A mix of cultivated and foraged herbs, flowers and foliage from our beach garden.
Dear sisters,
I don’t know what’s wrong with me this year! I’m usually the first one in our humble abode to dive right into fall. I’ve felt the tug of that old familiar nesting instinct kicking in, but I confess I haven’t given in to it completely. How could I possibly get all sappy about the autumn equinox when I’m still holding on to summer? How about you? Continue reading
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Right there with you Deb,
this year the weather has caused us to holding on.
My Strawberries & raspberries are still blooming, all in various stages of growth.
Enjoying fresh berries in September. The bees are buzzing around still.
You are not alone Sister… Grace
Hi Grace,
Glad to hear you still have some delicious berries to enjoy this late in the season. I know you’ll be sewing your lovely aprons and ironing board covers this winter to keep your hands busy! 😉
Hugs,
Deb
Oh Deb, you took the words right out of my mouth. I’ve got a major case of the Flower Farmer Blues. Last night we mowed and weeded in the garden and I thought that even in it’s final stages of growth it couldn’t possibly be more beautiful. And I felt like crying. Even though I am physically and emotionally tired, I’m still hanging on.
I do love Fall… but it is definitely not my favorite season. And I think the reason why I sort of dread Fall every year is because I know Winter is right behind it! 🙂 Which seems silly to say as our winters are nothing compared to the REAL winters you get. But the wet, and more wet, and more wet gets to me!
So thankful for your friendship in so many ways but especially sharing this Flower Farming journey we’re on!
Tight hugs.
– Dori –
Well, Dori we did it! One season down! I too am so grateful we have this ” flower farming ” connection and all things farmgirl!
If it wasn’t for MaryJanesFarm, we may have never crossed paths. It’s tough to let go of the flowers but we’ll make it! 🙂
Tight hugs back to you and Andrea!
Deb
Deb: Living in Minnesota where after a hard freeze (as you know from living in New England) we don’t have anything alive; I think I am hanging onto the beautiful blooms too. We have had rain here at the right time and things are lush and beautiful. Our fall colors are late because of it. I did put up a few fall decorations but it is still in the low 80s here. Enjoy your flowers. You really have a special gift of combining them in such beautiful combinations. Wish we were closer.
Hi Bonnie,
Awe, I wish we were closer too. The fall spirit will find you soon. What choice do we have? Tee He!
Big hugs,
Deb
Deb, your flowers are lovely, I wouldnt wasn’t them to leave either. I always look forward to your posts. Thanks for sharing
Hi there, Hedy!
Always great to hear from you here… Blessings and Happy Fall 🙂
Deb
This is my first season planting a flower garden that’s packed full of zinnias, beautiful blue bachelor buttons and love in a mist. It will be bigger and better next year.
Good for you Sharon!
I love bachelor buttons. Missed growing them this year. I substituted pincushion flowers for those. I planted them late July an the first one bloomed this weekend. Enjoy your garden and happy planning for next season.
Blessings!
Deb
Eloquently stated! I am feeling a bit cheated now that my summer flowers are disappearing. Next year I will plant more varieties and hopefully some will be “crossover blooms” to get me through the beginning of autumn. Hope to visit your flower market next summer. In the meantime, dream of beautiful flowers…and don’t forget, seed cataloges come out soon.
Howdy Sheila!
It’s hard to say goodbye to the garden isn’t it? One thing you can try is to sow zinnia seeds every couple of weeks, that way you’ll have fresh blooms right up until the first frost. Happy Fall!
Deb
Thank you, Deb. I hadn’t thought of zinnias and I do so love the cheerful colors. My Mom and Grandma always had them in the garden when I was growing up. You just brought back some great memories for me!
We had a hard growing time this year – late cold and much rain, so nothing did well but now they are blooming like crazy – the fall flowers that is, so enjoying as long as they are here. Love seeing your wonderful pictures of your most beautiful blooms. Maybe next year we will do better. Happy Fall y’all. God bless.
Hi Joan,
Well, there’s always next year, right Joan? Glad you have some September blooms to enjoy too.
Blessings to you!
Deb
Wow!
I thoroughly enjoyed your post Deb!!
Fall is my favorite time of year. Down here in San Antonio, we start experiencing cool mornings in Sept—low 70’s are WONDERFUL after months of mornings in the low to mid 80’s—so I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay aboard your lamenting-the-passing-of-flowers train, but when I got to your gracious request to humor you, I did. You absolutely HOOKED ME with “I’ve been ‘in the flowers'”! How refreshing your turn of phrase! Three little words to so succinctly and richly describe your recent existence of being.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ride Deb! Thank you.
Warmest Regards,
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn!
Thanks for sticking with me and for your kind note.
Happy Fall!
Deb
After a second consecutive brutal winter (as in, record-setting) in the northern Midwest and an extremely delayed spring warm-up, I am absolutely in autumn denial. Thankfully our weather has humored me with a gorgeously summery September: days upon days of sunny weather, mid-70s, and (bonus) low humidity. 😀
I love how your post reads like a Rx drug ad LOL!