How do we celebrate the 4th of July here on the farm? Well good food and barbecue is a no brainer. Small home town parades, inflatable water slides, family from all over the country, lots of lavender and honey bees, fireworks, and silly string. I wish all of our Lavender Apple friends could join us. 

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend full of fun, family, and friends. Happy 4th of July!

We recently finished one of our small bathroom updates here on the farm. Small bathrooms can be tricky to figure out. You need to have a space for everything. This bathroom was tricky because it has a sloped ceiling. Peggy has always had a knack for choosing gorgeous wallpaper prints, and this one is no different. Isn't it gorgeous! 

I love the big bowl of a sink and the water fall faucet. You can't see it because I'm a lame blog photographer, but there is an adorable mason jar soap dispenser with lavender hand soap of course. I love all of the cute lavender details in this room too. Marble countertop fixed over a vintage cabinet that we repurposed. 

Rolled towels always feel luxurious, even in a small space like this, and are perfect when you have open cabinetry. If you have a small bathroom like this, it's all about the details. Be bold and try a gorgeous big print on a wallpaper and you won't regret it. (Although since this paper was not pre-pasted, I'm not so sure Michael would recommend going this route. It may have been the most curse words this farm has heard in awhile...) 

We have two beautiful big dogs here on the Lavender Apple Farm. When it comes to bathing them, each one has his own personality and quirks when it comes to getting clean. 

A lot of dogs hate getting bathed. Can you blame them? They are getting restrained, then soaked in cold of water, and covered in scented suds. But there are several things you can do to help your dog actually enjoy getting bathed. 

Obviously make sure your water is a good temperature, not too hot, not too cold. Also, make sure you are careful not to get water or soap in your dogs eyes or ears. 

Speaking of soap, a good dog soap is key. Avoid using human shampoo, because that is actually really drying on dogs sensitive skin. You can buy our natural lavender dog soap HERE Our Lavender Dog Soap is made wtth goat's milk. Our dog soap is made with tea tree and neem oil which is healing for your dogs scalp and will even keep the bugs off you dog. Try it you and your dog will love it.

Brush your dogs coat to remove loose fur and those dreaded tangles. Be gentle and try not to tug on the skin while doing this. When your dog is wet all over, apply your soap from the neck down and massage it into his skin. Its good practice to check your sweetie pie for any lumps or any other oddies you may notice that may need veterinary care. Use a damp cloth to wipe any dirt from his mouth and eyes. 

Dogs hair is much thicken than human hair, so you have to be extra diligent to ensure all of the soap has rinsed off. This is why using something natural and chemical free is a plus because if you accidentally leave some on his coat, it won't cause itching. 

Pet stores offer super absorbent towels you can use to help dry off. Or, if your dogs are like ours, they will immediately find some grass or dirt to roll around in after all of your hard work. We like to give our dogs a treat as well after a bath as a reward so they associate this as a positive activity. 

What other tips or tricks do you use when bathing your fur babies? We'd love to hear! 

Ok, time to finish up our 2 part post regarding caring for your apple trees. Our vintage trees here are the farm are obviously very old and set in their ways. But when you are first starting out or have younger trees, its ideal to do some apple tree training with them. 

What is apple tree training? You simply tie the branches together to help the tree keep its shape and maintain good health. The practice of training an apple tree actually takes many years. A caregiver should look at an apple tree's trunk then try to create an arrangement of limbs (growing outward from the trunk) that have plenty of room to expand. Many farmers train their apple trees so that the branches are longer on the bottom and shorter at the top of the tree. This makes sure each and every branch is able to receive sunlight. As an added benefit, this adds to the beauty of the tree as well. 

One other item to consider when you are growing apple trees is making sure you keep an eye out for any diseases that can effect your orchard. We have been lucky to escape any problems like this over the years.  Sometimes mildew can form on the leaves of an apple tree. This mildew looks like a white powder on the leaves. This happens when an apple tree is exposed to too much dampness or humidity. Proper pruning as discussed in our prior post can help in the prevention this. Apple scab is another disease we've heard can effect your apple crop. The disease gets its name because of the scabs that are often discovered on the surface of the apples themselves. Dark spots also appear on the tree's leaves. Once again, areas with a lot of dampness can contribute to the development of this disease. As long as your trees get ample light and sunshine, you should be protected from this problem.

Finally you will reach the harvest. Its the best part. We wait to harvest our apples until after the first frost of the fall. Ripe apples have a firm exterior as well as a crisp texture. You may be tempted to harvest as soon as you see apples begin to fall to the ground, but you will want to wait. Fallen apples that are rotting should be cleared away so they don't attract bugs or other animals. Once you harvest your apples, you will want to store them in a cool dry spot. We love pressing ours into cider and of course making all sorts of pies and treats. We look forward to sharing many recipes with you here when harvest time comes!