Rachael Cochrane gives a tour of her garden located in Farmington, MN. She describes various plants and landscaping features in her backyard including strawberry beds, apple trees, grapevines, and serviceberry bushes. She also shows her greenhouse where she grows over 1,000 plants annually. Rachael emphasizes her love of gardening and how working in the dirt can help reduce stress. Photos are included of the different areas in her yard and greenhouse.

1. How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence. ~Benjamin Disraeli LOCATION: My Yard! In Farmington, MN Place Profile by Rachael Cochrane

2. Just a brief Intro: Hi, My name is Rachael Cochrane (you probably gathered that from the last page!) My place profile is actually my yard- which is like a giant garden… and also my greenhouse where I grow over 1,000 plants each year! I love gardening and growing things- and this is why… You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt. ~Author Unknown

3. Let’s start by taking a walk in my yard… Can you see the cardinal on the fence?

5. This blue house is on the ground to Hopefully attract frogs and toads to the garden! Get those mosquitoes!

6. So many weeds, so little thyme…

7. Variegated Dogwood in Spring

9. Bird house made from recycled wooden pallets and fallen Birch trees…

10. Strawberries in a raised bed. This type of bed allows for better drainage…

12. Organically grown Asparagus stretching out to the sky…

13. Dwarf apple trees set fruit years earlier than full size trees and are perfect for small yards! Don’t forget, 2 or more for better crops!

15. Grapevine beginning to bud out.

16. In early spring, the heavy sweet scent of cherry blossoms fills the air.

18. Beautiful hyacinths also perfume the air in a bed filled with mulch made out of leaves from the previous year.

19. Close up you can see the beautiful pink streaking and individual bell shaped flowers that attract many beneficial insects.

20. Irish moss growing in the cracks of a brick path

21. Beauty can be seen even in a “weed.”

22. Garlic Chives grow freely

25. Honeysuckle vines glisten after a rain shower.

28. Serviceberry bushes have fruit similar to a blueberry with intense flavor.

29. A vibrant cranberry bush makes an excellent hedge.

30. A violet growing wild beside our house…

32. We split our own wood and heat our house in the Spring/Fall and use it for supplemental heat in the winter as well.

33. Even our cat loves it out in the yard- or on the driveway.

34. Wow, that was all just the backyard! Now onto the front yard! This is a side view of our garage.

35. First though- one of our hobbies… Volkswagens!! 1968 VW Beetle

36. Back to the front yard… solar powered lights!

37. Bright colored Spirea

39. Bunny visiting last spring Wait a minute!!...

40. What the heck!? That’s a four-eared bunny! Makes you wonder what could cause this mutation… It’s reminiscent of frogs with two heads, and fish with two tails- weird & sad!

41. Off to the greenhouse! I grow all of my plants in a pop-up solar structure. I then sell these organically grown plants each spring to neighbors, friends, and anyone passing by!

42. Heirloom variety Tomato

43. Chamomile & Asters

44. Colorful young Coleus!

45. Pumpkin Sprouts!

46. Thanks for stopping by, but before you go- A couple of sayings about gardening… Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest. ~Douglas William Jerrold, about Australia, A Land of Plenty The kiss of the sun for pardon,The song of the birds for mirth,One is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth. ~Dorothy Frances Gurney, "Garden Thoughts“ God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done. ~Author Unknown