tattered teddy bear

Now doesn't this little guy just tug at your heart? He's just waiting for a new home, won't you take him home with you? You can see him at Late Bloomers, in Argos, Indiana.

Fabulous old shutters surround the fireplace mantel here at Late Bloomers. If your looking for primitives, we have that. Old shutters, big ole turned porch posts, hand-made primitive dolls, snowmen and more. If this is not for you...never fear! We have beautiful arrangements, wonderful scented candles, jewelry and the list goes on and on. Come on in and get that special Christmas Gift. We also carry gift certificates.

Snowman wreath

This is one of the many wreaths you will find at Late Bloomers in Argos. Della, my partner is a talented lady and is always coming up with another fabulous idea. She had done arrangements for many local business , but she loves to do small personal items also and would love to make one for you. If you need a wreath or centerpiece , come on in and talk to us, you might be suprised what we can come up with. Shop local and beat the crowds.

Primitive hoosier cupboard

Hey friends, just had to share with you another find. This hoosier cupboard is in Excellent shape. It was truly a lucky find. This oak cupboard has a white enamel top with black splatter on the edges. It is soooo neat. Come on down to Bloomers and see, you just might take it home.

Fabulous Dough Bowl at Late Bloomers

I just had to show you this great dough bowl I found at auction. It is long..probably 2' or so. It has one broken handle and has been mended with tin, which just adds to it's primitive charm. This is made of wood, not resin as some are. We carry the resin ones also, they are priced at between $28.00 and $32.00, reasonable for those that want the antique look with paying the antique price. This one on the other hand is priced for serious antique collectors. I think $125.00 is what we have it priced, unless of course you catch it during our holiday sales. Come on in and have a look. This would look great on your holiday table.

Late Bloomers

Hey friends of the Briar Patch ,I already told you about  my other shop in Argos, Late Bloomers right??Well...we are planning a month long Open House. We have packed the shop to the brim with holiday cheer! Come on by and celebrate the Magic of Christmas with us. We have a selection of hand made wreaths that will blow your socks off. Pick on of the ready-made ones or have Della make one to your specifications. We have holiday candles and lots of gift items to choose from. We carry everything from primitive pie safes and cabinets to pretty, frilly do dads. Come on in, you'll be glad you  did.

A new friend

Hey friends, just met a new friend on line. A great gal from Four Cedars Farms, from of all places Bell Buckle Tennessee. We are both Tennessee girls!! She has a great website you should check out. Thats how I stumbled across her, found out she has the same passion (obsession) for wonderful old quilts and other primitives. So much fun to talk to someone else with the same interest. Are there other primitive lovers out there??Hello.....

Summer treasures

Hey friends! Well summer is rushing by us, I hope you have had time to take your kids fishing, eat fair food and get your toes in the warm sand at some crowded beach. Enjoy it while it lasts. I just wanted to update you on the goings-ons at the Briar Patch. Even though you might think the flower gardens are all fried, I beg to differ!  The Russian Sage and the Black Eyed Susans are making a stunning show! The black eyed susans are in all their glory backed by the purple cloud of the russian sage, they are real show stoppers. The dinner plate Hibiscus are a hot pink, and would make a great addition to your garden. Come on out and pick up some of these beauties. While your here, help yourself to a bouquet of zinnias,  we plant a garden full of these beauties every year just to share with our friends and customers. Don't forget to check out the primitives we have for sale in our little red cabin. I tell you, it's a great day in the country and I would love to share it with you. Keep your eyes open in the next couple of weeks for our barn sale. Lots of goodies! An old porch swing,cabinets, a beautiful fireplace mantel. Lots of great stuff. Come on by, I might even let you shop early.

folk art show

Hey folks! The day of the show turned out to be a great one. Kinda rough weather the night before kept a few of you from coming, but thanks to all of those that left the mess Mother Nature left at your house to come and see us. The vendors were really great. We had some really talented artists on site. I was very impressed with the range of talent we had.

Tom Troxell's work really spoke to me. I fell in love with this painting right off. This is only one of many great works. Thanks to all my vendors for your support and patience. I look forward to seeing you next year.

