<![CDATA[SnowFire Hollow Orchard

<![CDATA[SnowFire Hollow Orchard - Orchard Journal]]>Thu, 21 May 2026 02:44:52 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Introducing Leila Belle Organic Skin Care!]]>Sun, 16 Dec 2018 23:16:44 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/introducing-leila-belle-organic-skin-care

Our nourishing skin care products come to you directly from our own MOFGA certified organic orchard. We create our products in very small, artisan batches, ensuring the utmost quality is contained in each product.

We grow our herbs and flowers with the sole purpose of making products using the finest quality ingredients that have their optimal beneficial properties at harvest time.

Our mission is to create organic products that are both safe and healthy for everyone, big and small.
Our belief and commitment is to match the simple and natural constituents of plants grown upon the earth, with the simple and natural needs of our bodies.

Please like Leila Belle Organic Skincare on our SnowFire Hollow Orchard Facebook page. We are so very proud and excited to debut the very first products of our organic skin care line. We thank everyone who has been supporting our endeavors in the orchard, and kept encouraging us along the way! Follow us, too, to be certain you get the latest updates in the orchard happenings, and hear and see what Leila Belle has in store for the coming months.

For more go to www.snowfirehollow.com!

]]><![CDATA[Walking Through A Winter Wonderland]]>Wed, 14 Mar 2018 02:57:13 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/walking-through-a-winter-wonderland
I just couldn't resist a walk on the wild side, so to speak, during blizzard "Skylar", last Tuesday. I plunged myself into a treasure hunt of sorts in the midst of the storm. What fun it was to discover the assorted bounty which awaited me, as I made my way through the "black and white" winter, world inside a wall-less, snow globe.

Despite the appearance of a dichromatic landscape, I found so much more. There were various pops of color in surprising places, a sign of impatience and tenacity which reminded me of how the rest of us are feeling about now. I discovered the lingering tints and hues of the last seasons growth all around me. Mother Nature's canvas provided some fun and unexpected bits of vibrancy amidst the appearance of sterile, geometrical scaffolding. It was interesting to see what seemed to be bleak, and bland from afar, and change into something else entirely upon closer inspection. The black and bland seemed to fracture into a kaleidoscope of blacks, and browns, various grays, taupes, whites, tans, yellows, greens and even creamy ivory and sharp whites. This was especially true on the bark of the trees, or the cedar garden posts, and along branches of trees. I was amazed that regardless of each microscopic quilt of wonder before me, once I had stepped back, the view changed. It returned quickly to dark contrasting against light, with the draped snow around me, rising into the cloudy, heavy gray of the sky, and swirling squalls of snow.

I was quickly impressed to see the remnants of color. What was once rich, glowing autumnal colors, had hardened into lighter or darker hiesnof their former selves, and held fast onto withered branches, and skeletal stems. It was electrifying to be forging through three feet of cold snow. Snow which had absolutely no interest in moving out of my way, easily. The deep, frozen cold seemed to be pushing back in resistance to being disrupted, and dislodged with every. single. plodding. step. I. made.

Each time I stopped to catch my breath, I would take in the wonder of seeing the billowy white puffs of my breath. The clouds of warm air decorated by lobbing, lofty snowflakes and glittery, sequined sleet. These all seemed to drift about ,zip by or come directly at me all at once. Little slivers of sleet would striking in swift, independently kamikaze-style missions hitting my face. These were intermixed by cottony-fluff flakes which would then land, melting gently. It seemed as if they were sent to comfort or ask forgiveness for their sharper, more boisterous, less charming mates.

All in all, I am so grateful that I took this little trek outdoors to feel the mightiness of the storm. My little excursion made me sad that winter was coming to an end. Now, as we sit in frigid zero digit temps , just five days later, I have regained some of my wits. I am grateful for the longer days, and looking forward to warmth from somewhere besides indoors. I am excited at the fertile activity which will soon be starting in the orchard. This is all due to the vast quantity of late winter, frozen rain! Bring on the big melt and let's make our way into spring!

]]><![CDATA[Berry Busy Happenings]]>Sun, 11 Sep 2016 01:47:30 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/berry-busy-happenings

Somehow my phone was taking photos as I picked these elderberries.

The 7th seabuckthorn berry to appear! Earlier than anticipated, so a welcome surprise.

Three glorious stages of the elder mother metamorphosis, from white frothy delicate buds, to green small, hard berries, to full, ripe heavy black purple jewels.

Hard work happening near the Top Bar Hive.

The prettiest contrast, blossom to fruit, is the goji berry as it loses it's lavender blossoms to drupes of jewel red fruit.

]]><![CDATA[We've got High Hoops!]]>Sat, 25 Jun 2016 14:45:07 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/weve-got-high-hoops

The Hoop tunnel is built! This is the new home of our ginger and turmeric. These were started from tubers this winter indoors. We are in hopes of creating the the right conditions to grow both to maturity in our zone.
It's an experiment, so far...so good. We can't wait for the results within a couple of months!

