One of our favorite chicken breeds is the Black Wyandotte.   Wyandottes entered the Standard of Perfection in 1883.   An early  American breed along with Plymouth Rocks and Dominiques.  They are a hardy bird with calm disposition.  A meat and egg layer breed.  Good at foraging for food and also adaptable for confinement.  We have a […]

These dutch iris were planted in December along with the daffodils.  Blooming two months later than the early daffodils, they are a welcome sight in mid April.  The straight stems make it easy to cut the blooms for indoor vases.  This Dutch Iris is Sky Beauty and we ordered them from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs.

Working the hives safely may depend on how well your hive smoker is working!  In this photo, you see a bee keeper’s delight.  The fuel used in the smoker is dried cow dung, from the two cows of HF.  Dried cow dung produces a cool smoke which is better for the bees than a very […]

Our garden choices matter because they explain us.  A  weed free monoculture lawn offers a different explanation from a lawn of  clover, dandelions,  wild violets, and whatever else the wind blows in for planting.  Fruit trees, pecans, oaks, redbuds, camellias, gardenias.  They speak for the  stewards of the place, both past and present. Is the […]

The best garden urns like this one, remain empty for life.  Not just low maintenance, they are no maintenance.  This is one of a pair flanking an entry onto the lawn.  Set upon a plinth of McMillan Bricks, these cast iron urns welcome folks through the entrance in the native holly (inkberry) hedge.  Tara Dillard […]

Hewell’s Pottery in Gillsville, Georgia celebrates more than 150 years of turning and burning.  Seventh generation now produces garden terracotta worth the trip.  You can also find Hewell pots at Goodness Grows Nursery in Lexington, GA.  Handmade terracotta is more frost resistant than machine molded.  and it looks, handmade. We drove to Goodness Grows yesterday.  […]

Easter weekend,  family and friends at the table.  Sharing our lives and local food.  HF lamb burgers served on The Granary’s rolls.  This bakery in Watkinsville Georgia is a welcome addition to the local food community. Grass fed lamb, a wonderfully mild and flavorful meat.  Grain feeding may cause meat and dairy products from those […]

Backyard chickens.  We all know people who keep them.  Accountants, Nurses, Dentists, Teachers, Children.  There are books, magazines, and plenty of blogs about chickens. Information, Misinformation and Musings. We recommend the following two books  for chicken keepers who are as diverse as the birds themselves. Free Range Chicken Gardens  The Small Scale Poultry Flock                                              […]

Avid Bookstore recently hosted author Tamara Staples signing copies of her book, The Magnificent Chicken.  Beautiful portraits of  world class chickens.  Cover photo is a Silver Laced Wyandotte, a breed admitted to The Standard of Perfection in 1883.    Get to know the standards:  “Combs are conspicuous features that can make or break a chicken’s championship […]

This week we had a controlled burn, also known as Prescribed Fire (Rx Fire,) in the pine tree stands on the farm.  Conditions such as wind, humidity, and temperature assessed. If favorable, burn permit issued.  Community notifications sent out.  GFC forester, and a bulldozer were on the property the day of the burn.  Rx fire […]