May 9, 2013

The Beginning of Our Fruit Orchard


The blooms are really beautiful don't you think?

Hibiscus House was built in 2006.  This had been farmland for many, many years


and in Chuck's family well over a hundred years.  It had been his dream to live on the family land that he was born on.  We are thankful to God that his dream has come true.
It takes some getting used to being able to hear birds, small insects, donkeys and cows from a nearby farm.  The crowing of our roosters and as you know I have many.  The coyotes, the graceful deer that cross our driveway at night, or the bunnies that come out to eat at dusk.  The birds that continuously build on our porches and the little snakes such as the one I found in my kitchen today! He came in through the tiniest gap in the door.  I just wonder where his mama is?  I must be getting brave because I pushed him out of the door with the dust mop.
You can look up at the sky at night and actually see the stars twinkling.  The sunrise and sunsets are breathtaking.


We Built in the middle of an open field. The soil here is pretty much sand and a lot of the land is pretty low lying.  We did choose the higher ground to build on and it is a quarter of a mile from the highway.  I kinda like that part. You can look out the window see someone coming and pick up quickly before they even get up the driveway..just kidding.


You can see the old camp cabin that I have turned into a garden/camp cabin


It is rustic and I love it.  I was lucky enough to find it when a campground closed.  That is a story in itself.  It was almost impossible to have it moved out here because of the size.  My former boss found a dare devil that decided to bring it on but would make me no promises if it would make it in one piece.  Whew, as you can see it made it.






We have had some beautiful vegetable gardens out here with lots of added lime, fertilizers, manure and such.  My Mama also has put in her more than her share of time weeding my gardens, vegetable and flower.  I wish she was able to do the yard work she so loves now.  Please be in prayer for her.  Mother's Day is Sunday don't forget. Heck I say everyday your mother should be treated special.  Enjoy every single minute and let her know always how much she means to you. 






 I wanted a fruit orchard, a little one at least so we bought a few apple and pear trees at Lowes a couple of years ago.  I have a couple of raspberry plants, some blueberry bushes and some grape vines yet to put out.  They seem to be flourishing beside the storage shed but will have to be moved.

Do I know how to grow an apple tree?  No, but thankfully we in South Carolina have a wonderful university called Clemson and they do have tons of excellent information there and in the extension offices.  They share with everyone their knowledge and that is a great resource.
  
You can check it out too: Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center.
We are lucky to have on SCETV a program called Making it Grow, which comes on Tuesday nights.

 .Making it Grow: They have a Facebook Page and will answer your questions or at least find someone who can answer it for you.






I can be in the garden and still see the grandchildren playing.

Have a great weekend.

God bless you all and Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful Mothers out there.

Dolly

20 comments:

  1. Happy Mother's Day to you too, Dolly. The orchard looks like it's off to a good start. How beautiful it will be in bloom when it's grown in a bit.

    Your snowdrop bulbs are just about ready for me to send to you. Please email me personally and send me your address and I'll package them up to send to you.

    Have a great weekend.

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    1. Hi Heather,
      I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for the compliment, I hope to learn more and that they will bear fruit. You my dear have the most beautiful place home and gardens! You do have a green thumb and it shows. I hope to get to see it one day and would love for you to visit South Carolina.

      I have emailed you and do so appreciate the bulbs. I will treasure and take care of them.
      Dolly

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  2. Your fruit orchard is off to a good start!
    Happy Mother's Day to you - I hope you get to spend time with grandchildren!

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    1. Hello,
      I'm so glad you came over and hope the trees bear good, they are pretty. The grandchildren will be coming over and I am excited, but then again I always am to see them and their parents. I'm a sentimental woman and hate to see them leave always...Have a great weekend. I love your blog it makes me feel as if I am on vacation when I visit.

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  3. Hi Dolly,
    I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day and I will continue to pray for your mother. We planted some plum trees 3 years ago and I'm hoping we'll get lots of plums this year. Last year the trees produced some and they were really tasty! I was under the impression that apple trees would not do well here because we don't have the number of nights of necessary cold temperature for them. But if yours are successful, then I may plant a few, too. We do have a very old pear tree in our yard that makes more than enough pears for us!

