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My sweet friend invited me to Val Easton's book launch at the UofW Center for Urban Horticulture this evening-what a treat! If you haven't read anything by Val, I highly recommend her books and articles for this winter's garden reading.
Val's new book "The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden" is full of new concepts and oodles of beautiful photographs. Empty nesters, Val & her husband moved to a smaller home on Whidbey Island a few years ago at that same time her husband announced he was done being the garden boy; he was going to enjoy kayaking, and other activities outside the garden(I am soooooo not mentioning that part to my DH!)! She said it took her three years before she finally decided he was seriously not going to help her any more so she designed a garden she could manage herself. She now has time to enjoy the same activities.
Several years ago I attended Bible study at my sweet friend's house-she lived right across the street from Val in her Seattle house. I was honored to tour her lavish gardens back then-all the while thinking - oh my....tons of work. We have very similar taste-fewer flowers than most, prefer foliage of various texture & colors. Seeing Val's new, smaller garden certainly has my mind whirling tonight....
The book is chock full of fantastic ideas to help simplify your garden (and your life) including how to incorporate edibles into your garden and installing smart, sustainable hardscape.
Enjoy!
~Andrea
Hello All~
It has been a crazy busy summer/beginning fall around our home. We met a group of friends & family at the Grand Canyon on 9/13 and hiked down the South Kaibob trail to the Phantom Ranch. We left the next morning and hiked up Bright Angel, ending at El Tovar Hotel-with nice hot showers! Absolutely breathtaking.
The gals in the group (I am in the white top):
Cabin at the bottom-Phantom Ranch:
We spent time in Phoenix before and after our hike. These are seeds pods I found in Arizona-please pm me if you want some. I collected a ton for GG members:
Another view:
We left Phoenix to visit a daughter at The Art Institute of Chicago & my husband's family in DeKalb. My husband's family owned import dealerships in DeKalb-this was a trade-in back in 1967. It has 30,000 orig miles 1966 Austin Healy. I love this car:
This was on the same memory card-for Thirdgeneration. Before our trip, we spent a glorious day at a wholesale event. She liked this pot & wanted to show her DH:
These are containers I did for a client last week-on the same memory card so why not add them to this blog/
In addition to the long trip during the last two weeks, we also moved DD into her dorm room. Thankfully, after her initial concerns, she is doing well ;)
We were blessed with a long, beautiful summer, but fall has officially arrived in the PNW. My car windows were covered with dew this morning and It's raining tonight.
When do the plant catalogs start appearing in our mailboxes?
Good Night~Andrea
The following was posted under "Greenhouses and Coldframes" without any response. So I thought more eyes might read it here:
My sweet husband is building a plant room (11x12) for me in our garage. He asked me if he could vent our laundy room via ducting & fan into the new room....hmmmm I have no experience with personal greenhouses. While this isn't an acutal greenhouse, it will be set up similarly. What do you all think of his idea? We had an egress window installed and should probably add an outside vent as well, but what about the humidity coming in from the dryer?
Thanks in advance for you assistance!~Andrea
WoW-we are finally done preparing, celebrating & entertaining. We had such a fun time celebrating DD's graduation, but it was a lot of work. As we all know, there's nothing like a party at your house to get that wish list done! The garden was tidy but, unfortunately, the grass seed didn't cooperate enough. We had a huge space from the blue monster last year that needed attention.
The hard winter toasted my hedge at the entrance to the courtyard, so I tore it out along with the Hebe that bordered the ramp. So before the party, I replanted the hedge with Buxus 'Wanford Page' and edged the ramp with Carex testacea 'Orange sedge'.
I took a bunch of photos while the new grass was being watered this afternoon, they are under my new album "6/15/2009".
We have had beautiful weather for the last two weeks so we are all looking forward to plant growth and possible blooms soon!
Enjoy!
Andrea
My baby is graduating high school. DD will be off to a private Christian University to study whatever she is finally guided to do. My guess would be a life in service.
The photographer shot over 200 photos and recently gave us a sneak peek, this one with Gracie Girl was a favorite. DD loves her pup.
We have a blended family. This is such a bittersweet time for us, oldest living in Idaho, one already at college in Illinois, two more are off to college in September-one out of state (son w/o any desire for portraits) the other local, but living on campus. The last child will be a senior in the fall so we are fast approaching empty nester syndrome.....I may have to get another dog! Actually, a horse is in my future as well as another great service organization I can plug into.
My other thought is to totally gut my gardens and design a very low maintenance area. DH is all for a streamlined garden w/little upkeep....What exactly does that mean? I am thinking containers w/drip systems & gravel.....argh.
OMGosh, have I found the best invention for gardeners....I LOVE mine:
http://www.muscleandarmfar
m.com/testimonials.htm
Not only do the cushy knee pads save my legs, I keep soooooo much cleaner-double win. The added benefit is the customer service of Muscle and Arm Farm is top notch.
Enjoy!
~Andrea
Okay, it's fun to share gardening information online, but I have wanted to meet members in person since I joined. I still think it would be a blast to have an annual summer party, whoever makes it-does!
