Cold weather will be here too soon.

Everything seemed fresh and new despite the fact that it’s now October. 

The bees were working hard and a hummingbird even whizzed by while I was holding a bouquet I had just cut.

  I think he thought about zooming in on the flowers I was holding but then after hovering for a second or two, changed his mind and flew off to land in a nearby tree.

 Gave me a thrill that’s for sure ~even if it was just  a fleeting sight and a whizzing sound before he was gone.  I am going to miss my garden this winter.  Moments like that are what fuel the fire for next spring and all the maybe’s for the garden that will be,

at least in my mind.

 ~”Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”  ~Albert
Einstein

Time to dust off the garden tools and think spring. 

This should include being prepared for the first nice spring day by knowing which shoes, boots or clogs you will slip on to greet the new year of gardening. 

  Some folks may say they prefer an old pair of sneakers, flip flops or just plain old barefoot. 

That’s fine, but wearing a pair of gardening shoes will extend your gardening time and pleasure so more can be accomplished and enjoyed. 

 I’d dare say that most people that experience a good pair of footwear in the garden will be hard pressed to venture out there again in bare feet.  Not to mention the pedicure problems that can be avoided as well as health and safety issues for your feet. 

Warm feet that are dry and safe make it easier to stay out there long enough to accomplish the task at hand.  So whether you prefer clogs, boots or shoes, there are so many to choose from at Garden Shoes Online.

Do your feet and back a favor !  

May all your weeds be wildflowers.  ~ Author Unknown

~The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.  ~Gertrude S. Wister 

#90 

I went outside today and was surprised to see my stone patio finally getting moss in the cracks.  Upon closer inspection, I found that it was really plush and thick, soft to the touch, but longer than any moss I have ever seen. 

So although I am calling it moss, I am not sure if that is indeed what it is.  It could be tiny aliens growing in my back yard for all I know but it looks like moss to me.  In anycase it looks really good.  From the photos you can see how thick it is on the stones.  

This is a different kind of moss with an acorn laying on it-  or maybe it’s really a tiny house on a hillside. Maybe those tiny aliens live in it. 

Okay ….it’s really late and can you tell I need sleep.  

PS~If you know what kind of moss this is, let me know.  The internet says there are 12,000 different types of moss~I am very curious but way too tired to research it tonight.

Just got a text message from a friend…”My mini greenhouse has sprouts..it’s so exciting.” 

 Funny what a thrill we get from those little greenish yellow  plants poking out their heads to see the world.

 I think it’s innate in all of us to want to sow and reap from the Earth. 

 I mean, seriously, why else would we spend hours upon hours thinking and planning, then more hours doing back breaking work while swatting bugs and sweating?  There must be some great force that draws us to it. 

Of course there are the flowers and the vegetables but it’s not like we can’t acquire them without all the work. 

 We choose to garden. 

In some of us, it’s one of the most relaxing and enjoyable pastimes we can think of.  But unlike reading or knitting, we get our hands dirty and only have partial control over the outcome of our labors. 

Still we do it. 

Maybe that’s why we do it.

 There aren’t to many steadfast rules to follow.  We get to get dirty for a good reason, it gets us outdoors breathing in fresh air, gives us excercise and we have to work with nature as best as we can to get the outcome we are hoping for. 

What’s not to love?

~”But each spring…a gardening instinct, sure as the sap rising in the trees, stirs within us. We look about and decide to tame another little bit of ground.” ~ Lewis Gantt

 I saw my first robin the other day and flocks of geese were flying over this morning.  Woohoo! 

This post shows just about all my garden has to offer this week which is alot more than two weeks ago. 

I have my first (and second) Crocus and a daffodil blossom.

 To spite the soft ground, I may even get out there to rake up winter debris this weekend.  It is supposed to be in the sixties all weekend before a return to the high 30′s on Monday or Tuesday. 

 Sigh! Good things come to those who wait.  Right?  

 ~I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.  ~Ruth Stout

 Visis Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday!

