You Know You're a Gardener If...

   There are some distinctive traits that make up a gardener. Here are some I feel personify most of us...

You know you are a gardener if...

~ You forgo mani/pedis (at least the professional kind) from April thru June.

~ You slow down the car to a drive by speed/stalker speed when you pass any farm market or garden store.

~ You love planting and weeding and deadheading alone in your garden ~ but you talk to the birds while doing it.

~ You keep a nail brush in the shower.

~ You pray for rain every night; you consider it the sweetest sound of summer.

~ You are not a big fan of most four-legged, non-domesticated, creatures. (I do love foxes though!)

~ You have tiny scratches on your arms & legs, have no idea where they came from (weeding & pruning) & don’t really care.

~ You can't wait to see the gardens of others to get inspired, or get you moving because you feel like a slacker... or a little of both.

~ It’s almost June & you are still planting... even though you say you are done!

~ You have limitless amounts of energy when it comes time to be outside & endless amounts of hope for a wonderful growing season.

~ You have at least one area or garden ‘room’ you can say this is truly euphoria.

    I had the privilege today to visit six gardens of some of our garden club’s members for a self-guided garden tour. What a treat & inspiration today was. These are true gardeners whose properties left me gob smacked for the entire day! My wish for them and all gardeners out there is to now take time to enjoy the fruits of their labors. We gardeners know the reality of upkeep but... I wish us all at least an inch of rain a week, low humidity, no mosquitoes & lots of visitors who will enjoy all our hard work! We gardeners are great dreamers too!

Apple Berry Salsa Recipe

   The wonderful summer holidays get into full swing this weekend with Memorial Day. Isn’t every summer weekend potential for fun & a fabulous time? I have birthday & graduation parties in the near future & was looking at some recipes that I love & haven’t made in awhile. This Pampered Chef Apple Berry Salsa Recipe spoke to me. It can be an appetizer or a dessert. It is light & delicious. And now you can buy the cinnamon chips for dipping! How simple is that...

2	medium Granny Smith apples
1	pint strawberries, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2	kiwi, peeled and diced
1	small orange
2	tablespoons packed brown sugar
2	tablespoons apple jelly or apricot jam
	Baked Cinnamon Chips for dipping

1.    Peel, core and slice apples using Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer or any method you choose. Coarsely chop apple slices using food chopper. Dice strawberries and kiwi into small pieces. (tiny diced mango could be delish too) Set aside in bowl.

2.   Zest orange to measure 1 teaspoon zest. Juice orange to measure 2 tablespoons juice. Add orange zest, juice, brown sugar and jelly to fruit mixture; mix gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3.   Spoon into serving bowl. Serve with Baked Cinnamon Chips. (Stacy’s makes delish pita chips)

Yield: 3 cups (16 servings) Nutrients per serving: (Low Fat) (3 tablespoons salsa): Calories 30, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 8 g, Protein 0 g Sodium 0 mg, Fiber 1 g 

    I will be serving in the great divided dish from last weekend’s garage sale. Salsa goes in center with chips & additional toothpick-worthy fruit like watermelon, pineapple & perhaps chocolate-covered strawberries in the other sections. (see January 2012 blog for this easy recipe!) Enjoy!!

Follow up ~ Garage Sales

      So I know I felt I needed to be cloned this past weekend! The good news was that no one else could clone themselves so there were plenty of great items out there for everyone!

      Now, did I follow my own rules? Well, mostly yes! I did bundle items, I DID NOT pass up on great items because I would be kicking myself later. I did try to embrace simplicity, but the truth is… you don’t really know you need it unless it’s there staring you in the face ~ crying out take me home, repurpose me!! I did get lots of fresh air & exercise, although this past weekend I saw no plants. I forgot to mention jewelry in my last blog & I did take advantage of purchasing some, unique & beautiful pieces. (For $2 a piece!)

      So what were my favorite bargains…

~Well a Specialized crossover bike, practically brand new for $20. You may say that’s a splurge, but I plan on riding it to work some days & the list price for this bike is $500!! I’ll save on gas, get exercise, reduce my carbon footprint & all with something I wasn’t looking for. (It’s red & it spoke to me!)

