~Our Farm~

     When we moved to our farm, it had a dirt drive that stretched over 1,000 feet long.  The pastures were abounding with nothing but hay.  It wasn't a beautiful setting, but the property had this peaceful feel that drew us in.  It was enticing to us because of its' mountain views and solitude.  We could envision the possibilities.  When we decided on the name of our farm, we were inspired by our love of Italy.  The name "Antonella" means priceless flower in Italian.  

   We began our journey by laying stone on the long lane leading to the house.  Our landscaping idea was to have the stone drive and parking area encompassed by flower gardens.  Once it was in place, we plowed the first flower garden in the fall.  The initial garden was about 450 square feet.   I thought this garden was huge and wondered how I would ever be able to maintain it.  We currently have about 5,500 square feet of flower gardens.      

   In the spring, the Iris Gardens take center stage.  Jim is my amazing husband, and he started by planting about 800 of them just for me!  Over the last five years, he has divided and transplanted them.  We estimated there were about 4,500 blooms this year.  I hope you can imagine this genuinely stunning display of flowers.  

    I know some who are not fond of iris plants since most do not bloom all summer.  On the other hand, I find them even more engaging since I know my time to enjoy them is limited.  Our bearded iris garden blooms for over a month.  It is breathtaking!  Take a look at my blog to read tips on how to grow irises and what you can do if you want iris blooms throughout the season.

    Be sure to click on the button above to read our blog on How To Grow Iris Plants.