Sunday, July 6, 2025

Photo-a-Day Week 27

Week 27 marks the halfway point of the year! Welcome back to another wrap-up for the week. 

Day 181-

My friend David Sullivan, from whom I accepted this challenge, said it was National Camera Day. I have a shelf of old cameras, so it was appropriate to get a photo of them to celebrate. A couple of the cameras came from my folks, and one from my husband's childhood. 

Yesterday was National Camera Day

Day 182-

Just outside our neighborhood, we have friends who have a gnome house. It was in an old tree stump. Over the years the stump deteriorated. Because there were so many tree stumps uprooted from Hurricane Helene, they were able to acquire a new stump. Many of us have been waiting to see the new reveal. It is as charming as ever! In the photo below, you can see a hammock and a swing on one side of the house. Around back there is a campfire where marshmallows are being toasted. I love the little window boxes. I am sure there will be more added over time. It is always fun to check out the gnomes.

New Stump Remodel

Day 183-

We have had a good number of Swallowtail butterflies this year. Some years, I only see a few, and they have tattered wings. This one is in beautiful shape and enjoying the Hyssop blooms. 

Swallowtail on Hyssop

Day 184-

While looking for a Yellow-billed Cuckoo high in the trees in my backyard, I found a nest. It took a long time to finally see a little head pop up. It is a female Summer Tanager sitting on her nest. It is pretty high up in the tree, so getting a better photo isn't possible. I will keep an eye out for more activity as time goes by. 

Summer Tanager nest

Day 185-

On the morning of the 4th of July, I looked out to the lake to see if there was a lot of traffic. We are on the northern end of the lake, so most of the boating in our backyard has someone teaching someone to water ski or taking some children on a tube. It is quieter and we like it that way!

Quiet on the Lake, Happy 4th

Day 186-

Every day, multiple times a day, we are outside playing. Fiona loves to play with the disc. Liebling likes the rubber rings. Fiona jumps pretty high to catch the disc. I used to play with a Frisbee with her, but the edges would get cut up and then cut up her gums. I like this fabric one, it sails nicely and is easy for her to catch.

Got it!

Day 187-

While looking for inspiration for today's photo, I noticed a dusky moth on the garage door. I think it is a Decorated Owlet. If it isn't one, I will correct the name.

Decorated Owlet

Like I said at the top, we have reached the halfway point of the year! More interesting photos to follow each day. Hope you keep coming back. 


©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Photo-a-Day Week 26


We are in the heat of summer, it seems like it came early this year. My garden is waning a bit, it will pick up again in the early fall. I shared a few photos of the blooms in this week's photo array.


Day 174-

I bought what I believed to be Allium 'Millennium', but after seeing other plants named Millennium, I am not so sure. Mine is shorter, and the blooms are smaller. Moving forward, it really doesn't matter. I like that the deer leave it alone, and the little pollinators love it.


Onion with bee


Day 175-

Our route to go to Greenville takes us past this building. Over the years it has gotten faded. This is the same road that the 'Fine Abode' from photo #120. In the spring the field beyond the building is filled with daffodils. For some reason, this year we missed the daffodils. 


Roadside signs

Day 176-

My Chrysanthemums are starting to bud up and bloom. We are in a warm enough climate that I plant the mums in the ground, most of them come back every year. I also have some Sheffield mums that are a pinkish apricot color. This rust color is not one of my favorites, but it is a reliable one!

Mum's the word


Day 177-

Fireworks are legal in South Carolina, much to the chagrin of our dogs. They do NOT like fireworks, or thunder, or gun shots, or, or, or...  In some of the past years, we have had thunderstorms come through quickly, which puts a damper on the fireworks.  

That Time of Year

Day 178-

I love having lavender growing in my garden. I find mine grows best along the driveway, where the lime from the concrete helps the lavender. I tried to get a photo of one of the many bumblebees on the flowers, but they make the stems sway with their weight on them. To zoom in on a bloom that is swaying back and forth makes it hard to get a photo. Do you remember the song 'Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, Lavender's green...' Here is a link to the old nursery rhyme.

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly

Day 179-

We like our music venues in the Upstate. This one is in an old store front in downtown Honea Path, SC. This week we went to see Jim Lauderdale with warm up act Mac Leaphart. We have seen Jim play there before as well as other venues in the Upstate. It was a hometown show as he is from this area, now he lives in Nashville. If you don't know Jim Lauderdale, Google him, he is an amazing Grammy winner songwriter and a down to earth person.  You probably have heard many of his songs. George Strait is one who records some of Jim's music. 

Fiddle and Bow

Day 180-

I love when a little wildflower pops up in my garden. This little bloom was just glowing in the sunlight. It is Leontodon tuberosus (I believe). I am glad I took a photo of it when I did, it closes up at night- or later afternoon. 