~In keeping with the exercise theme, again I found something that I wasn’t seeking out. I got the real deal Bosu Balance Trainer for $8!! The teenage tester & myself have both used this in physical therapy before & it’s hard & fun at the same time. It will work my core & balance like nobody’s business! It takes up some room but it is so worth it. (see Photo)

~A gorgeous serving tray hand painted with luscious peaches, plums & grapes. It’s 19” in diameter & will not fit in any cabinet but I have a couple upcoming parties that I plan on making a fruit plate & fruit salsa. (Recipe in upcoming blog!) It has a covered center section & is large enough to hold all the cinnamon pita chips I’ll need for serving. And yes, $3.00! (see Photo)

~The miscellaneous items include: a large Yankee Candle tumbler in Balsam & Cedar, one of my favs - $1! The above mentioned jewelry – necklace & bracelet. A fab $1 wristlet in a gorgeous sequined designed for summer. A couple outdoor ‘chairs’ {small} to place planters on (see photo), a few hostess gifts (including a spatula my girlfriend always threatens to steal when she’s over – it is OLD & came with the house. Guess what? I found the exact one for $0.10!), a brand new $1 Elizabeth Arden green tea perfume that is a fav of mine, an idea saturated coffee table book called Garden Junk – so appropriate. The list goes on. This was a big weekend & it isn’t always so successful, however, some Saturdays you just get lucky! (I did play the lottery & no I don’t live in Florida so my luck stopped there!)

Get out there & try your luck this weekend!

Garage Sales in Full Swing!

    This is the time of year when your neighborhood garage/tag sales get in full swing. The Saturdays before the 4^th of July seem to be the busiest. Great weather & lots of people are out & about making it the perfect time of year for these sales.

      Start by looking for signs that have been posted. I know there are three ‘neighborhood’ sales in my area this weekend just from seeing signage. Good job sellers! Also, check Craig’s List & your local newspaper for ads. There are so many for me tomorrow I wish I was cloned! That being said, note the times. If they all start at say 8am, just arrive a wee bit early. This works well for the neighborhood sales (which are becoming increasingly popular) because some home will always be ready to go early. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while getting your exercise. Do the sellers a favor & have bills smaller than $20’s. I am getting more selective these days because there are so many great items out there & I’m running out of space! So also think items friends you know might love or continue to buy for your garden. I mentioned last year that I have a ‘strictly garage sale items’ angel garden, bunny garden & farmyard garden. This year, in honor of my admission from a Tigger to a Pooh blog, I would like to start a Hundred Acre Wood Garden. The sky is the limit on what you may find.

      Whatever you choose remember to:

~ Bundle items or never hesitate to ask for a lower price. If you are buying a few items say totaling $5.00, you may ask for a ‘bundled’ price of $4.00 for the lot.

~ We are embracing simplicity this year, so buy it if you need it. That being said, DO NOT pass up a beautiful item at a great price (because you will end up kicking yourself later!)

~ Remember to look for sellers of plants. This is a great, inexpensive way to add to your perennial collection. (see photos at left)

~ Have fun, enjoy the exercise, fresh air, and great bargains!

Dig Wisely This Year!

   The gardening passion we share cannot keep us out of the dirt! So here are tips for a successful, flowering garden this year. I like to minimize the mistakes & maximize the results!!

~ When planting your annuals, perennials & other transplants, remember to really break up the root ball. Remove all the soil if necessary to free up the roots. The peat they are often planted in will repel water anyway.

~ Feed your transplants with a slow release fertilizer. Then, every few weeks, water with a bloom boosting fertilizer. This will guarantee great blooms with minimal effort.

~ If you have municipal water, remember to dechlorinate your water before watering those container gardens. The chlorine will kill valuable organisms in your containers that cannot be replaced with the finite amount of soil. (see April 2012 blog)

~ Hand watering can never replace an inch of rain. So, really, really water deeply & consistently any new plantings this season when rain is scarce. A rain gauge will help you judge what’s needed week to week.

~ Keep your flowers tidy & flourishing by deadheading spent flowers & pinching to encourage fuller plants. Fuller plants = more blooms

~ Buy some flowers from a local grower instead of chain. Today I found all the beautiful, unusual annuals I was hoping for in one place. They even had a poster describing the problems with the common impatien & described the varieties they grow that are safe from the disease. I love that they feel a responsibility to inform. The chain stores are still selling impatiens to the uniformed consumer.

~ Keep a photo & written record of all your successes & failures so you will remember for next year! 

Planting ~ Simply

   As promised, I want to address the simplifying our lives as it pertains to the garden. Naturally, a great foundation of trees, shrubs and perennials is a great start. In this blog I want to focus on simply planting annuals in containers & in your beds that will save you time & money & look so beautiful.

