In and Out of My Garden: Around the Farm: Lancaster County

Spooky Nook Farm

After flying home from Vermont last week, I left the next day for Lancaster County. Prudy, Eileen, Judy and I were invited to a 50th anniversary party for our friends Earl and Evie Landis, who own the farm where we have been staying twice a year (at least) for the past 24 years. We have watched their children grow up and have the grandchildren and we like to feel like we are part of the family, and they sure make us feel that way. Their children had a big party for them on Sunday and we were so happy to be invited. Of course we made a weekend of it, hitting our favorite markets, going to Chanticleer Gardens on Saturday, stopping at every little farm stand for local produce, baked goods, and jams and jellies, and then deciding on Sunday that we should start seeing all the covered bridges in Lancaster County. There are about 29 covered bridges and we have seen a few over the years, but we thought we should make a point to see each and every one, drive across it, walk across it, and take a picture. After driving on winding roads and into the middle of nowheresville, and with all of us pretty carsick, we saw three. We decided that’s a good start and will continue where we left off the next time we're in PA.

Landis Farm

Landis Farm Corn

Landis Farm

Landis Farm apple tree

Landis Farm

Lancaster County views (site of the anniversary party)

We had a great time at the anniversary party on Sunday, all of Earl and Evie's children and grandchildren were there, and we met more of the extended family. We especially enjoyed meeting Earl's sisters, and talked at length with one sister, Anna Mae, about the flowers that she and her husband grow and sell at the Hanover Market. When they realized we were gardeners, they invited us to stop by their farm the next day on our way home and pick flowers. What a treat that was! They have more than 100 acres, and farm corn (I think everyone grows corn in PA), and other vegetables, but the real attraction was their acres of zinnias, gladiolas, sunflowers, strawflowers, gomphrena, celosia, and more. They just gave us pruners and buckets and told us to pick away. It was heaven for us flower lovers. Our only restriction was that we had just the one car, so before long our car was jammed with buckets and buckets of flowers. It was pretty funny, but somehow our cars always look like that when we leave Lancaster County.