Chattanooga Market....summer is at its best

July was such a gentle month in the way of weather. Cooler than normal temps and several days of rain made for weird gardening or no gardening at all. Tomatoes stayed green, squash didn't well make squash and zucchini was missing from the family table. But oh how things changed when temps heated up again. We're baking in the upper 90s now but the gardens are producing like gain busters. Dozens of tomatoes and peppers are being harvested several times a week and even the weeds seem to be behaving in the heat.

We're still going strong at the Chattanooga Market. Oh sure, plant sales are trickling off, but we would be surprised if they didn't. Seasonings and tea sales have been brisk which gives us the motivation to create more blends for the fall. And the bath brews are making a comeback as they always do about the time kids are heading back to school. I had to laugh today when I looked at the calendar and realized that in four months we'll be doing our annual Holiday Market. Last year it was in the low 30s for the entire weekend. Maybe that will keep me a little cooler tomorrow when my shoes stick to the pavement on the way out to the car. "Jingle Bells...Jingle Bells...Jingle all the way..."

For those of you who like a daily dose of Possum Creek Herb Farm check out the Facebook pages. Just type in Possum Creek Herb Farm and you will find us.

See ya Sunday....

Herb Blog Group Contest

Welcome to our Herb Blog Group Contest!
For the week between Friday, February 27 and Thursday, March 5 you can enter simply by entering a comment in response to this blog entry and take a chance at winning a full year’s subscription to The Essential Herbal Magazine! The Essential Herbal is written by, for, and about herbie people and the things they love. It is a grassroots publication that talks about the things you want to know when it comes to herbs.

The following blogs are also participating, so stop over to enter with them for additional chances to win AND the chance to explore some cool blogs. If you are already a subscriber, we’ll just add the free year on the end. Be sure to leave an email addy in your response so that we can reach you if you win!

Possum Creek Herb Farm
Blessings of an Herbwyfe
Garden Chick ***
SunRose Aromatics ***
Herbs from the Labyrinth ***
Patti’s Potions ***
PrairieLand Herbs ***
Aquarian Bath ***
The Rosemary House ***
Natures Gift ***
Torchsong Studio ***
The Essential Herbal ***

*** These blogs will be having contests for the next 10 weeks. Be sure to come back!

Possum Creek introduces its new Website

I can't believe how busy I have been the past month or so. The last entry was almost a month ago with pictures of the festival we did. Time fast forwarded when I wasn't looking, I guess. Making holiday products for the website, shows and the farmers market has taken up much of our time. Add to that we're in a mad scramble to get the plastic on the new greenhouse so we can actually start using it this winter. We're almost there and need one more calm, windless day to finish.

What I have spent a good majority of my time on, and it is time well spent, if I say so myself, is the farm's website. With the help of a fantastic web designer from the Big Apple, I completely re-vamped, polished and brought the website into the modern era of web technology. Technology is constantly changing and leaving a website to sit fallow is not good business. I learned that websites much load faster, images must be smaller, sharper and quick to download and text must be concise and search engine friendly. I spent quite a long period of time researching web host companies who offered the right system, security and assurance that they would be up and running 24/7. It has been quite a liberating experience with completely redesigning the site, finding a new cart that fits what I see for the future of the farm and have it all fit together with few glitches. I know some of you know what I mean about glitches.

I haven't been completely chained to my computer these last few weeks. Plant material is coming into the greenhouse almost faster than we can pot it up. Wholesale orders call for organically grown herb plants to be ready earlier in the spring than mail-order and retail. We have to be ready to begin shipping by the end of February so that means planting and potting up begins now. There are going to be some incredible looking gardens and nursery centers this spring, because our herbs and perennials are heading all over the U.S. and in the local Chattanooga area. I will be blogging about our new selections in the weeks to come, so stay tuned.

Fall Festivals

Last weekend was a culmination of many weeks of hard work. Growing plants, mixing batches of potpourri, bath brews, salts, vinegars, making wreaths and not to mention getting it all where it needed to go was a little wearing, but once everything was set up and the tent raising was mastered, it was smooth sailing after that. We had a fantastic time meeting old and new friends. We had a perfect spot along the river (another blog entry) and the weather could not be more perfect.

I thought I would share a couple of pictures of the spot we had and some of the products we brought. Enjoy.

A Woman Possessed...

Twice this week two different people made the same comment to me. A "woman possessed" these two kind hearted souls said as they heard the list of things to be accomplished in a short period of time. How odd that they both said the same thing. Odd because they live in two different states, are in different trades and aren't even of the same gender. What could they mean I wondered? Did I sound half crazed with panic over my "to-do" list? Were my sentences running on like a train off its track? Was I even making sense?


The list of things "to-do" is of the products I want to make and package before our largest show begins in just a week. Ketner's Mill, http://www.ketnersmill.org/, is one of the largest outdoor festivals in our area. The vendor waiting list is lengthy and the judges are tough, so we were very pleased to be chosen to participate this year. It is an outdoor show which means a tent and all the assorted minutia that comes with it. It means making and packaging products, grooming plants, fluffing wreaths, sewing dolls and finding tables that fit the booth space. It means a lot of things must all fall into place for everything to work. Did I mention rain is forecasted for both days of the show?


While all of the festival prep is going on, the kids have been on fall break from school. They are usually old enough to entertain themselves and did extremely well this week. The oldest helped me plant a beautyberry bush and two blueberry bushes and rolled two half whiskey barrels into place in the yard for next spring's abundance of herbs I will need to grow. There was time to hit the mall, eat out and see a movie during the week along with a short camping trip.

There was some business to attend to this week. Cost cutting efforts are taking place with the business. You all know how that is. We got tired of paying extra fees for things we just didn't need or paying fees for things when we weren't getting anything in return for our money. Services had to be cancelled and then bought with other companies. This went on for most of the week. Today was quiet business-wise for which I was grateful. I did actually get to have lunch on the screened in porch watching the birds cavort around the new feeder I had just put up.

Next week will be hectic but manageable. The kids will be back in school so that means band and basketball practice after school along with homework and the usual chores. Thursday will be the last day to finish anything before the show or just say "to heck with it" and let it go. Friday morning we head to Marion county and begin the set up. I will fit in a little house cleaning (or not) and try to keep things organized.


The mess you see in the picture is my cubbyhole room under the steps in the basement where I keep all the supplies. I am hoping all the shelves will be bare when we come home. Oh and did I mention that rain is forecasted for next weekend....significant rain.


Possessed? Bah....not me.