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I’ve received a lot of questions recently about

I’ve received a lot of questions recently about why I grow so many marigolds. Here’s why:

First and foremost, marigolds are a beautiful natural repellent of unwanted garden pests such as mosquitoes, cabbageworms, cabbage moths, and harmful nematodes. They are most commonly companions to tomatoes, however, they are companion workhorses all over the garden so I plant them everywhere! To add, marigolds also ATTRACT bees and other beneficial pollinator AND attract ladybugs, which will eat those annoying aphids! Finally, once they have benefited my garden in these ways and are beginning to wilt, I collect the flower heads and dry them which I plan to use to naturally dye our sheep wool later this fall. To be honest, I can’t imagine my garden without marigolds. My favorites are the Giant Orange, White Swan, Coco Gold and Queen Sophia, all from @johnnys_seeds .

To learn more about natural dying wool or yarn, I highly recommend the journaling workbook offered by my dear friend, Janet Garman @timbercreekfarmer. I will provide a photo and link to this workbook in my stories!

We returned home yesterday evening from five days

We returned home yesterday evening from five days in Bend. We had a wonderful time but we missed our farm and were ready to head back home. Even with wonderful farm sitters like we have (you amazing people know who you are!), it’s hard to be away from our animals and gardens for so long, especially in the midst of a heat wave. But goodness, what a gorgeous place it was to spend the summer solstice.

Maddie is wearing The Linen Harriet Dress (desert stripe) and The Crochet Tote by @thesimplefolkco

Image captured with @nikonusa D750 and @sigmaphoto Art 35mm 1.4

These matching red-stained fingers represent the s

These matching red-stained fingers represent the sweetest summer tradition shared with my girl. These are the strawberries we pick with our own hands so they’re the most special to us. We use them to make jam to stock our shelves for the next year, and well as crisps and thumbprint cookies to enjoy fresh out of the oven! What is your favorite thing to make with fresh-picked berries?

Sweet Henry ready to deliver fresh cut peonies fro

Good morning, friends. I’m excited to announce t

We’ve entered the season where we have fresh cut

We’ve entered the season where we have fresh cut blooms in every corner of the house. My favorite part of summer.

My children are the greatest gifts I’ve ever bee

My children are the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given. I tell them all the time that they’ll always be my babies. But I’ve felt lately that we’re turning a new chapter as a family. The kids are maturing so rapidly, needing my help and supervision less and less often, and showing new levels of responsbility. While I love the newfound freedom it gives me to spend time doing things just for me, my heart aches a little. Babies just don’t keep.

Well, it happened. Yesterday, Duke cornered one of

Well, it happened. Yesterday, Duke cornered one of our hens and began using her as a chew toy. He chewed a large hole tearing her neck open and exposing her insides beyond repair. And so we’ve lost Belle. I feel like I failed her. I did not notice that Duke didn’t come in with the kids for lunch and so he was left unattended on the property for over an hour. That would have been totally fine if Belle hadn’t flown the enclosure to free range a different area of the land at just the wrong time. During times like this, I begin to question whether farm life is the life for me. I love them so deeply that seeing them injured or in pain just breaks me. But then I receive the virtual hugs, guidance and support from my beautiful farm friends, particularly @jademblock @berryridge.farm @blackberryhillfarmwa @rustymoosefarm and @themessyhomesteader when I needed it most and I remember how blessed I am for this community and for their gentle reminders of grace. I share this experience here so that others will know that, though it often isn’t shared, these things happen quite often and it’s okay. Give yourself grace and learn from experience. Farm life is hard but so rewarding in so many ways and a truly wonderful way to raise children.

I have a little something to share with you today.

I have a little something to share with you today. The idea of creating something so beautiful out of nothing more than water, flour, salt and time was remarkable to me and creating my own starter was an important part of that process. So I made my own starter last year and I use it several times a week to make bread for my family. Recently, I started drying my starter and would like to gift some to you! I have FIVE packs of starter to gift and will include step-by-step directions for how to revive it so you can make endless loaves of your very own sourdough bread too. Simply comment on this post to let me know you’d like your name thrown in the hat. I’ll drawn names on Monday and am happy to ship anywhere in the United States. A little gift from my kitchen to yours.

