Cyclamen coum

It’s a new year, a new website and a new blog for Old Goat Farm. For those of you not familiar with Old Goat Farm it is simply an experiment in country living. We moved here because we love to garden and we love animals and this allows us an opportunity to experience both. The nursery is just kind of a by-product of growing too many plants.

Eranthis cilicica

The rest of the website will give you more information about us, the garden and the nursery. What we would like to do is post occasionally about what is happening here, in the garden and out in the field, plus maybe a few side events that we are involved in. Most of the posts will be more photos of what I see in the garden but it is also a chance to answer a few questions.

Helleborus ‘Gold Collection’ Jacob

The beginning of the year is the perfect time for me to look at the garden and survey the situation and see what needs to be done.For once we managed to get the garden cleaned up and composted last fall so now we can watch what is emerging.

We’ve concentrated on adding more spring ephemerals for the last several years. This all helps the garden to pop a little earlier. A few of the very early bloomers are Galanthus ‘Hallelujah’, Galanthus elwesii, Cyclamen coum, and Eranthus cilicica. One of the earliest perennials are the Hellebores.  Helleborus ‘Jacob’ is in bloom now as are a number of the Helleborus x hybridus. The witch hazels, Hamamelis x media, are one of the woody plants to make an early show.

Witch Hazel
Hamamelis x media ‘Arnold Promise’

Witch Hazel
Hamamelis x media ‘Diane’

It seems like the winter was short and we are off and running again. We hope to see many of you out here this coming year but if not maybe just in these pages.

Helleborus x hybridus