Fall, the season of grateful abundance/Stoney's Produce, Virginia Beach

 
 Have you stopped to take a minute and think of where we would be without the American farmer? Have you supported your local farm stand during this season of abundance bliss?

I wish you all could come by and walk the lot with me at Stoney's Produce. I'd show you Fairlytale pumpkins, and peanut pumpkins, big red bumpy pumpkins called Victors, neck pumpkins, green drying gourds and more. I'd show you the smiles on the faces of pansy. And you's see the prettiest mums you have ever seen in your life, from huge to small in every color and size flower. I'd show you the green wire wreath I mossed and planted with pansy and plopped a pumpkin in the middle of (pic to be added tonight of that, I forgot to take one), and the basket that has ivy twisted on the handle, planted with violas and pansy peaking through it  

We would walk inside the produce barn where apples are plentiful and I'd show you Hayman sweet potatoes, and maybe even hot roasted cashews will have arrived and we can grab a little cupful to munch as we walk and talk. You'd see tomatoes that taste like a tomato.
And how could you resist some local honey with the comb in it for chewing on to cure a sore throat in winter, or a jar of apple or pumpkin butter, or pickles that are to die for.

 
And I'd take you inside Carolyn's Coop (my garden shop) where the mantel overflows with Grateful Abundance.  

   a small bumpy red Victor pumpkin/squash takes up residence in a cast iron urn used in the garden the rest of the year, a peanut pumpkin is the center pumpkin (pinkish orange with crusty bumps on the outside that resemble peanuts. Often these pumpkins are covered completely with the peanut look but I perfer them to show the color of their skin and have only a few...I used several kinds of pumpkins here, a "one too many pumpkin (a delightful specimen of a pumpkin that has white skin with green and red and orange veining seen throughout the entire skin. 

You would smell the scent of lavender bundles as you walk through the door and wonder what the scent was that the sweet annie faintly gives off.

You'd see wreaths made of Harvest Grains, or lavender, or red peppers.

My favorite wire basket holds the largest paperwhite bulbs available to buy  and this glass vase holds them beginning their forcing into bloom for Thanksgiving. Around it is a small wreath of harvest grains and in the center of the wreath lay some more loose bulbs...decorating naturally is what I love to do...using what the earth provides to create.

and that cute little turkey is made with a real pumpkin and he makes you want to pick him up and hug him with his crazy little feet that stick out.

And there are Pomegrantes bagged to purchase (which always make me think of Mrs, Pom of course :-) along with dried artichoke, and mini dried tiny gourds, all of which can be used to create a bowl of fall abundance like this one below

 
Tasha's own goat milk soap comes in many variety and once you have used it you will wonder why you've ever bought any kind of commercially manufactured soap.  Its pure its natural and its made with goats milk by my freind Maureen Anderson who raises her own goats and milks them.

This vintage urn stuffed with hydrangea and white munchkins added only a couple of orange munchkins has left me now to be enjoyed in someones home but this one sits by the fireplace.

A basket of field grown gomphrenia and crocks of different dried flowers are here and there.

 
 I'd show you how okra grows and we'd walk to the field that once was thousands of zinnia flowers where now just a few volunteers from seeds are in bloom and the rest of the field grows the most beautiful collards and kale  They wait for a frost to be sweetened and then cut, though some are asking for them already and we do cut when they want them.

Before we leave I have to turn out the lights in the coop

lock the door behind me and say goodnight little coop, see you in the morning light. I'll have to feed Meriweather her last bottle of the day and tuck her in for the night along with Harper, Maddie and Sugarbaby.

We could go out to dinner or I could make you crabcakes out of jumbo lump crabmeat along with steamed shrimp, and broiled scallops wrapped in bacon. 

 
  It doesn't get fresher than this from the sea which comes in daily. Our crabmeat is not homogenized like you get in the grocery store and our sea scallops are what are called dry scallops, in their own juice, and the shrimp collossal..ALL to die for!  However this is the last weeknd for seafood for the season so I guess  you know what I will preparing for my family for dinner tonight. It's SOOOOOOOOOO good!

Hope you enjoyed your virtual day with me.  

Visit your local farmers market this weekend during the season of grateful abundance. Take time to notice ever kind of pumpkin they have. Notice the colors, the textures, and lift it up and feel its weigh...(but don't pick them up by their stem, remember its not a handle!...two hands please! )  Thank Mother Nature for her bounty and thank your local farm stand/garden center by buying while you are there. They/we all work so hard to keep the fate and faith of the American farmer from dying. Where would we be without the farmer? Do your children or grandchildren know where food comes from? You may be surprised when you ask them and need to teach them the value the farmer has to our healthy eating and to living a better life...the good life!

Happy Fall y'all.

  

 
 

Comments

[Ardi]

I LOVED the tour of Stoney's with you. I'd hop on a train and come east if I didn't have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff that fills my days. Maybe next year. I loved the idea of planting paper whites in a tall glass vase - I have an old one and will plant some here and think of you always when I look at them. Hugs,

[Lorilee]

Wow, Stoney's looks like an awesome place!
Blessings,
Lorilee

[Darla]

Now that was a great tour! I've seen bits and pieces of Stoney's in your photos before but this post was so complete and well laid out. I think I should join Ardi on that train trip next year :-)

Darla

[Mary Lou Deering]

I have so enjoyed seeing the pictures and reading about Stoney's in the Fall. I think you see so much that the rest of us miss. You make "arrangements" out of words much as you make arrangements out of flowers, with artistry, with creativity, but mostly with love. You are an enchanting garden lady.

I loved my short time at Stoney's this past summer and loved meeting you, and, so I'll be back next year....I'll be your assistant. You can teach me a lot about "smelling the roses". (or Zinnias) Give Merriweather a kiss for me. ML

[Fran aka Redondowriter]

What a wonderful tour of Stoney's. I was just reading Imagine What I'm Leaving Out as Judy is a floral artist and posted some lovely fall photos. http://imagineomit.blogspot.com/
I'm sending her your link although you may already follow each other. Hope all is well in your part of the world.

[Rain]

What gorgeous photographs. I love places like that. It must be wonderful to work there every day

[Lena]

What stunning photographs and inspiration you've been sharing with us here, Carolyn. You have the most beautiful way with natural materials of any that I've ever seen. You wouldn't happen to be, Mother Nature herself, would you? I too, would love to see it all in person.

The photograph of the goats following you is a treasure. I hope you've framed that one and given it a place of honor. I bet your children would love to have a copy of that one for Christmas.

It's done my heart a world of good to visit with you today. Thank you.

Lena

[Loretta]

Oh, what bliss! I totally happy and can go on with my boring day now. Sigh. Just gorgeous - will you come do my mantel for Thanksgiving and Christmas? Sheer heavenly autumnal delights!!

Love you!

[Britt-Arnhild]

Stoney's must be heaven on earth!

How are you doing dear Carolyn?