We are having a spring giveaway for $200 to spend at Garden Shoes Online.  You get $10 just for entering that you can use to buy yourself something fun at GSO. Click on this message for all the details and how you can get extra chances to win, but Hurry there is only 2 days  left!

are comfy and waterproof. 

 I really like the way the top is a bit tighter and stretchy- It keeps the dirt out and makes them very comfortable.  They also kick off and slip on easily which makes it easy to run in the house if need be, especially this time of year when the ground is soft and muddy.

These hose off quickly as well which makes cleaning up a snap.  I have the wineberry color.

They are fun and functional which is a great combination.  It isn’t always easy looking good while gardening, but living in the city, across from a park, - gardening in my front yard involves chatting with people walking by.  Let me tell you, I am not always a lovely sight, but if I have great accessories that do their job AND happen to look good too, I am all for the extra help. At least it looks as though I am trying a little harder.  If only they could help with my hair, but that is another story…

Muck Daily Clogs are also a great slip on for the garden or to run out on an errand.  I don’t like them for regular everyday gardening as much as the shoes because I don’t like dirt getting on my feet. Those pedicured pigs need to look spiffy and I always get way more involved than I think I will, so a shoe is a better bet for me.  Some people might prefer the clog over the shoe, it’s a matter of preference. 

Sometimes you just need a boot instead of a shoe.  If you want to wear something that is a bit more durable on mucky ground that is deeper in dirt or mud, the Muck Scrub Boot is  a good choice.  It is waterproof, comfortable and it also comes in fun colors as well as the traditional green. 

Whatever your gardening needs are, one of these are sure to fit the job.  

~It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.  ~e.e. cummings

Enter the $200 Give Away from Garden Shoes Online

 I have shown them before but I can’t help displaying them once again for those that might have missed them.

 My  sons  call them “terrifying”.    

 They may not like them now, but one day when they think back on me, I am sure that these little guys will bring some fun memories.

 I should explain that my sons are grown.  One is 18 and the other is 29. 

Just to get back for all their inside jokes and cross room looks, I may have to hand them down to future grandchildren just to be sure they linger in my son’s lives for many, many years.  

I do want the last laugh.

 Or maybe they will eventually acquire a bit of my “good taste” and like them. 

 Who knows?    Anything can happen… Right?

~Half the interest of a garden is the constant exercise of the imagination.  ~Mrs. C.W. Earle

 Visit Suzanne at Coloradolady for Vintage Thingies Thursdays

  Could there be anything that exudes springtime more than bright yellow daffodils? 

 Even on a gloomy day it feels like sunshine when they are around.  

These were a surprise from my sweetie yesterday.

  He knows I NEED some spring time. 

So these are my blooms this friday! 

I am off to the Philadelphia Flower show tomorrow~ bright and early!

~A host of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. ~William Wordsworth

 Find out about Garden Shoes Online’s $200 give~away

These Garden Grip clogs are one of my favorite pairs of shoes.  I have worn them so much this winter because they are rugged and good in the messy weather.  My feet stay dry and warm and they are easy to slip on and off for errands or working in the yard.   

 They aren’t stiff, and really fit my high arches.  There’s a flex panel on the top that makes bending your foot comfy~that isn’t something I find very often~especially in clogs. 

 . 

 It’s nice to have on shoes that are ready for action.  Often, though I don’t intend to get working in the garden, something catches my eye and before I know it I am digging or raking or whatever.These soles have great traction in the grass, even on steep slopes like my front yard.  

They are great for gardening chores because they have  a composite shank, so you don’t hurt your foot when you shovel.  They also have water and stain resistant leather as well as an inside liner that keeps your feet comfortably dry. 

  Of course, if there’s more than an inch or two of  sloppy weather I wouldn’t wear them, I would switch to a boot, but in the case of needing traction when it’s  a bit slushy or muddy, these are so easy to slip on and go. I used them in the garden last fall and again, as long as you aren’t in deep dirt or mud, these really do the job.