warm summer breezes

i do love my clothesline... 

 the way these aprons dance in the breeze is a simple pleasure indeed.
when you visit the farm this fall, you are invited to wear one of these vintage aprons 

while you make an apple pie with us.

oh what a wonderful indulgence it is to fall asleep between line dried sheets!

 the scent is inimitable. it guarantees sweet dreams! 

our kids loved to use the clothes “pigs”

hanging laundry can be very calming…even meditative.

 it forces me to slow down. i notice the warmth of the sun and the breeze. 

i can see and hear and smell the cows across the road. 

i enjoy the different fabrics and colours and patterns. 

i am reminded of my mom and grandmas that did this very same thing. 

it’s a lovely thought!

i hope you can use a clothesline somewhere this summer!

warm hugs,

laura


                                                   carl laidlaw orchards

  

                            

welcome summer

hello summer!

our family tradition is to picnic somewhere 

on the farm to celebrate this day.

i hope you can embrace the solstice in some way too!

warm summer hugs,

laura 

                                               carl laidlaw orchards

flourish

oh my goodness …the peonies this year are spectacular! 

they are definitely the glamour girls of the garden… until a rain…

then they look like they have had too much champagne!

how sweet is this variety that my friend debbie gave me?

 they close up every evening and open again every morning.

 i love that they live on neglect! 

they are so fragrant too…i have bouquets in every single room! really!

i may have a few ants in my house too. oh well…it’s so worth it! 

i can’t believe how much joy this birdbath has brought me… 

i can see it from my kitchen window and the porch where mark and i have coffee every morning. 

 our apples are happy and healthy 

presently they are a titch bigger than a marble ...

they look a little bit like olives!

  it’s sometimes hard to believe they will be a delicious, 

much larger apple by autumn!

“in the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

margaret atwood 


 i love this quote!most days we do indeed! 

we planted a new orchard

 and spencer planted garlic this spring…

doesn’t it look like dr. seuss was involved?… the scapes seem so fun and whimsical

i hope you enjoy these last days of spring! 

warm farm hugs,

laura

                                                carl laidlaw orchards

dads

happy father’s day!

sending sunny big slow hugs to all the wonderful dads we love...

especially mine!

love,

 laura  

                                         

                                                 carl laidlaw orchards

                                     

savour

we are still eating asparagus!

did you know that asparagus is in the lily family?

it’s pretty amazing how mother nature knows how to combine colours and tastes… 
asparagus is available at the same time as the chives blossom 
i have to share this recipe with you. 
it is a family favourite

 asparagus salad

2 bunches of asparagus

1/4 cup of sesame oil

2 teaspoons tamari or soya sauce

1 tablespoon of honey
a pinch of salt 
a tich of hot sauce if you like

3 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds 

8 chive blossoms: 3 separated and 5 whole for garnish

if you have tiny, thin tender spears there is no need to steam them. 

otherwise, steam the asparagus until tender crisp...  about 4ish minutes

then plunge the spears into a large bowl of ice water…this part is important 

as it stops the cooking process and preserves the colour 
pat dry and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

combine sesame oil, tamari, honey and salt (and hot sauce) 

gently toss the spears with this dressing.

tumble onto a serving platter or into a bowl and 
sprinkle the sesame seeds and chive blossoms on top. 

enjoy!

  although the pear and apple blossoms have come to an end 
there are still blossoms...

mark’s grandma planted this lilac tree by the house

it is over 80 years old…magnificent and so fragrant! 
we often see hummingbirds resting there

thank you grandma vera!

this is our neighbour larry’s field of just planted wheat. 
at the very edge is a forest and an old lilac tree with double blossoms

and of course my little strawberries are blossoming…

hello strawberry jam!

marks grandma also planted peonies, opening soon…

 do the ants help?

  oh how swell to wake up and see puddles…we really needed that rain!

i should mention that for many weeks now mark, alex, lucas, 
spencer and margo have been taking care of the orchards…
planting, pruning, mowing, grafting, irrigating, spraying, fertilizing... 
it is a daily labour of love and the work is endless.
i will be sharing more details of that later.


and welcome the first fruit….
do you have a favourite recipe for rhubarb?
as kids we dipped the stalks in brown sugar! 
oh that makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

i do love the special foods of spring!

 will we find morels again this year? that would be opulent! 

bon appetite and warm hugs,

laura

                                       carl laidlaw orchards