My parents purchased our secluded 35-acre tract of land near Clayton, North Carolina shortly before I was born. As a child I enjoyed a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables from our extensive family garden and played for hours in the woods around our house. Goats, chickens, horses, cats, and dogs were my best friends. When Dad retired from the General Services Administration in 1984, he and Mom built the first greenhouse on the farm, in the hopes of supplying the neighborhood with a few garden plants, and as a means to protect their own houseplants from the winter weather. The neighborhood demand for their plants was higher than expected. Over the next few years, they added additional greenhouses. It wasn't long before they were growing and selling not only annual bedding plants, but also hanging baskets, perennials, garden mums, and poinsettias. Mizio's Greenhouses had become a community landmark. In 1987, I formed Auntie M's Enchanted Garden as a separate division of the farm and specialized in herbs and herbal products. Through the years, I've sold herb plants, taught country living classes, and created herbal products to share with the public.
In 2006, I started a Meetup.com group called the Clayton Area Herbs and Country Living Meetup Group. The group meets about once a month for a workshop and social. Some of the things we have done as a group are: starting plants from seeds, building raised beds, making herb vinegars, making herbal oils and salves, making pesto, and making salsa. We'd love to have you join us for the next meetup!
In 2007, my parents retired from the farm business and turned management over to me and Wade. We merged Auntie M's Enchanted Garden with Mizio's Greenhouses and renamed the farm to Toad Song Farm, in honor of the hundreds of frogs and toads we can hear 'singing' on any given spring or summer evening.Wade and I have big plans for Toad Song Farm. Our ultimate goal is to help the farm grow into a special retreat where quests can commune with nature and re-charge their spirits as well as learn about herbs and country living and buy plants for their gardens.We're currently establishing a reading room and herb shop adjacent to the massage studio. Next spring we'll be installing a lavender labyrinth and teaching gardens, as well as meditation benches in the deer meadow. We'll also be adding workshops and activities on the farm such as weed walks and bird watching expeditions.For those who have the time and desire to learn even more about country living and the greenhouses, we're always welcoming apprentices. Apprentices come out 1 or 2 mornings a week and help with whatever projects we're working on in the greenhouses. Apprentices usually work until lunch, and go home with a full stomach and treats for their garden and homestead. Just e-mail us for more information if you'd like to be a Toad Song Farm apprentice! |