Well, tonight I was priviledged to meet a new member, Thirdgeneration and her wonderful husband. We exchanged plants, plant successes and others.
It was such a treat to be in the presence of such a lovely young enthusiastic couple.
Best~Andrea
We were privileged to see a hummer sitting on her nest at a local nursery last week. I swept through to take a peek yesterday, but no babies. Before I headed over the mountains to see my dad this afternoon, I dropped in again-still no babes. There are two rows of Daphne about ten feet away, mom flies over there every so often to fill up. I was hoping to get the right angle & snap a photo of the babies without disturbing the new family.....we'll see. They are due this week so I will have to pop in on my way home Wednesday
These were taken today:
This is my sweet Gracie before I left. My dad will not allow her inside; since she is a princess and it's 20+wind chill here so I left her at home with DH. Years ago my dad had heated & sheltered outdoor kennels set up for his Vizslas but I think even being outside covered & warm would be devastating to her! She sleeps with DD or us ;) . While my dad visited during Thanksgiving & Christmas, he got the biggest kick out of not petting Gracie(goofy German humor)-ever-she went nuts following him everywhere trying to get his attention. Cavaliers are bred for companionship so being left alone or not pet is punishment! I am a total pet person, while I prefer dogs & horses, we've had everything for the kids to enjoy. How can you not pet an animal?!? Sooooo, I just loaded the memory card to his digital photo frame with tons of Gracie photos. Maybe seeing her face often will send a positive subliminal message ;)
Enjoy,
~Andrea
I spent the day at the NW Flower & Garden Show in Seattle-20 minutes away (http://www.gardenshow.com/
seattle/index/index.cfm
.
The morning was spent with one dear friend and the afternoon another, they both had scheduling conflicts but wanted to attend-neither had ever been…So, good friend that I am-I sacrificed my whole day to make certain they had a memorable experience….Certainly none of you are buying that line, I was in total bliss and they both knew it! We had so much fun, bought a few plants, talked with many informative growers and saw several stunning display gardens. Though we had a blast, I really missed attending with my darling partner in crime-Mosaic2007. She moved to OR a few years ago, but did take a train up for the show last year-hopefully she will be able to come up for 2010.
My favorite display included a variety of vertical garden walls. We saw the same principle applied at Chelsea last May and I was hooked. I have been mulling the idea over for quite some time, now I am ready to tackle the concept.
These are my newly acquired treasures:
Abutilon hybrid ‘Red Tiger’x2
Abutilon megapotanicum ‘Vesuvlus’
Anthyllis vulneria coccinea x 2
Asclepias-‘Red Butterfly’x2
Begonia fuchsioides “Red’
Begonia luxurians-Palm Leaf Begonia
Crocosmia-Queen Charlotte, and several others
Dicentra scandens-Climbing Bleeding Heart-yellow
Lilium pumilum
Syneilesis acontitifolia-Tattered Umbrella
I added a new album filled with photos of the day.
Enjoy
~Andrea
My darling daughter has been working on her senior project for several months. For those of you who do not have a HS student or do not have this requirement, I will explain.
Each senior in our school district must complete a project & receive a passing score before graduating. The student submits a written description of their project to be approved by the board. Once approved(which is a feat in itself), the student sets out to complete the project by the due date. They must then present their project to a board showing evidence and a written conclusion, etc....I have sat on the board and was surprised at the vast range of acceptable projects. I have very mixed feelings about the senior project anyway....the kids are already trying to keep their grades up for college, working, taking their final SAT & ACTs, applying to colleges & hunting for scholarship $$-all of which is very time consuming. Then to have the senior project hanging over their heads kind of bothers me. Additionally, the guidelines are soooo vague.
Okay, I have talked about my friend who's sweet daughter(now 5 1/2yo) had a brain injury two years ago. She is the one who we organize a huge garden party for every spring and we get her flower beds weeded, new compost & gravel, etc. Anyhoo, my daughter came up with the idea to do something for that family. The little gal needs tons of therapy-not covered by insurance-to regain more brain function. Sooooo, my daughter organized an auction & it was held last Friday night.
The amount of quality items donated was baffling-not tax deductible for corporations or any of the attendees because my daughter does not have 501c3 status The range was huge from a $25 coffee gift card, personal trainer, beach house, lake side condo, Wii, Wii Fit, costume jewelry, interior designer, birthday parties at local establishments, restaurant gift certificates, custom bleach trays, etc, etc. There was a raffle for a small quilt, silent & live auction & boxes for donations around. Plus, author, Karen Kingsbury, donated "Forever in Fiction"-she will write a book about this sweet little girl & all who donated will have their names listed as supporters. DD had dessert, coffee, tea & juice served. She raised a total of $13676.00!!!! I am sooooo proud of her. She still has no idea of the impact her project has made, but I am certain she has learned life long lessons.
On a garden note; I included a photo (side profile)of the planter I donated to the auction. It felt so good to dig in the dirt & smell the plants as I arranged them in the container.
