Powerful Perennials

    My love of gardening truly began with a packet of mixed flowering plant seeds & an open space. Now known as my triangle cottage garden, I had no idea back in the day that the packet of seeds would begin my passion for powerful perennials! That year I saw annual blue cornflowers & tiny California poppies. But hiding in that packet, waiting to emerge en force the following summer were black-eyed susans, white yarrow & purple coneflowers. I still have the daughter (or original – who knows!) plants of the yarrow & coneflowers 20 years later. Too cool. That is how powerful a perennial garden can be. I remember what grocery store I purchased my bee balm plant (that is now many & many given to others). Each plant has a story. Some have come & gone. My heart goes out to the ones that are long-lived, strong & always beautiful. They compete for space now in my triangle, many getting inches taller than they ever intended. There is barely room for mulch anymore, but I tuck some in here & there. It expands by edging inches around it every year, but that just encourages the buggers to keep growing! My successes have been but are not limited to (in order of bloom time): columbine, blue false indigo, salvia, sundrops, coral bells, coreopsis ‘moonbeam’ & ‘zagreb’, bellflower, yarrow, campion, bee balm, phlox piniculata, purple coneflower, black-eyed susan, purple loosestrife, obedient plant, asters & sedum. So my suggestion is to just keep on trying with powerful perennials & be rewarded! They are easy to grow & have personalities all their own. Enjoy!!

Up Your Energy ~ Instantly

   So now is the time of year when we have lots to do, places to go, people to see. We are entertaining & we need energy to accomplish all the work & fun that summertime has to offer. Here are a few tips from Family Circle Mag & a few of my own.

~ Get centered. Two to three minutes of mindful breathing focusing of deep inhales & exhales will release tension, reduce stress, raise your alertness. So if you don’t have time for a nap (see below)... breath!

~ Eat a balanced between meal snack. This includes a low-glycemic carb, healthy fat & protein. Try hummus & veggies, apples & peanut butter, Clif bar or similar energy/protein bar. Right now I am hooked on Clif’s coconut & chocolate chip flavor... yum.

~ Make a change. Like a new lip color. Try L’Oreal’s Colour Caresse Lip ‘Gloss’ in Rose On And On or one of the other 11 inexpensive but awesome shades. A+ from this tester!

~ Power nap time! If you drink 6-oz. of iced coffee then take a 25 minute nap, you will wake up ready to go. Not too late in the day for this one or the caffeine effects may linger... Perfect before a night out.

~ Take a D3 Vitamin supplement, 1,000 IU daily. Being deficient can make you sluggish. Have your levels checked at your next checkup. You may need more.

~ I must include consistent exercise on this list. Five minutes a day to start perhaps. A few extra steps here & there. Thirty minutes of yoga ... You will feel the energy.

~ Most of all, have fun. Activities that make you laugh will boost your mood-enhancing hormones & give you more energy.