Sunny

If you haven't read my last post about the New Hope Urban Farm and Forest, flip back to read all about it. More Fling posts to come. In the meantime, enjoy the Photo-a-day wrapup.


©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Memphis Fling- New Hope Urban Farm and Forest




Our Memphis Fling is in the books. I want to share some of the wonderful spots we visited in a few posts. Monday was an extra day. It started with a visit to a school/community garden. My first thought was that we were going to see a few raised beds per grade level in an area adjacent to the school. Boy, was I wrong!! It was a feast for the eyes! I felt like we entered a park or a botanical garden. Pathways are set up to encourage you to explore the garden.


This is an acre lot on a corner across the street from New Hope Academy. This is not billed as a community garden but a school farm. I was lucky to grab an information sheet to learn more about this farm. Walk with me through the farm as I attempt to share how amazing this farm is.



Flowers and groundcovers


 It was started in 2013, working with just a vacant lot, to a lush, vibrant, colorful wonderland. It is not just row crops but herbs, a sensory garden, a carnivorous plant area, a pollinator alley, and a few bee hives. Lots of planning went into setting up the gardens.

Progress photos of building the farm



The mission was to engage the students, working the soil and learning about where much of their food comes from. The goal was to create a place that is inspirational, educational, and awe-inspiring for both the students and the teachers. There are no limits to educational experiences. The teachers' lessons can be incorporated with what is going on in the garden, anything is possible!  One example was the observation and measurements taken from growing cabbage heads.




Row crop rows bordered by flowers

Each grade level plants a different flower or food crop in the spring. I chatted with the principal who had a child in the third grade this past year and he was telling me how this grade level grew cabbages and each child had their own head. The cabbage wasn't quite ready to harvest when school ended, so those who were really invested in their cabbage came back after school to harvest it. According to the information sheet, Pre-K and Senior K grew onions and sunflowers, First grade-okra, Second grade- Luffa Gourds, Third grade- Mega Cabbage (apparently this was part of a nationwide competition), Fourth grade- Cucumbers, and Fifth grade- watermelons. There is also an After School Garden Club that grew peppers, eggplants, zinnias, tomatoes and other annuals. A few crops still in the garden were Kale, which had bolted but nice blooms for the pollinators, Fennel- a wonderful host plant for butterflies, and asparagus which is a perennial.

To participate in the After School Garden Club the 4-6th graders have to apply. This is a more in depth group and they farm multiple seasons. To encourage further interest in the farm there is a Summer Internship for middle- high school students. They are hired to work 10 hours a week to learn some of the behind the scenes work of the farm.

Big Blueberry bushes

Items grown on the farm are used in the kitchen cafeteria, though it is not enough to solely supply the kitchen with produce. In addition to row crops, there are blueberry bushes, fig trees, Asian persimmon trees and lots of herbs. They encouraged us to pick some of the blueberries as they were at peak ripeness. Very tasty!!

Ripe Blueberries


I believe I was told that the bee hives were worked by the Interns, though I didn't write it down, so I could be wrong. There are two active hives where they keep bees and harvest the honey. The honey is sold as a "Pay What You Can'' method as well as extra crops that is shared with the community. 


Along side of the row crops are flowers galore. The desire is to bring pollinators into the garden. In addition to the blooms near the crops, there was also a butterfly way that had all sorts of host plants for all needs of the butterfly- from nectar to food for the larva to a spot to lay its eggs. 






Kale with blooms


Great signage for the Sensory Garden



Herb Spiral

The Sensory Garden had multiple plants to engage the students with scent, touch and sight. The Herb Spiral was built to accommodate dry to moist conditions, depending on where in the spiral the plant is located. We were offered herbs to make our own flavored dips. We were given various herbs and a mortar and pestle to combine with yogurt for our dips. Then we had crackers and veggies to taste our concoctions. This activity was also one they do with the students.

Herb experimentation with yogurt


Long view of the farm

 
I chatted with the horticultural director about the carnivorous garden. There are pitcher plants- Sarracenia alata, Venus flytraps- Dionaea muscipula and Sundew-Drosera sp. They were planted in a dip in the land, lots of sand, soil, peat and an underlayment of heavy duty plastic. The low side of the dip allows the excess water to drain naturally. Kids are always intrigued by carnivorous plants.



So many blooms!


There is a sitting area for a makeshift classroom under some Bald Cypress trees. It started raining a little bit, and we were dry in our classroom of trees. 


Cypress circle classroom



Beyond the farm area, past the bees is a forest area. The invasives were removed and paths created so the students can explore. There really wasn’t enough time to cover the whole garden before we had to leave. Please enjoy the photos of this glorious farm. What an asset to the school, the community, and Memphis.


Bee hives and forest beyond


Labyrinth garden and a photo bomb


The farm has a couple Instagram pages- @Newhopememphis and @the.holistic.mystic 


©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.