I can hardly wait until spring! We have had freezing cold and snow off & on for quite a long time now. I went for a 6 mile walk w/my friend tonight & over two hours later, am still chilled to the bone. I know I lost my new Mediterranean Fan palm for certain, but am still holding out hope for the two Loquat trees, Tetrapanax & Gunnera. This is the first year I left some Brugmansias in the ground-what a winter for that test!
~Andrea
Oh we have had a lovely white Christmas week, but we are ready for it to be gone! We woke up to more beautiful flakes falling and three more inches on the ground. Our major problem with any amount of snow around here is there are really very few people (myself included) living in the Seattle area with great driving skills in these conditions, hence, tons of accidents, etc. We rarely get any accumulation that lasts long, so it's a novelty when we do. The locals have not had much practice driving in the stuff. Plus we have a million steep hills and there are only three snow plows for all of western Washington (okay, maybe four). We are looking forward to a visit from my dad tomorrow, he will drive over Snoqualmie pass in the morning as long as the forecasted snow holds off.
Today (glad we bought a fountain heater last week!):
August 9, 2008:
Today:
August 2008:
It will be interesting to see what survives. This is the first year I have left my Brugs in the ground-figures!
Have a very blessed Christmas celebration. Be safe, enjoy your family, friends and the reason we celebrate.
~Andrea
We should finally have a truly white Christmas this year. Schools have been closed most of the week. This is a ton of snow for the Seattle area. I am a little concerned about several tropical plants I have in containers. As well as my Australian Tree fern we planted last April..
We went to a wedding in Seattle last night. We wouldn't have ventured that far(usually 20 minutes-took 90), but it was a family member's wedding. The bride was thirty minutes late due to the road conditions! The weather may not have been what she had hoped for, but it certainly was a lovely addition to all of her other special touches. Thankfully th
e reception was very close to the church. We were happy to finally arrive at the restaurant and really did not want to leave knowing how treacherous the drive home would be...plus it was a beautiful setting watching the snow fall at the Locks-if you're familiar with the area.
Here we are before we left last night:
This was taken about thirty minutes ago. The walkway has been shoveled twice today! We are all going sledding after dinner:
Have a very safe & blessed Christmas celebration! ~Andrea
Dare I post about what an idiot I am? Yes, I will, for the sole purpose of being yet another voice of caution to other animal owners. I accept full responsibility & feel extremely nauseated.
I use only organic products in garden & on my lawn, with two exceptions 1)an occasional baiting of slugs as a last resort (eggshells, beer hotels, etc. have not done the trick) 2) hand painted Round-up on Lamium last year. This year I have battled snails, which is new. Combine the snails with the over-population of slugs is the PNW and you can imagine my garden this year-lacy leaves everywhere. I was bound and determined to eradicate the buggers before they hibernated over the winter....So, I over applied slug/snail pellets, I went crazy throwing the stuff everywhere. I was even gleeful knowing they would not kill my garden next year.....Such an idiot.
I knew full well slug & snail bait could be harmful to dogs, I expected contact i.e., walking on the powder, etc. I just didn't think dogs would actually eat the pellet form. I have always had dogs and have always used bait-not pellets though. I am sad to say my daughter's 10yo baby went hog wild devouring the small patch I had dropped on the grass yesterday, I stopped him immediately & gave him water (as much as a dog will drink for you-not much). Many hours later I noticed him pacing at my feet so I kept an eye on him, but also thought he was trying to get more dinner out of me(denial). Within thirty minutes of his pacing, he began shaking. I immediately googled dog slug/snail bait poisoning and read up on the topic-decided not to try ipecac & charcoal, called emergency vet & met my daughter there.....So thankful to report he is still alive this morning! He had a difficult time last night and had to be sedated to have his stomach pumped-again.
Thankfully, my sweet 24yo daughter is gracious and forgiving and is not upset with me, just worried about her darling dog. I am on my way to visit & hopefully bring him home, but possibly transfer him to our vet's clinic.
Okay, all packed for the 60mile walk starting tomorrow morning. We leave at 4:45am. The start time is 6:30am, but I finished registration after the deadline to have my credentials mailed so have to go to will call prior to the start. I am expecting this to be quite an experience. I lost my dear 39yo friend right after my husband passed away at 40 several years ago. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 96-lived completely healthy and in her own lovely home in Tipton, IA until almost 102 before it took her-she gardened up to the last week! I have two aunts that have battled the disease and I just had my second biopsy last week-benign-PTL! I have not heard one person without a personal experience with breast cancer.
On top of all the emotion and energy, I know my attention will be diverted to all the gardens we will be passing as we walk. A few years ago I did the Seattle Half-Marathon and kept slowing down as we passed through the most lovely neighborhoods bordering Lake Washington. The majority of those gardens are professionally designed-wish I had room for a camera!. Our weather is supposed to be in the upper 70's-whew, no rain in sight!!
Our team name is : Live, Laugh & Love. Please keep us in your prayers!
~Andrea
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