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!!