The Herbarie at Stoney Hill Farm blog

We are so fortunate to have had a long lovely Fall. The Camellia Sasanquas are still blooming and have been gorgeous this year. Camellia Sasanquas grow well in all the gardens at Stoney Hill Farm. They are evergreen, drought resistant, deer resistant and they bloom in the Fall! They don’t ask for much yet give so much! The picture below is my Secret Garden.

This is the first blog post I’ve made in about 10 years. It’s hard to believe time goes as quickly as it does. So many changes over those years, most for the better but there have been some losses as well. In reading through the archives of this blog and as we move into winter I am reminded of loved ones who are no longer with us. My Great Pyrenees guardian dog Sally, Cottage Cat and so many others are no longer here at Stoney Hill Farm. But they will be forever in my heart.

In December 2023, my precious dog Phoebe Lovejoy passed also. She was my hiking buddy and constant companion for 10 years. She was a rascally girl and always filled with joy even up until the end. She was the epitome of her name. She and I weathered many storms together. She is missed and will be forever in my heart.

In August 2024, my darling Maggie Rose came to me. I believe it was a Divine orchestration and somehow Phoebe brought her to me. I was at a fund raiser for the local Humane Society and one thing led to another and before I knew it Maggie was my little girl. She is an Australian Shepherd like Phoebe and similar to Phoebe in some ways, but she is her unique sweet self. Maggie has brought me great joy and helps me around the farm as I tend the gardens and the other animals. She is a wonderful companion and I am so grateful for her.

About 6 years ago I planted 6 Asian Persimmon trees. This year we have had an abundant harvest with literally hundreds of persimmons! We have given them to everyone we know who enjoys persimmons. I have dehydrated, frozen, eaten LOTS of persimmons. Persimmons are great in smoothies, breads and baking and just to eat. We are grateful for such a wonderful harvest.

My new favorite plant is Roselle Hibiscus (keep in mind I have many favorite plants :-). My friend Donna gave me a plant in Spring. I’ve never grown it before but absolutely love it! It’s a beautiful plant with such a pretty flower.

The flowers are harvested after they bloom and close and the seed head begins to form.

The petals are removed and used immediately or dried for use later on.

They make the BEST tea that is nutritious and absolutely delicious with some honey mixed in. It’s one of my favorite teas! Of course next year I plan on growing many of these plants.

In October The Herbarie celebrated 25 years! I built The Herbarie from the ground up from my passion and my creativity and all that I have done has come from my heart. Some of our customers have been with us the entire 25 years! We are so grateful to all of our customers who allow us to do what we love doing! In 2026 we will be offering some new products for skincare and hair care so be sure to stay in touch! Our website is: www.theherbarie.com and we are now on Instagram and Facebook. We would love to hear from you!

I’ll leave you with our Yuletide Sasanqua! And I wish you all a wonderful winter filled with warmth, love and good cheer!!

These Zinnias were first planted over 15 years ago!  One tiny packet of Cut & Come Again Zinnia seeds were sown in the Cottage Garden.  For a couple of years I kept the flower heads to sow the following year, but after a couple of years they started planting themselves!  I’ve not sown any seeds in over 10 years and now they are everywhere!

  

I love the bright colors – magenta, yellow, carmen, hot pink, orange……….happy flowers!

 

St. Francis among the Zinnias in the big garden.

 

Sunflowers are so expressive!  This one is clearly happy to be alive!  Bees love them and so do the birds.  Actually the birds plant the sunflower seeds by knocking them out of their feeders    🙂

 

These are my new rain barrels!  I am so excited to have them!  I had gutters installed on my office/lab building and as you can see they feed into the rain barrels.  With 3/4 inch of rain, all the barrels are filled!

 

Cottage Cat “CC” is cleaning up and resting after a long day in the garden!

More later from Stoney Hill Farm………..good wishes and love to you….Angie

 

Winter changes into Spring…….Redbud bursts into glorious bloom!  Redbud is native to our area and is one of my favorite trees.  After the flowers fade, the heart shaped leaves appear.  I’ve planted a Redbud tree in Sally’s Memory Garden.

 

Johnny Jump-Up (Viola tricolor) in Secret Garden.

 

Viola species or Heart’s Ease – beautiful native plant with medicinal value.  More heart shaped leaves…….these young, tender leaves are delicious in salads.  Medicinal teas can be made to ease sore throat and congestion.  Some sources report that Viola contains anti-cancer compounds.

