June 12th is Red Rose Day. The meaning of the red rose is LOVE.
Celebrate by giving a red rose to someone you love.
Passion
June 11, 2014
What is your passion? If you are not pursuing it to the fullest measure look at what you can do to change this.
It is 6:00 a.m., Saturday morning
June 7, 2014
I am ready to exit the home office, push my fingers into a pair of garden gloves instead of tapping them on the keyboard where I have spent most of my week. It will feel GOOD to be with nature, to spruce up the plants that need deadheading, and clear the garden floor of leaves.
At some point, I plan to pull out a 15-year-old lavender plant. It is four feet tall and three feet wide, mostly woody. Plants don’t last forever, and I have to admit 15 years ago I did not know how to properly care for lavender. If lavender plants are not trimmed correctly from year one, cutting later, into the ugly woody branches to get rid of them can kill the plant. Having learned too late, I let mine grow and grow and grow.
I won’t be looking for a replacement plant this weekend, but I’ll search the nurseries soon for something less troublesome. For now, I’m going to enjoy my time in the garden—before the triple digits.
Guess What Today Is!
May 30, 2014May 30th is Water a Flower Day, an annual reminder that summer heat is fast approaching and our beautiful flowers (and plants and trees) will be thirstier than normal. They’ll love you even more if you mulch the flowerbeds and use moisture control potting soil to retain water and reduce watering.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Celebration!
May 27, 2014
When I heard about the Celebration of Gardening, I jumped at the chance to tour the private 30-acre estate, Maple Rock Gardens, Newcastle, CA.
My husband and I arrived at opening time, 9:00 am, and already the parking lot was packed. At the entrance, we received a colored map. We didn’t need it, though. The countless paths of bricks, gravel, stones, pavers, river rocks, and other hardscape, were easy to follow from garden room to garden room, each a different theme.
The estate is owned by Scott Paris who also owns High Hand Nursery and High Hand Café in Loomis. Scott purchased the estate three years ago from Ruby and Frank Andrews who had already created a three-and-a-half acre garden, including a large miniature railroad area.
An avid plant and landscape lover, Scott expanded the gardens since taking ownership. By bringing in large plants and trees, the new and old blend together flawlessly. Water falls, streams, bridges highlight thousands of trees, shrubs, ground cover, and of course hundreds of maple trees.
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Just a little update: Ashley’s Gift is now available in the following countries:
United Kingdom, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, India, Mexico, Brazil, Australia
Thank you! Sales are still going strong.
To every generation of soldiers and their families, THANK YOU!
May 24, 2014
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” – President John F. Kennedy
Magnificent . . .
May 19, 2014
Ecstasy invaded the camera lens through my beating heart
with thrills of stealing the graceful flow
of the magnificent magnolia flowers.
Join me on:
The Big Deal!
May 6, 2014
Getting my Fix
May 6, 2014
Last weekend, I spent most of my time gardening. First, I strolled around the beds, as I always do, to see what needed to be done. When I came upon Love in a Mist, I was delighted to see what the blossoms look like. It was a free plant and I had no idea what to expect when I planted it two mouths ago. (I purposely avoided looking up images on line.) I am fascinated with the flower structure, the soft, delicate web-like foliage, and pleased to have this annual.
Walking on, I noticed the volunteer snapdragons were still blooming so I took a photo. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, I’m sure you’ve guessed that my camera goes to the garden with me, along with gloves, hat, and kneeling pad.
After casing the greens, I wrapped my camera in an old towel and placed it on a bench in the shade. Then I trimmed, deadheaded, raked and bagged, among other tasks, before potting up the hens and chicks as planned. I don’t always accomplish what I intend, but last weekend I actually did more than anticipated. It was a good feeling. I’m sure some people feel the same about fly fishing, hiking, or shopping . . . whatever revives the spirit. What works for you? I’d love to hear about it.
In and Around the Garden 