Folk Art Gathering

Join us for the third-annual Folk Art Gathering!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Local crafters and artisans will fill the grounds of Briar Patch farm with their wares...vintage jewelry, amish baked goods, fiber art, hand woven rugs, woodcrafting demonstrations, and more during this special event!  Explore our gardens in full bloom, enjoy refreshments, and shop for unique hand-made items as well as the Briar Patch's collection of primitive household decor, garden accessories, and, of course, perennials!

   

For more information, call 574-784-3533.  The Briar Patch is located at 1569 Oak Rd, Plymouth IN 46563.  From the intersection of SR6 and US 31 turn West onto SR6 for one mile.  At Oak Rd, turn North and travel one mile. The Briar Patch is on the West side of the road. 

Fall News

Hey folks! Well, it's the first of November and it looks like winter is coming. The Briar Patch is now closed for the season, so we now turn our efforts to our sister store, Late Bloomers. Located in Argos, Indiana we have created a little cozy shop in a little country town. Filled to the brim with a mixture of the old and the new. From primitive pieces to beautifuly crafted hand made wreaths for the holidays. Come on in and find something wonderful. I know this is going to be your new favorite shop.Maybe you need a custom wreath for your home, just let us know and we would be glad to make one to your specifications. Our Holiday open house will be from November 1st thru January 1st. Stop in for sales, drawings and goodies.

Bike for sale.

One more picture, this vintage bike was sold that day. This looks great in front of your fence or garden. Come this year and gitcha one.

Vendor at folk art show

This is some of the items offered last year at the show. We filled up nearly 2 acres of land with vendors. Whooo Hoooo

Refreshments

Ya gotta love this. We sold refreshments from the tailgate of this great 1940 International pick-up. What a hoot!! This is REAL tailgateing. Come see Rackity Boom (the truck) this year and get some great pictures. If you like vintage, we got it.

Folk Art Show pictures

More pictures from the Folk Art Show. Here are some of the primitives offered.

Marketplace at folk art show

The Briar Patch is getting ready for our annual Folk Art Show on June 19 and I wanted to share some pictures with you. I wish I had better pictures, but you can get some idea of what we had going on. In the background you can see our big 20 x 40' tent, what you can't see is that it is filled with vendors. Antiques, Primitives, some great vintage jewlery, too much to mention. But I can't forget to tell you, this year we will have Amish made baked goods. Yummmm.I hope you will stop by and see us . E-mail me for directions or further information. More pictures to follow.

Our Friends Garden

I would like to tell you about Our Friends Gardens. A few years after the Briar Patch started, we realized how many of our customers longed for a place in the country. This started us thinking of a new venture we could offer the fine folks that visit us year after year. Last year we dedicated an area of land to make

room for Our Friends Garden. A 12 x 20' space that is already tilled, amended and ready for you to plant. So many people are trying to get back into healty eating habits for their family, and what better way than to plant your own organic garden? We encourage families to come out and enjoy time in the country surrounded by cows, horses and corn fields. Show your children how the food they eat gets from the ground to the table. And what a great Sunday afternoon project to spend with your parents. Bring them on out and let them fuss over their tomatoes..they'll love it. Garden spaces will be available May 1, the cost is $15.00 a month for the 5 month growing season. Water and tools will be made available. Advise is free for the asking. All you have to do is bring your gloves. This could be the easiest garden you've ever grown. E-mail me to hold your space.

Marketplace

This is a view of the Marketplace at The Briar Patch. We have a great selection of perennials to choose from. We sell potted plants but we also sell right from the ground. Selling from the ground is really a better method because plants are well established to their surroundings. If you've ever taken a plant from a greenhouse at 70 degrees and planted it outside and have it dip down to a good frost, you see how the plant suffers. Our ground plants have adapted to the changes in weather and are very sturdy. You can walk through our gardens and pick whatever plant suits your fancy. How fun is that??

Our Friends Garden

Hey, you don't want to miss out on this. Rented garden space! If you want a chance to grow your own vegetables but don't have the space,now's your chance. All spaces are tilled and amended for you. All you have to do is bring your gloves and plant your garden. This may be the easiest garden you've ever grown. A great opportunity to show you children where their food really comes from. Spend a day in the country, enjoy the sunshine and build a memory. Set on a 15 acre farm surrounded by horses, cows and corn, the garden spaces are available May-October, they rent for $15.00 a month for the 6 month growing season. After your harvest is done, we clean up the debris to use as compost for next years gardens. These spaces are all organically amended and chemical free. E-mail me at phyllis.horvath@yahoo.com to save your space. We are just off US 31 in LaPaz, Indiana.

