Today's photos are from Emily Schmidt, who says, "My gardens here at Schmidt Family Farm in Charlton, New York, were started in 1951 by my husband's grandparents, Clifford and Gertrude Schmidt. My husband, Matt, and I had the opportunity to continue the family farm here beginning in 2000. Since Gertrude and Clifford were in their 80s at that time, many of the gardens needed some restoring and attention. But the foundation was there and I was able to keep many of the original plants going. Today I still cherish the oriental poppies, peonies, bearded irises, some roses, daylilies, hostas, and more that are now what I consider family heirlooms. Matt and I were fortunate to have our garden wedding here in 2003. Matt's sister Rachel and her husband were married here in 2005 in the gardens. Now, Marshall and Cadee, our two children, are growing up immersed in the gardens and tradition. (Of course they especially like to pick the flowers!) I sell my "Extra Petals" on a roadside wagon in the spring, which has proven to be a fantastic way to keep me on task for divisions, which in turn keeps the plants happy." Emily, your family must be so happy that you've restored the garden and carried on the tradition. It's charming, beautiful, welcoming, and happy. Love! ***More photos from Emily, and a little about her background and interest in gardening, tomorrow!***
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Come and meet up at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show this year!
I'm scheduled to give another GPOD talk (A few of you will be getting emails in the next two weeks as I put together the slideshow…), and a number of people have emailed to say that they'll be at the show, and that they'd love to meet up with a bunch of fellow GPODers!
The RSVPs so far:
Glenda Curdy (Nurserynotnordstrom)
Tia Scarce
Jeanne Cronce (Greengenes)
Sheila Schultz
Nora
Shirley Graves
Chris Niblack (ChrisSeattle)
Kielian DeWitt (Annek)
Linda Skyler (Meelianthus)
Kathy Schuler
So…who else is going to be there?? Let us all know in the comments, and we can start planning an outing! Perhaps after-dinner drinks one night at the bar at the Sheraton? I'll repeat this announcement for the next week or so, at least, and keep a running list of who's coming….enticement for even more people to come. Oh, and when you comment to say you'll be there, give us your real name so that I can plan name tags that include both that and your screen name…
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Comments
Emily, I love the back story to your photos. How wonderful for you and your family to have been able to purchase your family's property. Emily you a have a very beautiful story to tell and your gardens are picture perfect. So clever to sell your extra petals and fortunate for all who purchase from you(really fresh right from the flower beds)Are you snowed in ?Its a good time to be looking through spring and summer pictures. Bet you are getting spring fever too with all of the east coast bad weather.I am looking forward to seeing more of your property and gardens tomorrow.
Such a great story and garden. All of those great, old-fashioned plants make me sentimental for the gardens of my family when I was a child. Love the chives with the siberian iris and that great peony looks like it must be 50 years old!
A treat this morning to see such great pops of color on a dreary COLD day! Wonderful photos and accompanying text. How special to have the weddings there! And how nice to be able to sell extras at roadside. Looking forward to tomorrows post. Thank you for sharing~
Ah, Emily, I couldn't help but linger a few extra beats with those two pictures that showcase the glorious clump of peonies (and I will probably scroll back up when I finish typing)). I could almost smell a hint of that wonderfully nostalgic fragrance that is so evocative of time spent with my mother... I have always made sure that peonies were part of my garden. I loved reading that your property has a multigenerational history and it is so fortunate to have young and vigorous owners to lavish it with loving care. I'm definitely looking forward to reading and seeing more tomorrow. Dumb me but what is the plant with the gently nodding yellow flowers in the second picture from the end? It looks familiar but I am failing to come up with a name.
Is it Digitalis lutea?
Thanks, Harriet, after doing a google image search with your suggestion, that seems like a likely identification.
When I step outside and gaze at the wasteland that is my yard, these are the images I have in my mind. Oh, to be young with a strong back and flexible hips again!!
This is a most charming garden, and a great triumph for a garden legacy. It's wonderful you found the spirit to assume, maintain and improve the gardens of the previous generations. I'm sure you've already reaped the rewards a thousand times over. I am crazy about that crabapple - what a great specimen. Looking forward to more photos. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Emily, I'd like to hear more of your story. What type of farming did your grandparents do? Are you and your husband farming as well? I grew up on a farm but my grandparents didn't have lavish ornamental gardens. I did get to plant petunias in a dead tree stump. All that decaying bark made for some good soil. Little did my mother know that she created a gardening fanatic. It's wonderful that your children are involved. These early childhood experiences of scent, beauty, and earth make an impression that lasts a lifetime. The gardens are beautiful and growing so lushly; you must have good soil. Your first photo is gorgeous, a second career as a photographer, perhaps?
Glorious! The red barn framed by the crabapple tree (I believe) had me enthralled at first glance. A wonderful peak into yesteryear and much admiration for the current generation of farmers!
Love your story Emily! The old, long-lived perennials deserve to be cherished and propagated for future generations to enjoy. It is wonderful that your family is able to keep both the farm and the traditions going.
This is just lovely and so idyllic. it looks just the a family farm ought to look when someone who loves the place lives there. Those "old fashioned flowers" are called that because they stand the test of time to become "old" and can take some neglect and be brought back with some TLC. How wonderful that you and your husband were able to stay on the farm and cherish it.
What a beautiful farm and a lovely story to go with it. I love all the peonies and the other old fashioned flowers. You are carrying on a beautiful tradition. Looking forward to more tomorrow.
Gorgeous! Hope it isn't buried under feet of snow now. Me too Michaela - I think I have that yellow flower and I lost the tag. Could be D. lutea at that. Ditto to your comment too, Gay. I can't do as much as I used to, but I'm still truckin', just much more slowly. Emily, you have a lovely place. Cherish it. I know you do - it shows.
Emily, how fortunate you and your family are to become stewards of such a beautiful property with so much wonderful family history. And, what a lovely job you are doing with it's care. A lot of work but one can see how much you must enjoy it. Thank you for sharing this wonderful history.
Thanks so much, Emily! What wonderful photographs to enjoy after our blizzard yesterday. The yellow foxgloves, by the way, are Digitalis grandiflora; D. lutea has much smaller flowers (I have both in my garden - I love foxgloves!) The stems of D. grandiflora often bend over like this before the upper flowers have opened.
Thank you everyone for your comments! I am very honored to be featured, and looking forward to spring! We missed the blizzard by about 50 miles and only received about 3 inches from that system. The yellow flower is Digitalis grandiflora, or Perennial Foxglove. The bonus to the old fashioned perennials is they are almost self-sufficient, reliable, happy, and have great stories to tell! Thanks for looking!
Oh! It is so good to be back with GPOD - have been offline for a while.
Emily, I think your garden is gorgeous and the sense of tranquillity comes through. I love all the old fashioned,beautiful flowers. Great job. Thank you for the wonderful pictures.
J
This is beyond gorgeous. Ahhhhhhhhhh Cant tell you what a treat that was to see those pics today. Wow. STUNNING.
Sorry to have missed commenting on your truly amazing gardens Emily. Better late than never. Simply put, your garden takes my breath away!
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