Spring Farm Tour--You Meet All Kinds!

Just finished up being one of the many venues on the Annual Loudoun County Spring Farm Tour.  We welcomed over one hundred and fifty visitors to Blooming Hill, this past weekend, in spite of the gloomy weather.  It just goes to prove that inquiring minds do want to know!  I've come to the conclusion that you meet all kinds of people at these types of public events, like the lady who announced as she walked past the sweetly fragrant Miss Kim Korean Lilac, in full bloom, that my backyard "Smelled just like a funeral parlor."  Of course, I know she meant it in only the nicest possible way.  

Then there was another lady I found meditating, with eyes closed, peacefully sitting crossed legged by the fountain and not wanting to be disturbed.  I know that because I offered her some lavender-blueberry ice cream and she glared at me in a sort of "Zen state."  And then there was the man who asked me, "What kind of a plant it was that he was looking at, in just about all of the garden beds?"  I calmly replied, "It's called lavender." Every last one of these visitors was an absolute delight to have as a guest here at Blooming Hill as they were polite and respectful and appreciated all of the beauty the gardens and flowers had to offer.

I served up countless samples of blueberry-lavender ice cream and people enjoyed lavender sugar cookies, lavender frosted cupcake truffles and all natural lavender soda.  It was a glorious weekend filled with welcoming new friends to Blooming Hill and trading gardening war stories, weather observations and, of course, adventures in growing lavender.

One of the most popular attractions on the property, to my surprise, was the lone Ponderosa lemon hanging from the small tree placed on the patio.  Just about everyone who passed it with a camera in hand, stopped and not only took a picture of it, but also had someone take their picture with it--it's the little things in life, you know.

Thankfully, the peonies made their spring debut, too, since the lavender isn't quite in season, just yet. It seemed that one pink variety, in particular caught everyone's eye.  It is an heirloom variety with a heavy sweet scent and a rich pink color.   Aside from that, I think our Farm Tour visitors were just out to enjoy the spring day and we were fortunate enough to be able to share it with them, right here at Blooming Hill.