Remember Me?

  Oh spring is coming! This is one of  the gardens at The Briar Patch. Beautiful russian sage, blackeyed susans, sedem and ornimantal grasses, all dance in the breeze. I can't wait to get started! The Briar Patch opens on May 1. I hope you will get on our mailing list so we can keep you up to date on whats going on. E-mail me at phyllis.horvath@yahoo.com

Garden Gal

Just another of our Garden Gals I wanted you to see. She is all decked out in her vintage dress, with an arm full of spring flowers. When I make these georgeous ladies, I use as much vintage materials as I can. I love to collect old hats and material. Although, since these girls are all one of a kind, of course they could be made out almost any material. These gals look great sitting on your stairs, on the porch or just about anyplace. They are about 21" tall and stand on their own. Their hats and clothes vary, from primitive to prissy. Watch for the Church Lady to be featured soon.

Waiting for spring

Spring is just around the corner, and while we wait, we make plans. With the soft glow of the lantern hanging on the front fence, we bundle in our warm fuzzies and sit on the porch swing on these mild pre-spring evenings. Making lists so that our summer will go smoothly. The gardens will spring to life soon and will demand all my time. But it's all a labor of love. The ducks and chickens will follow me around as I till the garden , hoping for a fat juicy worm. Our Friends Garden will be ammended and made ready for our weekend gardners.I can't wait until the first of our gardeners show up, all excited about planting their own vegetable gardens. Or maybe this year they will plant rows of flowers. Last year we had one plot filled with colorful zinnias for cutting and giving away.What fun it was to suprise our customers with a bouquet of flowers. I must start making plans for the Folk Art Show to be held in June. This is a time of waiting, resting and getting ready.

TO THE RESCUE!

Another good reason for eliminating coyotes.This is Baby. It seemed like such an appropiate name when we rescued her.How do you rescue a cow, you ask yourself. Well let me explain. About 2 summers while working in my gardens, everyday I looked forward to watching the newborn calves in the field next door. One day I noticed one little calf would stand up on those wobbly little legs and try to follow the herd as they headed to the end of the field to their only source of water, only to stumble a few steps and then again lay down in the tall grass. Well now, I've never been one who can be accused of minding my own business, so I took my business right into the house after about the 3rd day and called the farmer (whom we shall refer to as...uncaring neighbor). Neighbor, I asked, whatcha gonna do about this here wobbly, sorry little calf out here? I can't stand to watch this go on any longer, I says. Do you know what neighbor said to me?? "I've got too many calves to worry about a sick one..if you want that calf go get it". Well, don't you know..that is all it took. Back to the house I went, with a full head of steam looking ever so much like Hazel, does anyone remember Hazel?? Anyway, Mr. Bob saw me comin', and he knew we had another mission in the works. So we fired up Oliver Jr. (the lawn tractor), hooked up our little utility wagon and headed for the pasture. There she was, the saddest, skinniest little creature you ever saw. So weak that we had to roll her onto a tarp and drag her into the wagon. (even a sick calf can weight about 80 lbs) Back to the barn we went. Right away we contacted Mr. B's sister who raises goats and contracted for fresh goat milk. Hand feeding her,well not actually hand feeding her, no teets on my hands you see, wonder why they refer to it as hand feeding..hmmm, anyway...feeding her from a bottle and giving her a little shot of horse wormer she began to perk up right away. No really, horse wormer is like a magic cure, might try some myself..feeling kinda sluggish. But I digress. Before long, she was able to eat grain from a bucket and started looking slick and beautiful. I knew we had turned the corner when she started making big cow poop, so proud, I think I even shed a tear. So that's the story of Baby, who by the way, now weighs in at about 1200 lbs and can wear a hat like this and look GOOD in it. But, what is this? Is she doing what I think? Is she thumbing her nose at Me? Well, she doesn't have thumbs..is she tongueing her nose at me? Oh no you didn't..the hat was YOUR idea.Let me tell you..girlfrienz got attitude. That comes from being an only child I guess.