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    1. Hi Jane,
      I sure hope your Mother's Day is wonderful and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers. Yum Plums you have just given me the inspiration to plant some of those. I will have to seek your advice that is for sure. At my other home we have the most bountiful apple tree. It is the Granny Smith Variety and it is covered most every year, so much so that we have to trim it more than we like because the fruit breaks the limbs. That is where I got all of those apples to can last year. I'll have to let you know how these apple trees do in this area..I love pears too and planted two here. Good to hear from you dear neighbor..

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  4. I am so jealous of the little paradise you share with my brother! I am so happy yall are enjoying life together there.

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    1. Hello Brother! You know we would love for you to move to South Carolina. Although I have to admit you live in a paradise of your own. I love the town, the beauty of where you do live. Love and miss you.

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  5. Happy Mother Day Dolly. Your mother is in our prayers as always. I know about wanting to live on the land your grew up on. My husband is trying to do the same thing. We just have to find a job in the area.

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    1. Happy Mother's Day to you Michelle! Thank you for your prayers they mean so much. I hope you will one day soon be able to move on the land that your husband grew up on. That will be an adventure for sure. I can't wait because your posts are so entertaining anyway...Love ya friend

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  6. Happy Mother's Day to you too Dolly! What a lovely farmland you have ... I can understand the many hardwork it involves but with it comes many blessings too:) BTW, you are a brave gentle lady indeed...armed with a mop only :D

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    1. Happy Mother's Day to you Annie! Such sweet compliments. I'm laughing and hoping that those little slithering things stay away. I was only gone out of the house for a minute and came back to my little surprise. It is so good to hear from you always!

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  7. Beautiful! I love the camp cabin. I would love to have one like that for an office or place to get away.

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    1. Thank you Kristina. I hope you get one because it is so cute and I'm so glad to have it for storing my garden tools etc. The only problem I have is that out her the rats, snakes, lizards love it too and once I had a bobcat that would push the door open and sleep in it. One morning I went in to find him staring at me scared he made that noise and pushed me out of the way..muscular thing he thought he was my pet for quite a while. Then he began trying to get to the chickens. I got the dog and lost my wild cat.....Have a great weekend! and Happy Mother's Day!

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  8. Love this post Dolly, love the pictures. You are so lucky to be out in the country. Your place is beautiful. I am in the county, just outside of the city, and long for the farther out in the country life. It's too late though, we built this house as our retirement home and when the time comes I guess we will be glad to be near the city with family, shopping, etc.
    I bought three apple trees last fall, little babies, and this week I bought four raspberry bushes and four blueberry bushes. We already have a huge strawberry bed. I have a few raspberry bushes but they are on the side of the driveway and something or somebody (husband) beats me to them every morning. I guess it pays to be an early bird! Good luck with your trees, I need to click on that link and see what info I can find.
    Hugs,
    Julie

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    1. Hi Julie,
      I sounds as if you do have a wonderful place to live. Just by reading I can see how much you have done with the place. You hit on one of the things that we deal with almost on a daily basis. The distance from anything, work, shopping, eating out; When we want to go anywhere other than work or school, we have to think it over or try to because it seems as if this statement holds true: "You can't get there from here!" Lol...not really but it seems to be that way. I do believe you are a very talented lady with your patterns, beautiful cheerful blog and green thumb. I'm laughing picturing you and your husband racing to the berry patch! Thank you for your visit and such nice comments.

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  9. Have a Happy Mothers Day Dolly !!! <3 *Cynthia

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    1. Happy Mother's Day to you too Cynthia! I hope your family spoils you rotten this weekend!
      love ya.

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  10. Dolly, every time I visit your blog I want to move to the country! I love the peace and privacy! My husband love the country too.. He says he would love it if he had a farm filled with goats, and chickens I tell him you don't know nothing about the two.. He says " I need to find a book living in the country and raising goats for dummies book" Ha .. You know the dummies book.. LOL
    Have a wonderful Mothers Day!
    xoxo Marissa

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    1. Hey Marissa,
      Oh I hope you get your farm one day, but I am sure that your place is amazing. In fact I know it is just look at your last post. Your yard is gorgeous I want to visit. I am laughing because I need that dummies book too! It is all new to me too, You are so cute and funny. Have a great weekend. Love ya

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