Barn Quilts Tell Our Stories

“What are those designs on barns?” That’s how the conversation usually starts when tourists travel through our rural area and notice the “Barn Quilts”.  And it is a talk we love to have. We have been involved in the Barn Quilt movement...

My Poor Heather

Scottish Heather Calluna vulgaris is one of those carefree plants that creates early Spring and Fall beauty. You can imagine the growing conditions this lovely little plant likes by it original home territory – The Scottish Moors.  In our area of southwestern...

Awakening in the Garden

The new growth of daffodils peaking out of the soil and the fledgling flowers of the Helleborus unfurling towards the sky are such clichés that I bear much pain to write about them.  But while they are overused seasonal metaphors there can be no denying that their...

Bittersweet of Autumn

The Bittersweet Season of Autumn Is there a more perfect plant than the American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) to symbolize autumn? This native North American vine spends the growing season twining its way through branches of trees and shrubs and along fences until...

Not Looking for “Just a Buyer”

Boy, it has been a week. On Monday, we met with our real estate to sign the papers to list our beloved octagon barn for sale. I called my staff to let them know:  one sounded thrilled for me; the other sounded uncertain. Tuesday, the For Sale sign went up. In front of...
Of Barns and Pies

Of Barns and Pies

It’s hard not to miss our luncheon café at Crazy 8 Barn & Garden. We grew and nurtured that section of our business since we opened the doors of our reconstructed octagon barn in May 2013. It started humbly as a “brown bag café” as we thought most people would...