COYOTE UGLY

Coyote ugly...and dead in my front yard. Yes it's true. Cowboy Bob has saved the day! It came back, that brazen, wiley coyote came back about 4:45 yesterday morning and worse yet...he brought a friend! The yard alarm went off at 4:45 yesterday morning and I sprang from the bed and this time woke Mr. B. right away..he jumped up, with his man jamma's all in a bunch, but managed to stumble to the doorway, shot gun in hand.There they were, bold as can be, sniffin' around the front yard. We eased the door open and POW, the morning quiet was shattered by the thundering roar of a shot gun blast! (how's that for creative writing??) One fell, but the other one got away. We dashed to the back door and out the garage to the back yard. Nothing there, he must have high-tailed it clear to the woods. As I started for the house I felt something bump into my leg...arggggggg, it's back..did it get me??? I looked around cautiously, there at my side was the sweet, sad face of Magnolia Moses..aka Maggie. And next to her was a little yellow puddle in the snow. Bless her heart...she's so afraid of guns. "Are you mad at me??" her expressions said...no baby, I'm not mad .Look at this face...as bad as I feel about killing one of God's creatures, how can I not want to protect the other critters of our farm?? I mean, look at this face..(not mine, her's) does this look like someone who would be a match for a coyote. Hardly! She's wide in the hips, crippled in one leg and can't see more that 8' in front of her face..(now I'm talking about me..) but Maggie has some of the same issues.She's only about 120 lbs ( we have soooo many simularities) no really, it says so on my license. Don't challenge me on this..I stared down the lady at the license branch and I can take you!! Anywayyyyy..one coyote down and our little farm is safe for now. Thank you Mr. Bob!!

My inspiration...

Post Script...
         Never one to start at the beginning of a stort, I just wanted to mention that this little beauty was our inspiration for The Briar Patch shop. Oh your right, she isn't at her finest right now, but in the spring...oh the spring. She is a vision, not all shiny and new, but soft and comfortable like your favorite robe. The pussy willow next to her is all dressed up in soft pink, and the grass is a lovely shade of green, she feels that she should be understated and quiet. Like that gentle smile that touches your heart and your not even aware of it until your already in love. That is this sweet little cabin. We built it the first year that Mr. Bob and I started courting each other in the spring of 2003. Roaming the mall wasn't really something we enjoyed, but both of us being "A"type personalities, we needed some way to spend those warm spring days. So, through the kindness of a friend, we assembled a collection of large wooden crates, then promptly disassembled them and the reassembled them into this sweet little cabin. What a great place to get away (althought it is only about 50 feet from the back door) NEVER-THE-LESS, it was nowhere near a phone. We found it to be the best place to enjoy sweet tea, a warm evening , and the soft glow of lantern light. Ahhhhhh, yes..then we got married. Between his kids and mine we soon found ourselves the proud owners of 10 count them... 10 grandchildren. So this wonderful little hide a way soon found new meaning as a playhouse. Not to be detoured, we knew that Nanny needed a place of her own... well you know the rest. So don't judge her appearance by the grey tones of the wood and the rickety fence, believe me...she's still the place to be on a warm summer night.

Scary times at the Briar Patch

Oh! We had scary times at the B.Patch last night! COYOTE in the FRONT YARD! The front yard no less. Now we hear them all the time out back by the woods and around the ditch, but REALLY, now they are just being too bold. So I'm on the couch wishing I was sleeping around midnight last night, (almost a full moon...no sleep for me)and I hear the buzzer go off. We have an alarm down near the little cabin ya see, so I can tell if customers are in the drive. So I peer out the living room window, pretty darn sure no one is looking for larkspur in February..at midnight. Pretty sure...anyway, like a scary movie, I see this form coming up the drive. At first I thought it was the neighbor's dog, %$#**&, dog I thought to myself. I watched for a few minutes expecting to see him relieve himself among the frozen remains of my garden, but no... he came on up the driveway, and as he turned into the yard I could see him by the moonlight..It's a coyote! As big as a German Shepard and just about 8 feet from my front porch. BOB BOB there's a coyote I wispered as loud as I thought I dare to, but no response, NOTHING keeps my Bob from sleeping.

