Maize

 More Maple

~”Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”  ~Albert Camus

~”To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat.”  ~Beverly Nichols

available at Garden Shoes Online

]]> http://blog.gardenshoesonline.com/index.php/z-is-for-zinnia/feed/ 1 http://blog.gardenshoesonline.com/index.php/u-is-for/ http://blog.gardenshoesonline.com/index.php/u-is-for/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:42:23 +0000 Teresa http://blog.gardenshoesonline.com/?p=10191  these Unique, Unwanted bottles that were unearthed when we dug up the ground for the Company Garden.

 Since we had nowhere to plant our zinnias and marigolds we planted from seed, I decided they would make a great border for the seedlings. 

  Should be interesting to see if the bunnies “like”  the flowers or if we will get to enjoy them with our Utterly beautiful bottle border.

Speaking of Utterly, Garden Shoes Online now offers Authentic Haven Brand Compost Tea~ the natural, organic way to fertilize your garden.

except for the ants but don’t worry if the ants go marching one by one onto your peony buds.  Peonies do not cause ants to infest your garden and home. 

 There is nectar on the buds that attracts the ants from your garden and you notice them because you are admiring your beautiful peony plant and it’s wonderful perfumed scent. 

 Once the flowers bloom, they are less interested and will go away. 

Some say they are the Pollinators of the Plant.  They are not.  Others say they aid the blossom in opening, yet some bloom without ants, so they must not be a necessity in the blooming process. 

In any case, the ants aren’t harmful. 

 Just shake them off the flowers when you cut them to bring inside.  I  lightly spray the flowers while holding them upside down in my sink. That often gets rid of the ants that are hiding.

You can’t blame them really, if I was that small I couldn’t think of a more Pleasant mountain to climb. 

~”To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat.”  ~Beverly Nichols

~”Can we conceive what humanity would be if it did not know the flowers?”  ~Maurice Maeterlinck

 While deciding on plants for my own yard as well as our company garden, one of my favorites immediately came to mind.  Nasturtiums.

Not only are they are one of the easiest plants to grow, are prolific bloomers and self seeders, they bloom in many bright colors. 

They like direct sunlight but some prefer partial shade which makes them ideal for most situations. 

 One of the really fun perks is that the entire plant is completely edible, but it’s the flowers with their slightly peppery taste that are used the most, usually  as a colorful addition to salads.  

 Another great thing about nasturtiums is that they repel some insect pests like squash bugs and cucumber beetles so they are ideal to plant around your vegetable garden.

 Without a doubt I will be planting these wonderful flowers again in my own back yard and I think Nasturtiums  will be a great compliment to our company garden as well.

~”People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.”  ~Iris Murdoch

The weekend project from our house was not only fun, it was easy as well.  My husband and I bought a great metal rack with four foot long shelves and put it together.  Then we purchased four shop lights with daylight bulbs. 

 The guy at Home Depot saw us deciding what to get and was so excited to show us exactly what he used to set up their growing station on display.  It was his second year of seed starting there and his enthusiasm was contagious.  I have to say I was pleased to meet him.  Probably the last person I would have figured as a gardener, not only by his style, but also by his age. Young and hip but loving the garden chat and wanting to share what he knew.  I found it so uplifting to meet him and feel his spirit.  He spoke of his favorite heirloom tomato plants, his garage wall vertical garden and the miracle of the sprouting seeds.  Made the whole project all the better.  Nice to know there are youth getting interested in gardening.  He was inspired by his job.  I think that made it even better.

Once the shelves were put together and the lights were hung, I planted my seeds and set them under the lights.  We will see how it goes.  Seed starting has never been a strong point of mine, but hopefully this year will be better. The only problem I found was that I wish we had made two shelves. 

So many seeds, so little space. 

~”One of the most enduring friendships in history — dogs and their people, people and their dogs.~Terry Kay         

  

~” Can we conceive what humanity would be if it did not know the flowers?”  ~Maurice Maeterlinck

 

 

 

 

 

rainbops rainboots

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G is for Gerbera Daisy looking awesome in red!

~”The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.  “~Mark Twain

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