The 118 acres of Rose Wind Farm were first settled in the 1850s and
have been in the Oster family since 1941.
Abandoned and derelict when they purchased it, the farm was transformed
into a highly productive acreage for dairy and beef cattle by George and
Lucille Oster with their use of pioneering conservation and sustainable
farming practices.
Their love of nature meant that natural areas were also preserved, with
many native Indiana trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, and wildlife populating
the farm. Of course, there was always a large vegetable garden and plenty
of both wild and tended fruits growing on the farm, too. No matter how
long the hours they worked on the farm and in producing and preserving
their own food, the flower gardens grew larger every year as well.
"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the
earth." —Thomas
Jefferson
Not only did I, their daughter Maggie, inherit the farm from my parents
but also their love of the land, nature, and gardening. It is now my responsibility
to carry on in their footsteps, maintaining the health of the soil and
preserving a way of life that continually presents challenges but that
is also one that is immeasurably satisfying.
Because of my career in horticulture as well as garden, food, and craft
writing and photography, my emphasis on the farm is as a laboratory and
learning center for growing and preparing healthy food, using native plants
in the landscape, appreciation of natural history, and practicing traditional
skills of country living. In the future, classes will be offered that
will give others an opportunity to share in this experience. In the meantime,
let me show you around the farm and gardens.
Barn & Square-Bed Garden
Originally built in the late 1800s, the barn
has been restored. Nearby geometric raised beds are filled with
nutritious vegetables and herbs as well as beautiful flowers. |
1850s Cabin
The 1850s cabin where my mother grew up in New
Albany was moved to the farm and now is my home. The surrounding
gardens are filled with flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees.
|
Trees and Well
Once gullied, the fields are now producing abundant
pasture and hay. Remnants of the past, such as a stone-topped
well, have been maintained. |
Field West from Drive
Using a team of horses and sick with undulant
fever, my father persevered in installing over 7 miles of terraces
and waterways to stop the erosion on the farm in the ‘40s.
"Hurt
not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees." —The
Book of Revelation
|
Creek
Springs keep the unpolluted creek flowing year-round,
providing a natural habitat for a variety of wildlife, including
kingfishers, minnows, frogs, and snakes.
|
Ironweed
Don’t
tell anyone, but I’ve been known to mow around the ironweed
in pastures because it’s one of my favorite native wildflowers.
"Remain
true to the earth" —Friedrich Nietzsche |
Giant Silver Maple
This giant silver maple, planted in 1943, is an
early example of my mother’s passion for using native trees
in the landscape.
"He
that plants trees loves others besides himself." —Thomas
Fuller
|
Yellowwood in Bloom
The rare native yellowwood tree, my mother’s
pride-and-joy, bears drooping 1-foot-long clusters of fragrant
white flowers in June. |
Picnic Table & Trees
My mother’s penchant for planting trees
wherever there was space created a shady hideaway for a relaxing
meal at a handmade picnic table. |
Red Cedar Trees
The familiar native red cedar is one of my favorite
trees as it is incredibly adaptable. If it were rare, people
would be extolling it’s virtues.
|
Pergola
A large pergola provides a place to share a cup
of tea. It is surrounded by trees and shrubs, plus herbaceous
plants that grow well in shady conditions. |
Barn Garden
This bed in front of the barn continues to evolve,
but remains a lively combination of both the exotic, such as
a seven son’s tree, and the native, including the fragrant,
summer-blooming clethra. |
Border Around Square Beds
Don’t be afraid to add some creative colors
to your garden, like this blue-painted picket fence with pink-and-yellow
finials. |
Front Bed
Adding structural elements, such as this arbor
and split-rail fence, give emphasis and definition to flower
beds and borders. "The
Amen! of Nature is always a flower." —-Oliver Wendell
Holmes
|
Arbor & Spruce with Snow
The goal in designing a garden is that it will
be beautiful in any season. A snowfall is the “icing on
the cake” of this arbor flanked by two spruce trees. |
Barn Garden with Snow
Although the benches, arbor, and fountain no
longer welcome us to a shady retreat, they’re still beautiful
with a coating of snow. |
Fountain
& Bench
Simple to maintain, a mosaic pot is fitted with
a pump and fountain, then placed near a bench and containers
under a persimmon tree.
|
Coral Flowers on Deck
Containers filled with annual flowers and foliage
plants create a stunning mass of color and make a deck an inviting
oasis. |
Waterfall
One of my favorite things to add to the landscape
is a water feature, such as this waterfall and pond that is
viewed from a deck. |
Rose Gruss an Aachen
Roses were beloved by my parents. The varieties
chosen for the farm include easy-to-grow heirlooms as well as
pest-resistant modern-day varieties.
|
Clematis
Keeping their roots in the shade and their heads
in the sun, clematis are easy to grow and provide a spectacular
effect in the garden. |
| 
Tool Shed & Orchard
One orchard area features apples, native pawpaws
and pecans, and European pears, including an heirloom variety
grafted from the farm where my mother grew up. |
Wisteria
Native wisterias, such as this cultivar ‘Aunt
Dee’ as well as others, is easier to maintain and blooms
at a younger age than Japanese and Chinese wisterias.
|
Blackberries
Bush and bramble fruits, including blackberries,
blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries, and currants, provide
easy-to-grow, antioxidant-rich fruit.
|
Cherry Tomatoes
One of my major endeavors is to compare vegetable
varieties each year. Over 30 varieties of cherry tomatoes were
part of a 100-variety tomato comparison.
"A
good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a
sense of humus." —E. B. White |
Yard-Long Beans
Improve your health and expand your diet by experimenting
with new and different vegetables. Purple yard-long beans are
a favorite with children.
|
Morning Picking
A morning’s picking showcases Italian black-eyed
peas, heirloom Italian squash, super-nutritious ‘Caroline’ raspberries,
and other treats.
"From
wonder into wonder existence opens." —Lao-Tzu
|
Cold Frame with Lettuce
Food gardening isn’t limited to the summer.
Inexpensive and easy-to-install cold frames provide lettuce
and other greens during the winter.
|
Canned Goods
Part of the pleasure and satisfaction of food
gardening is to have a pantry filled with nutritious, flavorful
food to enjoy throughout the winter.
|
Persimmon Pudding
Wild plants contribute to enjoyable eating here
on the farm, too, with persimmon pudding being the highlight
of autumn meals. |
Punched Tin
Whether frivolous or functional, making garden
ornaments, such as this punched-tin folly, brings another dimension
to the gardens. |
Dried Allium
Ornamental alliums, as well as many other flowers,
are dried and used in bouquets, wreaths, and other crafts on
the farm.
|
Little Kitty
Little Kitty is a bit shy with visitors, but
don’t get in the way of her favorite chair and pillow.
|
Oscar the Dog
Oscar, the resident Jack Russell, looks forward
to visiting with his best friends Chester and Mary when they
come to the farm. |
"…we
cannot isolate one aspect of life from another. When we change
the way we grow our food, we change our food, we change our society,
we change our values…"
—Wendell Berry
|
"No
matter how the harvest will turn out, whether or not there will
be enough food to eat, in simply sowing seed and caring tenderly
for plants under nature’s guidance there is joy."
—Masanobu Fukuoka
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