So I ran to the back porch for the shot gun, I"LL TAKE CARE OF THIS, I thought to myself, it's easy...just point and shoot right?? Well, not taking into consideration how heavy a shot gun is, I had a hard time keeping the barrel up and I banged into at least two doorways on the way to the porch, tripped over a box and finally made it to the door. If I can just wait to kill something till I get out the front door...ok gather yourself I think, deep breath.So out the door I crept, he is still just sniffing the ground, I take aim....nothing. The stupid safety is on, ok, I can do this..
ARGGGG, no I can't, how do you get the safety off??
BOB really now you have to get up, it's getting away.. so i scramble back into the house to shake him awake. He leaps from the bed completly disorianted...do I want this man with a gun?? So we run for the mud room to get on our cover-alls as I tell him everything and bolt for the backdoor. Just as we run out I tell him..show me how to get this safety off so I can use this stupid gun. He stops dead in his tracks..I can see him thinking fast...he wondering..do I REALLY
want her to know how to shoot this thing...here behind me..on a moonlit night, in an excited state...maybeeeee not. But in the end he did show me. There we were, looking like a dishelved, slightly scary Elmer Fudds in our golashes and flapped hats. We sculked around for about a half hour but never caught site of him again. But he'll be back! And I'll be ready...I just hope I don't blow the porch post to bits when I BLAST HIS MAINGY BUTT!!

RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM A RAMBLING MIND

I was reviewing this blog and a thought came to me (one of many), I wonder how many of you opened up this blog and wondered to yourself..who the heck is The Briar Patch?? I'm not suprised, you see it's so like me to start things right smack dab in the middle. You see, I'm a rambling thinker. You know the kind, we get that far away look in our eyes if your talking to us about any one subject for say .. more than 5 minutes. In the span of that 5 minutes, I have thought of no less than 10 other subjects and I can't wait to blurt them all out at once, or else I will forget. I'm not really so forgetful, as I am scatter-brained. Yes, I admit it, my mind works kind like a ticker tape, one thought is barely formed and another one comes marching past. So I don't know that I forget, I simply don't retain..after all, how much storage does one person have? All my space is apparently used up with bits of usless information and all new stuff has to fight for space. I'm brain cell challanged.
So like most things, I started this blog in the middle of the story. So please, let me start over and I will try to keep some order to my thoughts. The Briar Patch came about out of my desire to work from home, keep my grandkids a couple of times a week, and play in the dirt. Now I could have done all those things and my sweet husband Mr. Bob would have supported me in the manner I am accustom to , but I didn't feel like that would be fair. After all, I am healthy (thank you Lord) and able to work, so to ease my guilt I decide to start a business.
We spent the summer of 2004 building a sweet little 10' x 12' cabin, up near the garage (so we had access to electricity), complete with a front porch and home made shutters. I painted it barn red (what else?) and fitted it with an old tin roof. We stood back and looked at our sweet little creation...ahhhh. Then it hit me...ah how are we going to move it? Well, we did the only thing we could do..we rolled it on logs. Hey, that's how they used to move houses isn't it? Down the driveway we went, almost a thousand feet, to the end of the field next to the road. The neighbors thought we were crazy, there it sat...all alone. How sad! But never fear! I have a plan.
Break out the tractor! We cranked up old Oliver, and with diesel smoke rising above our beloved little cabin , I climbed aboard. Like a woman possessed, I lowered the plow and dug up an acre of wonderful sweet smelling earth. All that summer, I tended, amended and planted that acre. Rows of perennials and ornamental grasses all evenly spaced with a path of wood mulch between each row. Up near the barn we dug up another acre and planted it with with the same plants. That summer we watched our gardens grow, and by the spring of 2005 we opened the doors of the Briar Patch. TA DA! We're in business!
The first garden, out behind the cabin, is our "Show garden". A place for customers to wander among the plants and see how they look when they are fully grown. The garden next to the barn is where we sell plant starts right from the ground! Folks took to this right away, and we're very receptive to the idea of having their new baby dug up right from the ground so they can plant it right in their own garden. This works out very well,because the plants are already acclimated to the garden temperatures and are less likely to go into shock. So that's how it all started. Stay tuned...I haven't told you about the Market Place! See ya...

