Early this month , I enjoyed pruning and transplanting in the greenhouse Patio Pavilion. It was so rewarding
to be able to dig in the soil, and work with plants that have blooms ( geraniums), foliage ( boston ivy), and fruit ( naval orange
and Meyers lemon trees) when most of the ground all around was just beginning to defrost!
Frozen ground and 7 inches of snow didn’t stop me though, from harvesting in the farmscape. I collected cuttings of pussy willows ( Salix Chaenomeloides, Giant Pussy Willow), curly willow ( Salix Matsudana Golden Curls) and a bright orange one (Saliz alba Britzensis, Coral Bark Willow). I made these ‘ornamental woodies’ into dry arrangement decorations for the Patio Pavillion and the Tasting Room. And compared to a snowy day like yesterday, the Patio Pavilion temperature stayed near 62 degrees most of the day, such a taste of spring!
I had gotten behind in my maintenance this winter and spent the last few weeks trying to catching up. As I was working with the plants in the sun, I reflected on why I hadn’t done this earlier, because it should have been done a long time ago. We like our patio and farmscape to look relaxing and inviting and we aim to set a stage for our guests to enjoy the plants and atmosphere while they visit here at the winery. We certainly don’t want them to feel like they must jump up and clean out dead plant material from the flower beds!
We are a farm family, though, and when my Dad passed away early December, all of the load shifted to Cliff and the staff as Brian and I went to California for a few weeks.
Deb's Parents: Ted and Louise Scott
As expected, shifting back into gear takes time and I couldn’t get to these plants.
But as I stopped and reflected on the events over the last few months, I realized how much both Cliff and my parents had contributed to who we are.
My mother loved to garden, and I think I inherited the love of plants from her. I had seen her successfully start plants from cuttings that had been discarded on the ground. Is that a green thumb? And what did I do today? Why I picked up a broken branch from a geranium plant growing in a container near the patio door, got a mason jar filled with water and stuck that green branch in the water. Did I think twice about it, no! I just knew, that was what needed to be done and I am quite confident that it will grow. That must be an “inherited green thumb”!
My father kept very good records and loved history. He would keep records of phone conversations for years and actually refer back to them to verify some facts.
I remember my brother telling me he had talked to Dad regarding some business transaction and had told him the details. Months later, my brother couldn’t remember the details, but he called Dad, and Dad found the yellow legal pad which he had taken notes on and gave the facts to my brother.
I keep a lot of records and have a lot of pictures of plants on the farm. I must admit though, I don’t have them organized well and they get lost in a pile on my desk!
So, where do I get the ability to take care of the plants on the farm and keep records and enjoy writing? I probably caught it from my Mom and Dad.
They devoted a great deal of time to us seven children and I am grateful for their dedication to us.
Cliff's Parents: Jim and Verna Van Till
Cliff’s parents enjoyed people and were always having someone over to their house for dinner or coffee. His Mom had a real gift of hospitality, even keeping notes on what you were served so she wouldn’t serve the same thing the next time you came to dinner! Cliff thinks of the farm as an extension of our home and we try to make our guests feel
welcome and comfortable as if the Patio Pavilion were our home. Cliff’s Dad was an honest man and a man of integrity and Cliff shares those same values too. Cliff’s parents devoted a great deal of time to raising their six children too, and for that we are also very grateful.
So, it is our hope, as you read this blog and if you can visit the farm and winery, that you will enjoy your time spent here and that you will enjoy your visit to the farm and winery.
Though my husband and I have some God given talents and abilities, it was our parents that helped guide us and never told us we couldn’t achieve our dreams.
Thanks Mom and Dad.
March 25, 2011 at 12:38 am
Nice job Deb, I hear mom and dads words echo in my mind often, the pic of them is at hemet where we all have fond memories and years of good time to remember. Much of why I grow what I do is because of uncle Alvins love of growing things. Cliffs parent were great people too, even thou I met them just a time or two, our parents have given us great opportunities in our lives. Love to all Lon
March 25, 2011 at 6:22 am
Hey Lonnie, thanks for reminding me about how much our Uncle Alvin, who grew citrus and avocados in Hemet, Calif. and who
was a craftsman in grafting avocados, was so influencial in our lives, too. Is it a surprise that I have avocados and citrus on our
Patio Pavilion? Not quite the same as you growing them on the side of a hill in Southern California, though!
March 28, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Hi Deb, What a great website! And yes- I too must admit that mom and dad left a big imprint on me. Every time I cure olives or make jelly- in one respect, I am doing it to keep the traditions that I grew up with alive. I only wish I had paid more attention to how mom made her pie crust so good. At least one of the Scott kids know how to bake!
April 22, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Hey Meg, thanks for the compliment! Sorry I haven’t responded sooner, but when it is good weather, I am outside
and even when it isn’t good weather, I am outside! It rained today and I am inside! I wish I had paid closer
attention to what Mom and Dad made too! Next week though, I plan to make an orange cake with the
oranges and lemons from our trees, grown right here in Missouri, in the patio. I thought I made that kind of cake back when I was in
high school, and yes I found the recipe in the Betty Crocker Cookbook with the red and white cover that Mom used
in the kitchen!
We are celebrating Cliff and my birthdays this month and hope to treat the Friends of the Farm to dessert at our
next work day, if the weather would cooperate. We are going to build a rain garden and cistern and capture the rain from our
greenhouse patio, build a wall around our Secret Garden with renewable, farm generated materials and other projects. Keep you posted!