d reconsider growing anything around the old derrick. At the very least have the soil tested for toxic residues — we have plenty of those out this way, and there’s no way I’d eat anything grown too close, let alone offer it to my children. Not after what I’ve seen.
Have fun with the rest though. Nothing beats fresh food grown on your own land.
On January 8, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Pieternella says:
I love your fantasy farm.
I was going to mention about the male and female plants as well, but I didn’t realise you could get self polinating plants. Pretty neat!
I have a fantasy farm as well, somewhere here in Canada but for now it lives in my mind and heart.
On January 9, 2008 at 12:19 am
Amber says:
Hi! I’m dreaming and planning too! I just ordered my seeds and some bare root strawberries yesterday. I can hardly wait. I’m trying straw bale gardening this year. For those of you without much space, this may be an option for you . . .
On January 9, 2008 at 12:24 am
The Dairy Wife says:
Cows! Did you mention cows? You need a few. I’d be very happy to send a few dozen your way. I’m serious .. and all the flies that come with them. Indiana bred flies are the best. Oh, and can Marlboro Man come too? … and the kids? I’m needing a break!
Think Cows!
Tanya
On January 10, 2008 at 1:24 am
Laura says:
Living in the country for much of my life, I will tell you this. I HATED fruit trees growing up. Not the eating of the fresh fruit. That was divine. It was the cleaning up of rotten fruit that would fall that has made me declare all fruit trees off limits on my property. A therapy session I probably need! Kidding, but it was gross. And chickens. The only thing fun about having chickens around is shooting them with a water gun! They don’t like it! I pray you will enjoy them more than we did! Still live and love the country – fruit tree and chicken free!!
Blessings!
On January 11, 2008 at 11:25 pm