The season in flowers. Another variety of peony is

The season in flowers. Another variety of peony is blooming and I’m in love all over again. I coupled them with fresh mint sprigs and the fragrance combo is pure bliss.

Good morning from Cedar House Farm! I’m hosting

Good morning from Cedar House Farm! I’m hosting #happyfarmily this week along with my friend, Annette, at @azurefarm! We’d love to see your photos that encompass the meaning of a happy farmily. You don’t have to live on a farm either! Anything that brings you joy can be a part of it. We will then pick some of your posts and share them in our stories Thursday evening. Can’t wait to see what you post!

Did you know that “allium” is actually the Lat

Did you know that “allium” is actually the Latin word for garlic? They are in the same family as edible onions, garlic and chives and even look just like huge blossoming chives. At over three feet tall, they are extremely hardy, deer resistant, and all the beneficial garden pollinators are attracted to them. They were so fun to grow this year and added gorgeous texture to bouquets.

I interrupt my normal farm programming to bring yo

I interrupt my normal farm programming to bring you a peek at a few of my recent clients. Newborn photography is one of my favorite ways to share my craft with others in a meaningful way. And packaging their prints is really important to me too. It’s the finishing touch and the last impression their parents will have from their experience with me.

I often wonder about the original owners of our ho

I often wonder about the original owners of our home. The husband was a carpenter and he and his wife were bluegrass singers, this much I’ve heard from those who knew them. They bought this land, chopped the trees down, milled the logs into lumber, hung it all to dry for a year right here on the property and used it to build this big cedar house we call home. They documented every step in snapshots compiled into an album which has been left in our care. It is truly remarkable. They created these beautiful pathways we walk each day, lined with azaleas, rhododendrons and other flowering fragrant perennials. They planted an orchard that produces apples, cherries and plums for us each year. And my guess is, based on the beautiful greenhouse they built, the wife must have loved to garden as much as I do. We inherited three beautiful peony bushes that produce 50-75 blooms each and they take my breath away year after year. Here is the first harvest of this spring. I feel as though our stories are linked together in a small way through this land, these blooms, their vision and homesteading dreams, and ours.

Bloom pictured: Coral Charm Peony

These two living their best farm lives and causing

These two living their best farm lives and causing a heap of mischief. Merely a daily occurrence around here.

Our garden in its toddler stage. Every plant grown

Our garden in its toddler stage. Every plant grown lovingly from seed in my greenhouse, hardened off over several weeks, and transplanted into their new beds in May. I’m so proud of this space and so grateful to my husband for making one of my biggest dreams come true. Would you like a virtual tour of what I’m growing? I was thinking of recording a short walk around the beds if that’s something my followers would be interested in. Let me know your thoughts!

“Even more important than what she gave her garden was what it gave her. In it, she found a sense of calm.” — Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale

Also, I wanted wish all the love to one of the sweetest people on IG @corihenderson. 🤍Here’s to 20k sweet lady!! #corihits20kyay!

This was May in flowers dried and pressed. This ol

This was May in flowers dried and pressed. This old jewelry box was one we picked up at an open market in Shanghai many moons ago. It’s been sitting empty since we moved so I decided to repurpose it. The perfect home for organizing my preserved flowers.

Heading into the long weekend like...

Heading into the long weekend like...

Lovely Maddie on the farm. She has such a beautifu

Lovely Maddie on the farm. She has such a beautiful bond with all her animals.

Maddie’s tank and leggings by @ponderosaclothingco

#jj_forum_3344 #PK_FurKids

The final tulip harvest in golden hour light to ho

The final tulip harvest in golden hour light to honor the next full moon tomorrow. The Super Flower Blood Moon will be the fourth and final supermoon this year. It is also called the Corn Planting Moon and Milk Moon.

From left to right: Creme Upstar double tulip, mixed ranunculus, Apricot Parrot tulip, dandelions handpicked by Henry, Menton Exotic double tulip

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