Some country pleasures never seem to change…sunny June brings us plump strawberries, crisp lettuce, and bright Tiger Lilies that pop up almost overnight along country roads. On these perfect June days, one of my favorite sounds can be heard through the screen door…the snap of freshly-washed sheets billowing in the breeze. And as twilight approaches, I’m enchanted by fireflies and their magical dances.
With these warm and dry summer days, and the threat of a late frost now over, the vegetable garden is in. It’s always interesting to hear, even in our modern world, farmers talk about planting by the “phases of the moon.” And while I see fields of some crops flourish and other fields less so, it does make me wonder if that age-old practice just might have some truth to it. Technology allows us to find the answers to all our gardening questions in an instant. However; ignoring the farming advice that’s been passed down through the generations would be a shame. Perhaps next year I’ll take a closer look at sowing by the phases of the moon and just see what happens!
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Wonderful ideas! Love your YART/JART. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Joan, I’m glad you liked the ideas…I hope you found something you can use. Thanks a bunch for visiting!
All your found treasures repurposed are so unique and lovely. I too love Yart/Jart and reuse vintage pieces often for the down home country look.
Thank you for giving me a few more ideas.
Enjoy summer Mary.
Debbie, so glad to find a Yart/Jart kindred spirit! It’s fun to try and see how to work those old pieces in. Please share some of your ideas – I’d love to know!
I have just started receiving your magazine and I love your blog. My sister her husband and I bought a 140 year old stone farmhouse near Studley Kansas. The history of this place and the people who built it is very heartwarming. Something of which we all need in the times we live in. The property is beautiful and so is the house. It is a dream come true for us. I look forward to learning all I can from you and your readers. Always Donna Carroll
Welcome Donna, we’re so glad you’ve joined us! The stone farmhouse sounds wonderful…don’t you just love the history and workmanship that come with an old house? And I couldn’t agree more; learning about the past is heartwarming (a terrific word, thank you!) in these fast-paced times. Again, so happy you’re here!
I love the Yart/Jart concept! 🙂 I’ve been using an old stock pot and an old canner to plant flowers in for a few years! I love the rusty, aged look…especially when brimming with beautiful geraniums! 🙂
Hi Karen, what a good idea – both the stockpot and canner are so roomy, they’d look terrific filled with flowers! I love that you “cheated the landfill!” So glad you shared your clever idea…I think I have an old canner that just might work – I’ll be looking for it – thanks for sharing your Yart/Jart!
I’ve never heard of yart or jart before. I love how you’ve repurposed everything, especially that potato masher. Xx
Hi Jules…the words are silly I know, my daughter and I made them up (at least I’ve never heard them before) just to describe all the “things” that seem to need a new purpose. So glad you like the potato masher – I’ve seen old metal teapots and tin measuring cups used as well…I think anything is a windchime possibility!
One of my most favorite posts yet, I think. Not only are your ideas and creativity in repurposing the old amazing, your photos are absolutely stunning! I have always used landfill-bound items for my gardening and yard decor. For years, my husband joked that he and our son had to hide their workboots at night or they’d wake up and find them planted with something. Eventually, however, he “caught on” and started bringing things home for me to use. Almost all my annuals are planted in old metal ware, etc. but my prized possession is my “cornzebo” – an old corncrib we converted to a gazebo (complete with a chandelier LOL). ~Robin~ (PS – I grew up on dairy farm too – we had pails like the one on your arbor bench. We used it to feed calves milk if, for some reason they couldn’t feed from their mothers – or supplements that were mixed with water, etc. – if needed. A nipple type thing was attached to the spout.)
Oh, thank you so much Robin for the kind compliments…outdoor photography has always been fun for me. And I have a kindred spirit in Jart/Yart – I filled the kids’ polka-dot rain boots with flowers when they outgrew them… I agree – anything is fair game! Now about your Cornzebo – you are a mind reader. I am SO jealous…I’ve wanted one for years! I have it all planned out in my mind…I’d screen it in (awful mosquitoes in summer here) and then put either a round picnic table inside, or some chairs for relaxing. And a chandelier – why, of course!! Okay Robin, you’ve inspired me…I’ve seen a “lonely” one beside a field not far from here – I’ll knock on the nearest farmhouse door and see if it’s for sale. Not sure how it could be moved, but we’ll cross that bridge if we get to it – thanks for giving me a little nudge that direction!
So many great ideas! I made a wind chime out of old, rusting canning rings. I also have an affinity for enamelware. The cabinet turned farmstand is delightful!
Hope your summer is going just the way you like it! Continued blessings…
A canning ring wind chime is a clever idea, Daisy…I love it, and the more rust, the better! Thank you..the cabinet was free and it only took some spray paint and two supports for the ribbon garland to spruce it up – so easy. Since that picture was taken, I made a platform with wheels to help move it around easier – that’s the hardest part, keeping it upright as it bumps along on the gravel! Happy summer wishes to you, too – thanks for stopping here to visit.
I was into jart before it was a thing. I have always loved the unusual.
Cathy
You’re ahead of your time, Cathy, and I’m sure some of your yart/jart inspired others to do the same! Some things are just too “valuable” for me to toss. No, not for the money they would bring, but just because I have always loved old things. That rusty horseshoe and leaky laundry tub will never be used for their original purposes again, but that’s okay…they make my heart happy. So glad yart/jart is catching on!
Such a sweet post filled with so many ideas! I love it all and that little farmstand is absolutely adorable. 💗
Thanks so much, Staci! It’s amazing what can be found for free…and a little spray paint makes all the difference. I did keep the sink that was with it…someday it will be in my “dream” kitchen. It’s like the clawfoot tub that was tucked in the dark recesses of our basement. I refuse to give up…somehow I will restore it and haul it up two flights of stairs to the bathroom!