Viola is a significant part of The Herbarie’s Rose Phytolate and is soothing to skin.

 

 

House Finch nesting – five eggs!   Last year her nest was built on a narrow porch ledge and sadly fell to the ground.   This year her nest is strongly built, safe and secure.  When I brushed Sally, I always left some of her soft fur throughout the gardens for the birds to use as nesting material.  Notice how her fur is woven throughout the nest.  Two days ago the baby birds hatched – very exciting!  The cycle of life is without end.

 

Phlox, Lavender, Rosemary and Thyme…….lots and lots of Thyme in my garden!  Thyme and lavender make an excellent tea for congestion, colds or flu.  These herbs smell so good and make a nice addition to dream pillows.  I made a dream pillow with Rose Petals and Lavender buds for my niece Emma.

 

Phlox and Kiwi vine make a sweet spot for resting.

Pond with water fall.  The sound and rhythm of the water is very soothing to the senses.

 

According to the wisdom of the I Ching – Water reaches its goal by flowing continually.  It fills up all the places through which it flows; it does not shrink from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge and nothing can make it lose its essential nature.  It remains true to itself under all conditions.

 

This beautiful Peace rose was first planted by my dear brother Jay almost 40 years ago when he was a boy.  After his death, I transplanted it from my mother’s home to the farm and it’s been here about 15 years.  I call this rose “Jay’s Rose” and it blooms for me every year on my birthday!  This year it was the first rose to bloom and is still blooming.  Every time I pass by I think of Jay.

 

 

Reve dOr – Dream of Gold – Noisette climber with fragrant, creamy gold blossoms.  This rose is only two years old, but in another year will cover this pergola.

 

Lady Banksia in all her glory!  With one of my favorite White Oaks in the background.  This is the view from my new processing room – so beautiful!

 

Crepescule is a Noisette climber that lives beside the office door that leads into our break room.  These beautifully colored blossoms remind me of sunrise – all shades of peach, apricot, creamy pink.  I gave Jean a bouquet to take home last week.

 

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Today is rainy and cold and reminds me of Winter even though the roses are beginning to bloom.   After years of drought, the rain started in December and hasn’t stopped.  The pond is abundantly full and over flowing.  The water is powerful and persistent and has found another path around the dam and even formed a new water fall flowing into the creek on the other side.  The creek is flowing continuously and confidently around and over the rocks and through the crevices forming new shapes and creating new life.

Best Wishes for a new path filled with abundant blessings……..Angie

 

 

 

I enjoy the quiet stillness and solitude of nature that come with this time of year.  From the Winter Solstice throughout January and now into February, the woods behind my house silently beckon to me.  The White Oak and Red Cedar share their strength and integrity.  The Willow teaches me how to bend.  All have their stories to tell.  So each morning I walk into the woods and listen. 

 

 

 

I walk down to the pond and along the creek.  The creek ran strong when we bought this land in 1996.  But over time, with less and less rainfall each year, by last summer the creek stopped flowing and the pond was bone dry.  Our long drought made it seem like it would never flow again.  I think now about how I decided to make the drought an opportunity to dig a deeper pond.  The new “pond” was a big empty hole for weeks and weeks.  I remember hoping and believing that by the following spring the pond would be full.  With no rain for weeks the outlook was bleak.  But in December it started to rain and by the end of January, the pond was full!  I didn’t have to wait for Spring!  Now the creek is running strong again, the pond is full and the water is flowing!  I’m grateful and filled with joy.

 Our southern Winter is usually mild and colored mostly with soft greys, mossy greens and browns. 

In the winter I love to lie on the ground under the trees.  I like to imagine myself part of the earth and feel myself part of the trees and the birds and the air. I like to think of the Root Children, resting underground. 

 

The bare branches and vibrant green of pine and cedar against blue sky gives me a new perspective on life.

 

Winter is a beautiful and magical time of year.  This is the perfect time for introspection, for going deep, for long intimate visits with the Root Children.  I enjoy spending time with my woodland friends.

 

 

 But Spring is just around the corner.  The daffodils have been blooming since early January. 

The hyacinths and yellow jessamine are also blooming.  Just yesterday I noticed the early trees are waking up to bud.  In the garden the daylilies, lemon balm, spearmint and other summer plants are pushing up through the soil.  I can imagine the Root Children are very busy preparing for the glorious Spring show.  I am thinking that I may not be quite ready for Spring.  I’d like for Winter to stay for a while longer.   But no, it’s all a cycle, always changing, always ebbing and flowing.  Life is like that.