Pennsylvania Horticultural's Society Fall Harvest Festival Part II

My love for all things country/southern, nature, are what drew me to the festival; Just the thought of a harvest festival in the Fall makes me feel comforted. To be surrounded by the fruits of the harvest pumpkins, gourds, fresh picked produce from fruit trees, crafts, and I could go on and on. Some people enjoy other outlets, this is the type of event that I enjoy. I often think of what it might have been like to grow up on a farm. My father did. He was born in Catherine Alabama. The family grew sugar cane and made syrup in the mill and raised animals and other things that sustained the family. 

My grandparents had 9 children. My father was the youngest and last child to leave the farm and come North. It didn't seem like a glorified life to have him tell the story. I remember visiting as a child. I don't remember a lot but I do remember that it was rural with dirt roads and acres of pine trees. This was family land and still is. When we walked through the forest as children you could see and hear wild turkeys. I haven't been to visit in years but my brother and sister sometimes go for a family event such as a birthday, homecoming, or a family reunion. My brother and cousins often go in the Fall to hunt deer and at Christmas or Thanksgiving. I remember my aunts house that still stands and where family gather on holidays. It is a wood house that sits back of the road on acres of land surround by fencing. When she was living she had raised goats. I remember she had a beautiful Jersey cow and how long his eye lashes were. The thinks remembered.

Nice idea, was expensive!

Love chickens, roosters.

Meadowbrook Farm is in Abington Pennsylvania. It's the store of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. I haven't been there yet but plan to go. In my opinion their goods are priced for more than I would like to pay.

My sister.

Orchids

Leeks, cucumbers, and squash.

If I purchased one it would be one of the pigs. Look at the one with it's face on the ground.

My sister liked this yellow perennial. I'm not sure what it is. It looks like goldenrod. I will hear her talk about it all year because she didn't buy it because I talked about it. I think if it's goldenrod that it's a native plant, but I think of it as a weed and I think of pollen and allergies. I did read that goldenrod does produce pollen but it's sticky and does not blow off and cause allergy symptoms like ragweed. I will stand corrected if more information is provided about the plant. It's pretty though.

So will I attend the festival in 2014, probably. I said I wouldn't but I think I will if I'm living. My biggest critique is the prices. I know everyone has to make a living but I like nice things at bargain prices. I know that this event helps fund the society and many of it's events. The event is free so you don't have to spend a cent if you don't want to. Try bringing a beverage. The bottled water, small tea, and lemonade was $3.00, and you will need it if the sun is beaming. One of the food vendors was from Roxborough. This is a section of Philly. Also remember to bring a hat. Till next year. Thanks for visiting and hope to see you there.

Getting Ready for Fall Planting

I didn't buy any plants at the Fall Garden Festival. I found them over priced although beautiful specimens. Next stop after the festival, the Reading Terminal Market for lunch. My sister treated me to a belated birthday lunch. It was great because as I stated, "I plan to celebrate my birthday all year." No Saturday is complete without going to the garden center. I was ready to buy some mums, ornamental kale, and gourds. Now to pick a day to plant them. I still haven't seen  the varieties of pansies I would like.

Ornamental kale. One for each window box to go with the mums and pansies.

They're orange. I love orange.

And of course my favorites, pansies.

Pie pumpkins and gourds. They were cheap. The pumpkins were 2 for $1.25 and the gourds were $2.00 for five.

Let the planting begin!

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Fall Garden Festival

A beautiful day in Philly and lovely for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Fall Garden Festival at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. I have a tan from the sun it was brutal. This was my first year going. It was okay. It was much warmer than I expected and I should have worn lighter clothing and a hat to shield the sun. The festival ran from 10:00 am-7:00 pm. We arrived at 10:30 it was already packed. A much favored attraction of the event is the plant give away for members of the Society. I believe that each member can pick up to 3 free plants while they last. When I saw the line, I knew I wouldn't be taking any free plants home. My sister had other plans and insisted that I stand in line when she saw the plants that people were coming form the tent with. No, I didn't stand in line. The plants were beautiful and "big." No member left the tent empty handed during the 2 hours we were there. When we left the event the line was still long and the tent was still filled with plants.

The Harvest and reasonably priced.

Peppers, Pansies, Kale.

Lots of displays.

Wouldn't be complete without grasses.

Bog gardens with picture plants.

There were many plant societies.

Lots of crafts and a section just for children.

It wouldn't be a Fall Festival without a competition. The arrangements had to be from the participants harvest for this year.

Just beautiful!

Dinner Plate Dahlias, beautiful.

Look at the carrots.

Sage, simple and lovely.

I could do this. No thinking involved. Collards in a vase. Simple but what a statement.

50 Years Young

I taught my daughter well. She set the table and prepared dinner. I didn't know she knew where the table cloths were.

They are beautiful.

Death by chocolate! I only have this once a year.

From my mom and daughter.

This is one of 2 cards my daughter gave me.

Lets look at this again! My daughter's humor. It explains how I feel some days.

Dinner prepared by my daughter. Steak with onions and peppers, fresh broccoli and potatoes with fresh garlic, yum and diet orange Sunkist, yes orange Sunkist.

My daughter and I play checkers. I have to develop a better strategy. Lately we have been tied with no winner.

My daughter asked when I would post this and I told her, "first I have to add some words of wisdom." She laughed. First of all I plan to celebrate my birthday all year. Have you heard of the saying, "live every day as if it were your last." It would be nice to do this. Living each day as if it were my last would mean that I wouldn't be working and that's not going to happen yet. I have learned a lot in 50 years. I have learned that I don't know as much as I think. Wisdom does come with age. Why do you have to be older to be wiser? Life has been good to me.

 If I could I would be financially wealthy. It would be nice not to worry about money and surviving. It would be nice if my parents and all my family members that I love could be eternally young and never die. Age has made me realize that I am getting older and my parents are getting older and one day they won't be here. What will life be like then? I have had them for so long and they are excellent and loving  parents. Why do some people garden and love plants and flowers and some aren't moved at all by them? I am glad that I am one that experiences joy when I see them and say to myself, "how magnificent, what will the garden's in heaven look like." Yes, I'm rambling and I don't think I shared any words of wisdom. Well I have the rest of my 50th year to share words of wisdom. I will say that I have learned that no matter how bad things seem or a situation is, it's not as bad as it seems. There are always worse situations. I have learned that many times the answer is within, if I quiet my thinking and just rest the answer is there. The rambling stops here. Here is my lovely daughter. She's beautiful. I took this in Jamaica last year.