Now that we're rested

Let's take walk in the yard shall we??

Can you hear those chimes! Oh my I love chimes. If a wind kicks up or a storm is on the way, the chimes give me a forwarning of it. These are right outside the back door.

This little guy, my first gnome has been

moved from the rock garden. Now he watches over the entrance and some of the potted plants.

We are in the process of preparing to put a deck on the back of the house, so my rock garden

will have to be moved. Sad thing, but then

again, I get to redecorate the yard!

Ahh, the sun peeking through the fig trees! How pretty. Can you see the oblong little figs beginning their growth! It's looking to be a good crop for this year, and who doesn't love fresh figs! I also can some into jam/jelly for the larder. It's a great jam!

Look what else I spied in the fig trees! A birds nest! I'll have to keep my eye on this little nest, to see the babies. Maybe I can even one day get some pictures for you!

Along the side of the house, is of course my hammock, hanging under a large pecan tree.

Don't swing there when the pecans start to fall!!

Next to that, is the Seven Sisters rose vine.
It's a beauty to look at but oh my the thorns

these classic vines do produce!

We hope to get it on a trellis or an arbor this year as the one it was on just kinda gave out.

The big trees along the front of the yard are almost too big to take pictures of! I keep trying, but gosh, just can't seem to fit them all in. One is a giant pin oak, and I do mean GIANT! The other is a monster of a Magnolia! Check back next time as I try to get pictures of those. I am grateful for those trees, old and huge they may be, but the shade the provide for us is wonderful!

Along the front drive are the blueberries.

There is a row of five, I've only pictured four.

Those five bushes produce so many blueberries,

I usually end up giving some away each year!

Here's a tip for you blueberry growers.

Don't wash them in you intend on freezing them.

If you wash them first, the skins will be

tough when you take them out to use them.

I clean them by putting a handfull or two at a time

into a towel, and tossing them back and forth,

kind of like a towel hammock or sling, rolling

them from side to side. Then freeze.

No blanching, no washing, just the blueberries.

They taste like the came right off the vine all year that way!

The fifth blueberry bush is a little further

back and harder to get a shot with all of them.

The branches are loaded with berries.

OHH yum! The taste of sun warmed

just picked blueberries!

Well, I have more pictures but I will save those for another day. I hope you've enjoyed our walk around the yard.

Why don't you plan on visiting again soon, and meet me down at.........The Garden Gate!

We're back!!

Hello all my fellow Hedgewives! I hope that your weekend was as enjoyable as mine! Would you like to see a preview, just a peek at some of the things that our weekend was filled with?? Take a look
The picture at the top of the page was taken on our drive in. The clouds look as if it's smoke coming from the mountain itself, hence the name 'Smokey Mountains.'

The tunnel into the Smokey's was fun, not that I haven't been before, but it's still fun the 3rd and 4th time!
The scenery was lovely of course, and it's all you can do to keep driving and not stop and just enjoy the view. We were so anxious to get to our destination, that we only made one stop on the way in.

Since we arrived earlier then expected we drove on down to Gatlinburg and walked down onto a small path that led to the riverside. This is the "Little Pigeon River"

We walked along the river for a few minutes, then back into the truck we went to trek back toward Pigeon Forge.

Once we arrived at the house, the party began! We were the next the last to arrive, because we got lost..well, not really. Let's just say that we circled the mountain a few times before finding the road that our map said was on the right (OFF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN) when it was really on the left!

****Two of my brothers hook it up quick and the music was started! Doyle (left) on guitar, Darrell (right) on mandolin.
Since we don't get together very often anymore, any chance we get to play together is taken on quickly and rolls for as long as we can.

The oldest brother Jack regaling us with song a little later in the evening. We've started calling Jack "The Grand Poobah" because he is the oldest, but let me tell you, Jack is truly a story teller! I don't mean lies, I mean stories. The stories he can tell, we all wonder how he remembers them all!

Aww, that's all the peek you get for now. As I go through the photos and get them all arranged and edited I'll post a 'Weekend Tale' on the main Sagewood Farm page for all to enjoy.
For now, I'll leave you with this final Smokey Mountain photo, it was lovely there, truly lovely. The weather couldn't have been more prefect!

