What I am Reading

This Week's Project

Remember the Landscaping Project?

Read more about it here and here

The have a climbing something in the corner here.

I asked Matt to put a trellis for me to give it something to climb on.

Here is my handyman installing the Trellis

The finished Project!

The vines were a jumbled, tangled mess.

I did my best to unravel and help it weave thru the Trellis.

Hopefully I didn't kill to many vines!

I will post pics more once they come back to weed and put down some mulch.

Our Square Foot Garden- May 20

Sweet Basil

I planted Big Beef, Celebrity and Early Girl Tomatoes

I planted 2 Jalapeno, Red Pepper and a Green Pepper

I planted Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes.....don't you love that name??

Cilantro

Cauliflower and Carrots

Broccoli

Spinach

Spearmint.......won't it be good in some Sun Tea?

Our Square Foot Garden!

( I noticed birds in the garden picking at some of the plants.

I put the the wind chime and the mobile there in hopes that the noise and

the flashes of light from the mobile will keep the birds away!)

Some Square Foot Gardening Resources:

All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!


Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work


All New Square Foot Gardening Cookbook: Taking the Harvest to the Table


One Magic Square: The Easy, Organic Way to Grow Your Own Food on a 3-Foot Square

Aullwood Farm

After the tour of Aullwood Gardens, I headed over to Aullwood Farm.

In 1962, the 120-acre Antrim Farm adjacent to Aullwood Audubon Center was placed on the market. Mrs. Aull purchased the farm because proposed development would have drained the springs which fed the creek. The creek flows through the center’s land and even through Mrs. Aull’s garden. Mrs. Aull donated a portion of the land to the National Audubon Society. Mrs. Aull envisioned a children’s farm with livestock which children could see, touch and hear, and fields where they could watch crops grow. She felt it was important for people to understand the importance of the family farm in American culture.

For more information about the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm, please visit:
Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm

Here are some pictures of my visit:

Replica of original Barn.

The original Barn burned down in the '80's

Freshly shorn Sheep

I love Draft Horses!

Lambs!

The Childrens Organic Garden

I watched this Chicken lay her egg!

I listened to this young Rooster practicing his crowing.

Let's just say he as a little more work to do.

I was laughing so hard listening to him!

What's for Dinner- Chicken Basil Italiano

Chicken Basil Italiano


Start with: 4 frozen, boneless skinless, chicken breasts

Toss them into a slow cooker, drizzle on about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1 envelope of Italian dressing mix.

Then add one can of cream of mushroom soup, cover, and cook on low for about four hours.

Right before serving, stir 1 cup of powdered milk into the cooking juices

Serve over Rice or Pasta

Aullwood Garden and House Tour

Aullwood Garden


This nationally recognized, historic estate garden is rich in plant diversity, habitats and tranquility. Many bird and butterfly species are observed here. The garden acquired its present configuration in the two decades following John and Marie’s marriage in 1923. From the beginning, Wiles Creek served as a landscape focus and the forest shade determined the selection of plants. Tens of thousands of Virginia bluebells that now cover the hillsides in late April are the progeny of 500 plants they purchased.

John Aull, president of Aull Brothers Box Company, believed that the land where he and Marie lived was to be shared with the public.

The Aull family spent considerable time traveling abroad and brought back ideas for their gardens. The garden rooms contain native plants, plus plants from around the world.

Aullwood Garden MetroPark underwent many changes as flood waters wiped out entire peony beds; and as shade intensified. The topography and plantings were done carefully to imitate nature. It was intended as a retreat from the pressures of city living.

The park became a MetroPark in 1977, when the land was put into a living trust.

His Wife, Maria, lived on the land until her death in 2002 at the age of 102.

Here are a few pics from my visit

Burr Oak

If you look real close you can see the red marker.

This was the high water line from Dayton's Great Flood of 1913

First  glimpse of the house

The Pond

Mr. Aull was said to have swam in the pond everyday

The 500 year old Sycamore

The Sycamore Lawn

The House

The Aull's Wedding Invitation

A few of Mrs. Aull's belongings

Mrs. Aull's gardening hat

I love this old Stove!

Mrs. Aull and a lamb on Aullwood Farm

The Garden's caretaker and our guide......he has been working at the Garden a looooong time

See the Woodpecker holes?

I am totally in love with Aullwood Metropark! So much so that I joined the Friends of Aullwood.
 
Come back to visit real soon for pictures of Aullwood Farm.