   The goal is to choose plants that are a thriller, filler & sometimes spiller all in one. I always like to do a grouping of pots together. This year I want to have beautiful, unique plants – one per pot! The plants I am looking to use are coleus, felicia, lantana, heliotrope, calibrachoa, unique geraniums, euphorbia ‘diamond frost”, salvia ‘Victoria blue’ (pinch centers out early to encourage branching, zinnia (same pinching, pinching, pinching!) . I also love dragon wing begonias & I will keep these in my beds & hanging baskets. They get huge! I love the idea that one specimen of any of these plants, given the room to grow, will be spectacular in their simplicity. I planted Hyacinth bean seeds for my trellis & arbor. This climber will not get too out of control (like a morning glory – or reseed too crazy the following year) The spectacular purple flowers become glossy eggplant colored seed pods later in the season. The hummingbirds love them & you collect the seeds for next year’s planting.

     When choosing your plants this year, check the tag carefully on the ones that speak to you. Check the height & spread and see if that can be that simple thriller/filler for your garden. Remember to buy some time-release plant food like Osmocote to scratch around your plants. One feeding for four months is a very simple way to go.

     You will especially reap the simplicity of feeding, watering & dead-heading as the season goes on. I mean watering one plant instead of five that would normally fill the same space – why didn’t I think of this sooner?!?

     Happy choosing & planting!

Torenia Yes ~ Impatiens No

    Well, here we are ready to plant another year of annuals & perennials! So exciting ~ so much hope!! I am always here to help you get your money’s worth. This blog is a reminder to you of the powdery mildew blight of the most common bedding plant ~ impatiens. See the article below.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/12/garden-impatiens-shortage/2079267/

    This blight effects the common impatiens, your hybrids are still fine (although expensive) if you are still trying to get the same bang for your buck. So shade loving plants that you can buy inexpensively in flats & are beautiful is where I’m going with this blog. The common wax begonia is a nice choice, but you can tire of these year after year. So last year when I heard of this blight, I chose the plant torenia to replace the spots where impatiens grow. I was not disappointed as you can see from some photos at left. There are now Kauai & Summer Wave mixes that will give you a wide range of extraordinary colors. They are easy to grow& hummingbirds love the trumpet form. They do not self dead-head like an impatien, but you don’t have to dead-head them to keep getting beautiful blooms. They don’t seem to mind the heat & aren’t prone to wilting (like impatiens) when you get behind on rain & watering.

     I can’t wait to get out there & find some new colors & plant (at a flat cost-saving price!) You can mourn the impatien for now, but enjoy these fast growers all summer long.

    I hope this will get you started. Again, remember to check your planting zone for frost free planting dates! Check out this cool link below!!!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/freeze-frost-dates/index.php?q=12345&submit=Go

Priceless

     So I am home from my holiday to Scotland with three of my lifelong GWA (Girls Weekend Away) friends. So how do you describe a week’s plus worth of memories in one blog. It can’t be done. How can you put a dollar (or pound sterling) amount on what it meant to you. You can’t, so I’m calling this blog ~ Priceless.

     Beginning in Edinburgh, Scotland & seeing your daughter for the first time in three months – priceless. Continuing your holiday with best friends & seeing scenery that it indescribable – priceless. Seeing a bucket list item that you never thought was possible, Stonehenge, with besties & daughter along in your journey – again so priceless. Visiting St. Andrews Old Course (big golf fan), taking over 800 pictures, being silly like you were in high school- priceless, priceless, priceless. Meeting the nicest people, taking ‘selfies’ at every stop, adding four birds to your life list, reliving early Spring & seeing daffodils everywhere like wildflowers, being convinced that you were going to be the one to photograph ‘Nessie’, the Loch Ness Monster –priceless to the fifth power. Having a flat Stanley along of your one friend who couldn’t make the trip & including her in your adventure through pictures, discovering the best whiskey – priceless, priceless. Being in a country full of sheep during lambing season & seeing the little guys everywhere, seeing Highland cows, dodging goats, sheep & deer on the twisting roads, again priceless. Trying haggis, neeps & tatties & have it taste surprisingly yummy, delish desserts, local beers - priceless cubed. Visiting the castle where Monty Python & the Holy Grail was filmed & keeping the secret from your friends prior (then unloading the coconuts on your daughter so you don’t have to pack them) soooo priceless. Visiting the two towns where your friend’s grandparents were raised & seeing their homes – amazingly priceless. Climbing 256 steps of a tower & having your friends sing you to the top on the twisting, tiny staircase (because you’re slightly claustrophobic – Brady Bunch theme) above & beyond the call of duty priceless. Laughing, laughing, laughing at every turn of the road, everyday; finding & storing new ‘happy places’ to go to when needed – priceless squared.

    So many memories shared with friends that will further glue your lasting friendships. Finally, sharing memories with your daughter that will forever be with her & you.

Priceless beyond words…