Found // 6 inspiring gardening videos

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the garden goes in

My husband is the master gardener of our family. The one dreaming up kitchen garden plans, planting perfectly straight rows of bush beans, and designing elaborate trellises for the cucumber plants from branches and posts he finds around the yard. 

But our first spring here at Woodlawn will be a little quieter on the gardening front. Mostly, we're spending this year weeding, pruning and sitting back to watch what emerges from the dormant gardens around the house. The surprise of a wisteria, slumped among the boxwoods. The twiggy bush outside my kitchen window blooming into a lilac. The hydrangea hiding outside the back porch. 

This spring is mostly about watching and waiting, and making as much room as we can for things to grow. Tidying up long-neglected flower beds. (And, dealing with outbreaks of poison ivy everywhere!) 

But we still look for inspiration. I owe many of these discoveries to my husband, who seems to have a knack for un-earthing long-forgotten television series. So with gardening season hitting full stride, I thought I'd share six must-watch gardening videos that will hopefully inspire your spring planting. Some have you stepping way back in time, but those lessons and reminders are timeless. Others inspire my modern-day gardening ideas and remind me of the joy in pulling those carrots or potatoes or cut flowers, straight from my own back yard. Enjoy.

1. Meet Your Urban Farmer | Victory Gardens // 2. Victorian Kitchen Garden | May

3. Fork to Fork | Potatoes, Carrots... // 4. The Wartime Kitchen Garden | Episode 1

5. Jamie Oliver at Home | Potatoes // 6. Geoff Hamilton | Parade Gardens

 

Woodlawn update // barn projects

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woodlawn barn

woodlawn barn

Yesterday afternoon, while Birdy was napping, it suddenly occured to me that I hadn't heard from the girls for what was pushing two hours. Usually, I can hear them somewhere in the house. Or hear them outside the kitchen window. 

woodlawn barn

woodlawn barn

I walked outside and all was still quiet. Bikes strewn across the grass. A sweatshirt on the hood of my car. The usual troop of lounging barn cats were missing. No dog to greet me. I mean, let's be realistic. Usually in the span of two hours at least one person is coming inside to find me, usually in tears, usually arguing with her sister over something. At the very least, I expect someone to arrive with a bloody knee or skinned up elbows. 

woodlawn barn

My heart stirred a little. Did they go off hiking to the creek without asking me first? Did I give them permission to go off with someone and forgot? Were they up over the back hill? 

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Woodlawn update // The key to unpacking after a move

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It has been a crazy past few weeks. Friday marked our official one month anniversary of living in Woodlawn. And still there are boxes and bags and things we are tripping over. Corners are jammed with things that have not found their proper home. 

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Every time Dan ferries another box or tub down to the basement or up to the attic, I wince. I know those things are gone forever, or at least gone for a very long time. Out of sight, out of mind. I know myself well enough to know that it's going to be quite awhile before I force myself to deal with those things we're squirreling away. But sometimes sanity wins out over productivity and intentions. 

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In the meantime, I think we've found the key to forcing yourself to unpack and get organized after a move. 

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1 april // Today I ...

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Laid in bed with the girls until a ridiculous hour and laughed till tears came.

Wondered if I'll ever stop picking up Easter grass around the house.

Came to terms with the fact that Birdy has consumed her weight in jelly beans.

Drank iced coffee after 4pm.

Probably going to regret that at 11pm.

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Hello from the trenches

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Just popping on here tonight, from my dark, empty house to give a quick update. I am typing this from my mattress which is plopped on the floor of my bedroom. We are basically living between two houses right now--Thomas Run and Woodlawn. At this point, I feel more like a squatter at Thomas Run than a former home dweller. 

Family and friends arrived at our doorstep early Saturday morning to help us move things over to Woodlawn. I naively told myself I had a pretty good handle on the whole packing up thing, but in the end it became a complete free-for-all of stuffing things into bags and boxes and throwing it onto the truck.

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