Southern Ladies

Ahh Southern Ladies..ya gotta love 'em. I have two elderly aunts from Mississippi, and they are a real hoot! My sweet ole Aunt Mary can seem to say anything and as long as it ends with "Bless her heart", she can get away with it. You know what I mean, for example , we were goin on about someone she knows and she makes the remark,"that girl is as dumb as a mud fence...bless her heart. You see what I mean? Now, that remark wouldn't even hurt me if it were followed by those sweet words..bless her heart. This is my new matra..although I strive not to hurt anyone's feelings, I promise to always make it better if I can.

Junk Evolution

Did you see that article in the South Bend paper about the new shop Junk Evolution! It's a great new shop that deals in STUFF! Ohhh, I love stuff. I buy all this great stuff from auctions and don't know how to use it, but now...that old red wagon I bought, will soon be a coffee table . What a great idea. It's great to connect with others that think like you, that doesn't happen all that often.

Exiting News

WaHoo!! I just got a call from the Visitors Bureau, The Briar Patch got selected to be included in the Art & Earth Trail section of the Marshall County Visitors package. How exciting! The Art & Earth Trail is designed to feature local artsians and establishments that are eco-friendly and showcase locally grown, or created products. I'm not much of an artist, but we do grow and sell perennials here at the Patch, all eco-friendly, which means we use free range chicken poo-poo for fertilizer. All good for the environment and it makes the chickens feel useful. Any way..just had to share the news. Watch for us in the visitors guide.

Folk Art Show

I am getting excited about the Folk Art Show to be held in June. I know it's early to think about it but there's so much to do. Last year's was a great success. We hold it here at The Briar Patch Farm in LaPaz. We bring out Rackety Boom, the old 1940 International Truck, and the grandkids serve lunch right from the tailgate, what a kick.If you like a day in the country, you'll like this. Maggie the bloodhound was there to greet everyone. You don't know love until you've had a great big bloodhound love on you. Of course you need to be sturdy on your feet..she's a leannnnnner. I'll keep you up to date on the details. Plan to attend!

New Quilts

Oh, I just got a shipment of beautiful new quilts that we put in at Late Bloomers. They are soooo pretty, very girly, with old fashioned flower print on one side and ticking on the back side. I couldn't stop with just one! I admit, I have a weakness for quilts, mostly old ones. When they are worn and soft and faded....ah, someone has loved these at one time and I can't resist.But,it's not bad for a vice, do you think? Be sure and check out Bloomers...Romantic Vintage...what's not to love?

Face book

Hey friends, just started a facebook account. Log on as a friend and I can keep you up to date on the goings on at The Briar Patch and Late Bloomers too. Like for instance, I just got a call last night from the Marshall County visitors Bureau, and we (Briar Patch) are going to have a write up in this years Arts & Earth Trail magazine. How exciting. God has blessed me so much, I don't know where to start.

Late Bloomers

Exciting news! I just opened a new shop in Argos, Indiana. Late Bloomers, that is soooo me, we sell what we like to think of Romantic Vintage items. Argos is a small town but we have high hopes to revitalize it soon. This summer watch for an old fashioned Block Party! We're gonna get neighboring stores all together and have a town wide sale. We will be having a fund raiser for the Heminger House, a local women's shelter.Lot's of exciting things going on. Keep in touch to learn more.

Small Town Living

Exciting News!! I got an article about The Briar Patch published on the web! www.stliving.com, check it out. My 15 minutes of fame, if it gains me nothing else..it impressed my grandkids. gotta go

Yipee! I finally came up with a name for our MaryJanes farm girl chapter! We are now officially the WaHoo Sisters of the Indiana Farm Chicks! Now doesn't that sound like something you'd want to be a part of? This chapter will be involved in community service, teaching and learning farm skills, and just plain fun. If you think you might be interested in such sillyness, please leave a comment and your email address, and I will get back to you.

day of learning

Well, today has been a day of learning. I'm still working on this blog.. taking baby steps and now to find a picture. Also just joined MaryJane Farms , farm chick chapter. Do you girls know about Mary Jane Farms yet? Ohhhh, I wish I could be her. We are going to have our own farm chapter and if anyone close by would like to join, I would love to hear from you. We plan to learn so much from each other, it's going to be fun. Stay tuned...more to come