Quail Ridge Farm

04/13/2026

Spring is in the air... Who's Ready to get out and shop over 100 talented small businesses!
📆 April 17th 4pm-8pm & April 18th 10am-4pm
🌎 Expo Hall- Du Quoin State Fair grounds Du Quoin Il
👛 Shop over 100 vendors
🚚 Food Trucks on Site
💲 Admission $5 adults / Kids 12 and under free
💲 ATM on site

Saturday only 10-1⬇️
📷Spring Photos by Whimsey Photography
🐮 Petting Station with Mini Highland Cows

Join us for our first Market of 2026! Shop Small and Support local!
Mark Going ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://fb.me/e/5ogcMBn3M

04/10/2026

Some flowers really seem to come alive in containers, especially when they like sharp drainage, warmer roots, or a little more control over growing conditions. 🌺☀️
🪴 I love pots for flowers that tend to spread, trail, or bloom more heavily when their space is a bit contained
🌸 Geraniums and calibrachoa are two that usually look fuller and neater for me in containers
☀️ Lantana, portulaca, and verbena also do really well when they get plenty of sun and do not sit in soggy soil
💧 I’ve found pots make it easier to get the watering and soil mix right for fussier bloomers
✨ Sometimes the same plant that looks average in the ground looks amazing in a container

03/25/2026

03/09/2026

02/28/2026

That pine cone you stepped on during your last hike? It's actually a free garden tool that can replace about $100 worth of store products. Pine cones work as weather indicators, pest deterrents, and homes for beneficial insects all at once – and they last for months without breaking down like plastic gadgets do. [4smwh]

02/03/2026

Citronella (Lemongrass) – Mosquitoes

Lavender – Mosquitoes, flies, moths

Basil – Mosquitoes, houseflies

Mint (Peppermint/Spearmint) – Mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches

Catnip – Mosquitoes, flies

Rosemary – Mosquitoes, ants, beetles, moths

Bay Leaf – Flies, cockroaches, pantry pests

Chrysanthemum – Mosquitoes, roaches, ants, ticks, fleas

Marigold – Aphids, beetles, nematodes, whiteflies

Neem – Aphids, mites, caterpillars, whiteflies, beetles

Garlic – Aphids, caterpillars, spider mites

Chives – Aphids, Japanese beetles

Geranium (Scented) – Mosquitoes, leafhoppers

Sage – Mosquitoes, cabbage moths

Thyme – Cabbage worms, whiteflies

Fennel – Slugs, aphids

12/27/2025

Most people repot their Christmas cactus like it's a desert plant. Wrong move. These jungle bloomers need completely different care or you'll kill them...

After 40+ years of growing these winter wonders, I've watched people murder perfectly healthy Christmas cacti by treating them like their spiky cousins. The problem starts with not understanding where this plant actually comes from. It's not crawling across hot sand - it's hanging from shady tree branches in Brazilian rainforests.

Timing matters more than most people realize. Repot right after the blooms fade, never before or during flowering. The plant just spent enormous energy creating those gorgeous flowers and needs recovery time, not root disturbance. Wait three to four years between repottings unless roots are literally climbing out of the drainage holes. These plants actually bloom better when they're slightly rootbound.

Here's the deal with soil. Regular potting mix is too heavy and holds water too long. You need something that drains fast but still holds some moisture - think orchid bark mixed with peat and perlite. The roots need air pockets like they'd find growing in tree bark crevices. Dense soil suffocates them and root rot follows within weeks.

The pot size mistake kills more Christmas cacti than anything else. People see roots and think "time for a huge upgrade." Go up only one size, maybe two inches wider at most. A pot that's too large holds excess moisture the roots can't absorb fast enough. Couple that with enthusiastic watering and you've created a swamp. These are succulents, remember - they store water in their leaves.

Those segmented limbs break easier than you'd think. Support the plant from underneath when lifting it out of the old pot. Don't grab stems and yank. If roots are circling tight, gently tease them apart with your fingers. Rough handling snaps off whole sections that took years to grow.

The watering sweet spot confuses everyone. Yes, it needs more water than a desert cactus, but sitting in a saucer of water is a death sentence. Water thoroughly when the top inch feels dry, then let it drain completely. The jungle floor isn't a bog - it's moist but airy. That's what you're replicating.

What's been your biggest challenge with Christmas cactus care - getting it to bloom, keeping limbs from breaking, or figuring out the watering schedule? 🌱 [140662]

12/26/2025

Fresh herbs without mess 🌿 These plants grow happily using only water

12/24/2025

12/04/2025

Not all “Christmas cacti” follow the same rhythm.

Some unfurl their blooms for Thanksgiving, others wait for Christmas… and a few hold their blossoms for Easter.
Each one keeps its own quiet calendar, answering to the light and the seasons in its own time.

🌿 How to care for them now
• Offer bright but gentle light — avoid harsh, direct sun
• Give them cooler nights to encourage budding
• Water lightly, keeping the soil just barely moist
• Avoid repotting or disturbing their roots

📌 Let them pause. Let them settle.
Let them gather their strength.
Their December blooms are never rushed —
they arrive only through patience, steadiness, and a little kindness.
And when that first bloom opens in the hush of winter…
it feels like hope made visible. 💚🩷