Till next time!
Sage, the Hedgewife

Wow, it's been over a week

But, I'm back with a garden update and this one is loaded!!
Ok, as everyone knows we left this past weekend for a Smokey Mountain adventure with my family. We had a blast while we were away, and I got some beautiful pictures from there too. I'll be putting those on the main page soon with a story to go along.

Also, the day after we returned home, our first grandbaby made his grand appearance. He waited just for us to get home ya know! He arrived on Monday evening and of course, life was and is very busy around here with the new bundle of joy to visit and take pictures of.

Well let me tell you, a week of not being able to spend much time in the garden, and jungles will magically appear! I had to do some quick harvesting yesterday! This morning I decided it was time to have another walkabout and gather some pictures for all you garden bloggers. So, why don't you meet me outside and we'll go on a tour! ON WITH THE SHOW!

On our return from the Great Smokey's it was clear we'd have to do a quick harvest. Here is what we gathered the day after our grandbaby came into the world. Squash and mustard greens! There are plenty more where that came from. Guess what we had for dinner? And boy was it yum too! The squash are very tender at this point, hardly any big seeds and the greens, well you just have to love them!

Ok, walk with me to the garden.

As you can see, it's really starting to overflow with goodness. Almost looking jungle like! (and it really is due to not being worked in for 6 days!)

Look at that tomato jungle and cucumber jungle. Boy have they grown. Escaping their boxes as fast as they can. I can see my job for this evening will be doing some tying up and pruning back.

Through the gate and the first glimpse I have of the tomatoes lends a pleasant surprise as I see the jungle of blooms and green balls of delight!

There are a good many tomatoes on the vines and

most are almost hand size. I can tell there will be

some fried green tomatoes for dinner round here soon!

Just look at those jewels! My mouth is watering now just waiting
for them to be cooked up in the pan!

Now mind you, the cucumbers are not to be outdone, oh no!

They are overflowing their boxes and trying to escape! Some of them near the fence end are growing up the fence, and that's ok. We've gathered about 6 cucumbers since we've been home, and there are more to pick for sure.

Just behind the cucs you can also see the banana peppers, getting on up there. Soon, there will be little peppers on them, and then I wont be able to keep up!

These little guys thought they could hide, but oh no,

I found them!



Now, the jungle really gets out of hand when it comes to the squash plants. They are overflowing! Take a look at this will ya!

Those blooms are huge! The squash area of the garden holds yellow squash, acorn squash and zuchinni. All squash types that I love. Do you want to see just how big some of these blooms are?? Well take a gander at this!




OH my! Is that a big boy or what??




Ok, here's a view of the yellow squash plants from a distance.

Any type of squash takes up a lot of garden room so remember,
only a few plants will produce a lot of squash.
I think I planted 4 plants in one row (a ridge actually)
And boy, I surely don't need more then four of each kind!

Wow, I have so much work to do! But there is nothing better then being in your garden and working it. Producing on your own what you eat at the table. You KNOW what's in it and better yet, you know what's NOT in it!

Want to see some more?? Ok, keep walking with me then, it's a long way around sometimes, but off we go!

Here's another distant shot for you to see, the zuchinni, yellow squash, and finally the turnips (on the right). The greens on the turnips need to be picked again already! (I just gave them a heck of a hair cut last Thursday!)




The grass between the rows has grown tons since last weeding and cutting down, and alas, that looks like another weekend job. A gardener is never at rest, be forwarned!

Look what I found hiding under the umbrella of leaves!


Yum yum! Dinner next week!!

I mentioned that we had already gathered a bounty of squash for dinner upon our return. Well, there are plenty more where that came from! Oh my, they will probably all be ready at the same time, and you know what that means right?? Freezer bags here we come!!

I always try to plant enough to fill the freezer. Squash plants will produce all year, so there will be plenty for the freezer! That includes zuchinni as well. The Acorn squash is a little different. It's starting to produce but each 'fruit' will take longer to ripen. It's a fall type of gourd almost. They will be picked later in the season and storage for those is either slightly pre-cooked and frozen or just cool storage like a basement or root cellar.

Whew! what a walk huh?? Let's call it a day for the garden. How would you like to take a walk around the yard with me and see some of the blooms of early summer? Those blueberries are just about to burst with fruit, and the figs are blooming out all over the tree. TIRED already? Ok, we'll walk the yard a little later, so why don't you meet me back here later today, we'll take a walk about the yard.

See you soon..at the Garden Gate!