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Early Summer @ the Farm
wildflower patch back by the tree line - north-central "fire cracker" mix
Celosia Plumosa (front) with Zinnia rows in the background
New Growth. Nothing grows well unless nurtured and not "wasted". This requires very hard work, patience, and a great deal of commitment from all stakeholders. This lesson is best taught during the dry heat of summer, in the sweat of weeding and working the soil so optimum yields are produced. You most feel like quitting during the dog days of summer, as the sweat bees sting while you're bent over the rows, the sun glaring down at times till you think you can't take much more and you're so tired you wonder if you can push that wheelbarrow one more inch towards the barn and respite inside. The local markets beg for fresh cut flowers, illustrating man's love of things delicate and beautiful! We spend hours readying for market each week. Lots of iced tea is consumed to get you through it. Machine work is important now, too, so the weeds and grass don't overtake the fledging rows. If you're vigilant, the Earth yields the most beautiful thing you'll ever see: rows and rows of colorful zinnias and other annuals, each uniquely colored and absolutely distinctive! It never ceases to amaze me at how different each flower is! Each year! And nothing is wasted! This is truly miraculous! The wonder and awesome power of the universe is right before your eyes and available to touch if you just take the time to reach out your hand and feel the velvety petals or smell the wonderful fragrances emitted from each flower. Even zinnias don't smell the same, one to another. Nature has thought of everything. Without the aid of computers or technology! You may observe this cycle of the seasons if you visit from July through August.
Rows of flowers behind the barn. Below: rows of flowers - Zinnias - stretch out in front of the house and around the driveway past the barn.
Whether you take the Virtual Farm Tour or the Real One, we hope you enjoy your visit to Van Dyke Zinnias @ Redbud Farms! We strive to make each visit unique and memorable. Sit back and enjoy your visit, and write us if you have any questions! Thanks for stopping! Subscribe or Unsubscribe HERE to our * News Beams * from the Farm!From time to time, we will offer web-only specials and publish short stories about the Farm Dogs or the grandkids, and inspirations from life on the Farm in mid-Michigan, the American heartland. Seasonally, we will write to help Gardeners grow beautiful Zinnias, learn how to make a stunning bouquet, or how to collect precious seed when harvest is here. Let us know if you would like to receive them. We have moved our web to a new server and resized all photos for faster load times. As we approach another winter, I hope you visit us often to see our pretty pictures and read about the simple things we love most here. Thanks for being a customer! -Sharon Baller, President"To see life's passages through the eyes of your heart is to know that all is happening exactly as it was meant to." -- Flavia Weedn |
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