Ginger at the ready for transplant.

Ginger. sprouting in doors. Outside is brrrr and Winter White!

]]><![CDATA[TOIL, SOIL AND SEEDS]]>Mon, 25 Apr 2016 02:06:09 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/toil-soil-and-seedsEarly Spring; This time of year the nights are cool, and the days are too, although beautiful warmth blanketed us when the overcast clouds parted for the elderberry "living mulch" planting.

We have struggled to keep the quackgrass and other assorted weeds from taking up residence in the rows. Prior to now, we have used other sources of weed barrier/mulch and organic matter. The most organic and relatively successful mulch we have used is our burlap coffee bags. They have worked tirelessly to help keep moisture in, and a good deal of the unwanted infiltrations, out.

However, after careful thought and research by H, this year we are opting for a cover crop or two to help out weeds out, retain moisture, build the soil and provide precious nitrogen for the elders. This cover crop, rather than some which are sown in the fall, and tilled in come spring, is planted now, and allowed to grow along with the crop, mowing as needed. These nitrogen fixing plants are red clover and rye grass. The hope is that these will produce the nitrogen the elders need and crowd out the invasion of the nitrogen-stealers.

Finally, invoking the power of positive thinking, the intention is for a larger elderberry crop this year, thanks to the early infusion of nitrogen, the elders' will leaves will be set to convert the sunlight to chlorophyll and help produce an abundance, of cascading sprays of tiny white flowers, known as "umbels". These hundreds of flowers will then wisp away, allowing the berries to develop in their place into gorgeous, pendulous purple-black passels of berries as the season progresses.

New Elder stalks shooting up, clover is growing!

Mother Adams variety, with leaves sprouting, and shoots at the base. Clover is beginning to show.

A row, completely seeded and germinating.

A naked elderberry row, sans burlap mulch, waiting for clover and rye sowing.

]]><![CDATA[Orchard Late,( Really Late), Autumn]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2015 13:04:50 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/orchard-late-autumn

Went to bed last night hearing a forecast of snowfall. This was the view th9lis morning instead. I realized this may be one of the last sunny, crisp days we have left with bare ground this year. So,.with that thought, snapped this photo. It's exciting to wonder what Mother Nature and Old Man Winter will get up to out there during the long winter's nap.

]]><![CDATA[Seasons with A View]]>Sun, 01 Nov 2015 21:48:27 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/seasons-with-a-view

Summer Bright

Autumn Skies

Late Autumn Sunset, kissing the trees

]]><![CDATA[Growing Along-]]>Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:50:44 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/growing-alongWe have had such a busy summer, that I decided to take snaps of the beauties that have been basking in the sunlight and drinking in the rain, as we go about our working day. I don't seem to tire of walking through and delighting in the constant changes as we alternate and divide out attention elsewhere in the orchard and to other life happenings and necessities throughout the growing season.

Elderberrues stretching toward the clouds.

Our Aronia ripening.

The morning sun filters through this Aronia bush. We are going to have a nice wee crop this year to enjoy.

Giant Black-Eyed Susan's towering over the snapdragons. A fuzzy shot, (pre-caffeine, but I liked the contrast.

Some dill showing off, with garlic in their shadow.

Orchard at a glance, ever changing. The Keyhole Garden under mid-construction lower right.

Yonder goes H., harvesting garlic.

A Handful of aromatic, healthy, divine garlic, with their bulbils attached.

Look at those bulbs! About 250 this year!

Now that's-a-garlic!!!

"Good Day!", say this pair of sunflowers!

Grapes just hanging out, doing their ripening thing.

A Hibiscus Hello. They are such a nice tropical infusion to the garden, big as a dinner plate!

A lofty blanket of Cosmos.

Mullein, just beginning their yellow micro-bursts up the stalk. They are biennial , and show offs on the height-chart.

This is the stunning Ella Campagne. An explosion of these bright yellow flowers dazzle about.

Ripening Elders, growing beyond themselves to extend a greeting. :)

A Medlar growing along...despite pesky pests partaking of it's leaves.

Delicate, wispy Cosmos, again. Bright, and cheery.

]]><![CDATA[Orchard Happenings]]>Sun, 21 Jun 2015 11:31:39 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/orchard-happenings

These wildflowers are breathtaking!

Our Dames Purple Rocket traveled, and has been visited often by the Monarchs again.

The Marge elderberry is first one in line to bloom.

Happy bumble on the vetch.

Aronia, looking berrier.

]]><![CDATA[We're Berry Nuts And Fruity 'Round Here]]>Wed, 13 May 2015 00:12:41 GMThttps://www.snowfirehollow.com/orchard-journal/were-berry-nuts-and-fruity-round-here

2015 Orchard Inventory

Berries
12 varieties

Tree Fruit
8 varieties

Perennial Vegetables
Rhubarb
Asparagus

Perreniel Herbs and Garlic.

oh my - it's getting fun!

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