Erickson Ranch June 2013 | Flowers

     I had to break June's Erickson Ranch post into two. June at the Ranch explodes with all sorts of beautiful and delicious bounty. This first post is dedicated to the flower garden. I don't even know where to begin except to say, you MUST go and walk through the flower garden and try to notice every single type of flower, don't forget to look at their leaves, the herbs, the big, the small. Did I mention it's a cutting garden? Grab some shears, a wicker basket (all provided by the ranch) follow the meandering paths and have at it! Beautiful, unique arrangements can be made by cutting flowers of all proportions from the dainty to the robust and don't forget a few of their leaves! You can add some herbs while you're at it to add to your display or to cook with! (Can you tell how excited I am by the flower garden at the ranch? So many exclamation points! haha)

     Last year for our wedding reception a few close friends and I set out to collect the most awesome array of flowers possible. Check out Crystal's blog post of our wedding, scroll down towards the bottom to see a few of the fun arrangements we made with our cuttings from the ranch. 

     Erickson Ranch is now open, they have their All Things Apricot event this coming weekend. I plan on attending to visit, grab some fruit and maybe even cut some flowers ;) 

To see all months from my 2013 year long project click              on the month: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September

Erickson Ranch April 2013

     April at Erickson Ranch brings on a proliferation of activity and blooms. Fields are tended to, vegetable crops are planted, garden crops begin to pop up and the apple trees begin to explode with their beautiful blooms. There is also a feeling of awakening on the ranch. A feeling that the land, the plants, the animals, the people all are stretching their arms, basking in the sun, taking a deep breath of fresh, warm air and preparing for the upcoming season of growth. And all the while the pretty purples of spring put on a show, from iris' to lilac to wisteria; it makes for a beautiful display to the start of the season! 

April 2014 has been an eventful one, so this particular post will be short but sweet. Hope you all are enjoying the spring! 

To see all months from my 2013 year long project click on the month: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September

Erickson Ranch March 2013

     As spring arrives, Erickson Ranch bursts into bloom. Behind the scenes the planting, repairing and planning continue. I think this month the photo's must do the talking. I had so many dang photos of blooms, it was ridiculous... but clearly necessary, who can say no to pretty flowers?  I also thought I'd list a few interesting things I learned throughout this month, last year, below.

1. Chicken feathers are often used for fly fishing lures. 

2. Ladybugs are natural predators to aphids. So not only are they pretty, considered lucky and fun to spot in the garden, they help keep those pesky aphids from devouring crops. If you have a garden at home you can actually buy ladybugs and release them into your crop to help with keeping aphids at bay. If you already have aphids, you might see ladybugs flocking to your garden as they are naturally drawn to them. They might not eradicate all of your aphids but it can't hurt and they are sure fun to have in the garden.

3. Potatoes grow from cut up potato pieces. Yeah, mind blowing right? haha. It is one of many ways to grow potatoes, but simplicity at it's finest. The Erickson's get their delicious potatoes from some tried and true sources, but it'd be a fun experiment to take your favorite organic potato, cut it in half and plant it to see what pops up! You can look up specifics online. 

4. That all fruits begin with a flower, but not all flowers become a fruit. The cycle of a fruit bearing tree is fascinating. Not just for looks, a selection of the beautiful blooms turn into delicious fruits! I am looking forward to fruit and veggie (and flower) shopping at Erickson Ranch this year. I realized last year that I never truly had really delicious fruit until I had it straight from the source! It changed my whole perspective on fruit.

So there you have it, a few things I learned in the month of March! 

To see all months from my 2013 year long project click on the month: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September

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