strawberry season

it's strawberry season!

 

and strawberries plus

 greek yogurt and brown sugar equal

delicious!

moss

a winter walk is punctuated by neon pops of color...

 moss is growing in the most beautiful ways...

wrapping some things up...

and carpeting small places.

philadelphia flower show

the philadelphia flower show started yesterday and runs through next weekend.

home and garden

we have had a some rain this week and thunderstorms are expected tonight and tomorrow, so the garden is soggy, and i wont be working in it. i could use some fresh ideas, so off to the home and garden show! the season kicks off this weekend and it seems like every town has one, so go check it out!

strawberry festival

the strawberry festival in plant city-the winter strawberry capital- starts today: sweet!

how to cast leaves

while cleaning up the winter garden, i started thinking about adding some new decorative elements...i found this seemingly simple tutorial for casting leaves: plaster is a little fragile so i might try it with concrete.

today's problem: florals

at fashion week, florals were the thing! i love this planting ensemble: perfect for the greenhouse seed planting!

today

we are having amazing thunderstorms right now, but earlier this evening, the sunset was glowing. what a beautiful day! totally better than yesterday...

happy president's day

happy president's day!

happy valentine's day

happy valentine's day

today's problem: winter

it really has been a decent-not-too-cold winter 'round here. however, saturday afternoon's arctic blast left a bit of snow on my front steeps which was quickly blown away in sunday's 50mph wind gusts.

weekend gardening events

if i could only go to one gardening event this weekend, it would be the seminar on native bees in new hope, pennsylvania.

(bee pendant from my etsy shop)

plants in the hood

crocus!

they are out...they have been out for a week! so ready for spring!

albino hummingbird

last summer this rare albino hummingbird was spotted about two hours from me! i am cleaning up my feeders right now in hopes of attracting one of my own!

how to keep it covered

i want one of these umbrellas makmax fabricated for trailfinders australian garden at last years chelsea show...almost like a cocoon...it would be wonderful to be under it during a (non-electrical) rain shower.

personal space

is this garden open to the public?

how to have greens all winter

one word: arugula!

i started planting arugula a few summers ago as a non-bolting replacement for lettuce when the heat intensified. but here it is, the last day of january and my arugula is still going strong...i mean really strong! this has been a mild winter with little snow, but the arugula has flourished and provided me with delicious salads for over nine months now.

i cant complain. arugula rocks!

today's problem: seed catalogs

january is the beginning of the influx of seed and gardening catalogs: 'porn for gardeners', i call them! they all look so inviting and colorful...and do-able. i love to take a long bath and peruse each and every one.

weekend gardening events

looks like a nice winter weekend, so do something!

Farming in High Tunnels 
Accokeek, MD
Friday, January 27, 2012

Washington Gardener Seed Exchange 
Wheaton, MD
Saturday, January 28, 2012

Monarch Butterflies and Their Miraculous Migration 
New Hope, PA
Sunday, January 29, 2012

plants in the hood

today's plant has got to be the snowdrop! here's the flower: where's the snow? not here, i am happy to report! last year at this time we had over 2 feet of snow on the ground and the snowmagedon was just about to happen. this year: not so much and i am thrilled this winter has been so bearable! i don't want to curse things though because the farmer's almanac is predicting a blizzard for the last two days of this month: yikes!

year of the dragon

happy new year!

aren't deer cute?

my parents just moved to the country: they're still in the "aren't deer cute?" phase. it will be a rude awakening!

today's flower: nasturtium

today's flower has got to be my nasturtiums which i planted back in may in my planter boxes...they didnt bloom at all this summer because i think the soil was too rich and they don't like that, but come halloween, they started to show! now it's almost christmas, and despite several hard freezes, they continue to shine!

merry christmas to me!

concrete evidence

for years i have been wanting to make my own concrete or concrete-like planters, but i havent got around to it. luckily, roughfusion has done the work for me and there's a 20% christmas discount!

today's plant: poinsettia

happy national poinsettia day!

lunar eclipse

i missed the lunar eclipse and will now have to wait several years for the next one...for some reason i thought it was tonight!

modern mailbox

the green mailbox from ahsayane design studio is pure form.

it would be at the top of my christmas list if i could find where to buy it...

today's problem: dirty produce

it is december and organic, local fresh fruit and vegetable selections have dwindled with the impending cold weather. a lot of produce currently in the market has been conventionally grown with pesticides and/or imported and grown using who know what! the environmental working group updated its shopper's guide to pesticides in produce this past summer to let consumers know which fruits and vegetables have the most-and the least-pesticide residues. apples are prolific now-and lead the contaminated list-so it is best to buy apples that have been organically grown because pesticides have been linked to a variety of health problems. peeling your conventionally grown root crops will remove some pesticide residues, as will trimming the outer leaves of lettuce, cabbage and other leafy greens. a water rinse will sort of wash off some of the toxins, but i clean my produce in water combined with a little vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to actually get rid of the poisons. it is also important to remember that many organic fruit and vegetables have been grown using manure and this too must be eliminated before eating: not just rinsed off! be healthy: wash your veggies then eat them!

how to make a holiday wreath

every year i dream of making and baking all of my christmas gifts, but somehow, december 25th seems to catch me by surprise and i have no time left for these tasks. this year my plan is to decorate simply, buy handmade gifts from my artist and crafter friends, and finally, enjoy the season! i am going to make a wreath, however! i confirmed this decision as i slipped down the stairs on a recently fallen sweet gum ball and turned my ankle. i had seen a diy project of a white sweet gum ball wreath and i was going to make it! i havent collected the gum balls yet, but i have ordered a straw wreath and floral pins: i hope they arrive today so i can make the wreath this weekend! my intentions are good, but if i dont follow through, i can always order a wreath from etsy:)

hornet hives

the strong winds of autumn have blown most of the leaves off the trees,  and i have noticed these huge paper-y hornet hives hanging in them: i think they might be abandoned housing of bald face hornets.

i believe i may have been stung by a few in my day!