Friends Across The Miles

I have been blogging for a couple of years now
and one of the things that impresses me the most
is the friendships that spring forth and grow from it.

 

Yes, there are always those that come and go.
Others that you have written to may just come up missing
from the blog world and you wonder what happened to them.
Are they having troubles at home or just giving up blogging
or are they perhaps having health issues and are sick.

 

With some we may never know the answer but then there
are those few you feel that even if you may never meet them in person you just feel a connection and a genuine friendship for
that stretches across the miles.

 

 

Kylee over at ‘Our Little Acre’ has a posting about just such
a friendship that  has sprung up through blogging.
She tells getting to know and meeting her blogging and twitting
friend and how now that friend is ill and needs our prayers.
Right away even if I did not personally know her friend or
even visited her blog you offer a prayers and  encouragement
for them that reaches across the miles.
If the only good that came of this thing called blogging
it may be to reach out with friendship, hearts and prayers to
our fellow men and women. Even if you do not pray it still
touches your heart and you feel  for another.

There have been many bloggers that I have come to feel
a real friendship for and I would surely miss them if they
were not here.  That I so appreciate their friendship, giving
hearts, their prayers and concern for what touches my life.
I want to thank you all for reaching across the miles.

Everyone Think Spring!

Central Ohio Home & Garden Show Opening

Hello everyone!
I just wanted to remind everyone that the Central Ohio
Home & Garden Show opens tomorrow.
The show will kick off on Saturday February 27 and run
through Sunday March 7th at the Expo Center in
Columbus, Ohio, spanning two weeks.
Show hours are Saturdays 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.; Sundays
11 am.- 6 p.m.; Closed Monday. Tuesday and
Thursday 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. and Wednesday and
Friday Noon – 9 p.m..
Tickets are $10 for adults. Children ages 12 and under
are admitted free.

 

 

The Theme of the show is “ Art in Bloom” so with this as
the theme it is bound to be dazzling.
With 14 large sized gardens with garden companies
' themes ranging from Monet-style,
French Riviera Architecture, Art Nouveau and more!
This year's show is sure to blow all of the past shows away,
with more exhibitors, gardens and talent than ever before!
Many of the garden exhibitors will also be featuring edible
elements within their gardens, ranging from vegetable and
herb gardens to honey in beehives. You don't want to miss
out on the beautiful plant textures, colors and newest
gardening accessories this year!
More than 400 exhibits and attractions will be featured.

 

 

Tracy DiSabato-Aust will wow Home & Garden Show
guests with her horticultural knowledge and vibrant
stage presence when she appears at the 2010 Central
Ohio Home & Garden Show, presented by PNC.

DiSabato-Aust takes the Garden Stage at 1 and 3 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010. During her appearances,
DiSabato-Aust will offer tips for making your garden
the best it can be. She'll also answer questions and
sign autographs following each appearance.

 

 

MEET Shane Tallant, host of HGTV's Designed To Sell,
appears at the Central Ohio Home & Garden Show, presented
by PNC, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010.

 

 

Also added this year, two cake decorating contests to
the line up!
The Dispatch Amateur Cake Decorating Contest will occur
on Sunday, Feb. 28; A Professional Cake Decorating Contest
will occur Sunday, March 7.

Special guest judges for the professional contest will include
Food Network's Ace of Cakes stars Geof Manthorne and
Mary Alice Yeskey. They will take the the Home Idea
Center Stage at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 7, 2010.

 

 

KIDS DAY, Sunday, Feb. 28: with Kids Korner activities
presented by WWHO, from 11a.m.-1 p.m. with mascot;
Columbus Zoo animals from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Other special appearances will include: Diana Garber of
Intuitive Concepts , Robin Davis of the Dispatch kitchen,
Academy Jill Jacobs Young Chefs Academy , Keith Adams
of Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails , Jamie More and
Adam Welly of Wayward Seed Farm , Karen Ricker of
the Metro Parks and Guy Lane of Outdoor Living.

 

 

Appearances from my own Hocking County area
will be Chef Anthony Schultz Exec. Chef from
Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls and
Artist Jean Magdich of Hocking House Gardens.

 

Since I am attending at a later time this year I will be watching
for pictures from those who have attended the opening
and waiting to hear what everyone thought about the show.

 

 

Since it is also Fertilizer Friday at our Tootsie's
home at "Tootsie Time" what better way to Flaunt
Those Flowers than to show some of last years
Garden Show pictures. I just wish the weather would
have cooperated more for the big opening tomorrow.

 

 

Everyone Enjoy the Garden Show!

 

 

 

 

If you hear a big scream it is just me lambasting  Blogger.
Having the same problem as you did DP.

Does not want to save or publish it. So here I  come
Windows Live!!!!

Midnight in the Garden

I Remember Sunshine

 

I remember sunshine that is that bright glaring
light we had a few weeks ago wasn’t it.

 

That is that bright light that now wants to blind
us as it hits the snow and reflects into our eyes.
That glare and sparkle that makes the birds sing
as they set in the trees around the bird feeders.

 

We are having some temperatures in the forties and
some of the snow is melting down. The shoveled path
between the house and the garage is actually showing
some green grass now. The giant icicles that we have
been having to knock down are now melting and
sliding off the roof. Everyone watch your heads!

 

 

All of the snow covered tree boughs are now bare
once again and there are blue skies beyond the trees.

The sun is so welcome and I am soaking it up while it
lasts because winter is not yet done showing its muscle
but spring is getting nearer with each day that passes.

Soon the Hyacinths will be blooming in the
flower beds. 

The Tulips will open there bright petals to add
color to a browned and drab yard.

Soon the  Ferns and Tiarella will unfurl their leaves
and reach for the sunlight.

 

The Daffodils will bloom with their sunshine
yellow blooms against backgrounds of green.
Yes, we here in Ohio are dreaming of spring
and the spring flowers it brings.
Until then we will enjoy the blooms of our fellow
gardeners who are fortunate enough to already
have spring flowers starting to bloom.

 

I got mail too Darla! LOL!
This is what I received yesterday in the mail from Darla
at More Family and Flowers from the Giveaway contest
she held. So many wonderful goodies that any gardener
would love. She really knew what to send to decorate those
containers of mine.  Pretty plant stakes of watering cans
and frogs. An the sweetest little hummingbird feeder stake
to add to a container. I just love them and they never have
cute things like that around here. A beautiful card and fridge
magnet full of  ‘Hope’. For growing a packet of white cosmos
that I am going to be anxious to get growing. Also some
Liatris  to plant this spring.
Darla how did you know I had never grown
them and have been wanting to try them. I have seen them in
other gardeners beds and they looked so pretty.
Thank you so much! I just love everything.
Now I am even more anxious and cannot wait to get
them out into the containers this spring.
Thank you so much!
I see Blotanical is up and running again so I will have to go investigate.
Hope Everyone is Having a Wonderful Weekend
and
Happy Gardening Everyone !

 

 

Small Beginnings

 

This week was spent with a little indoor gardening
since the white stuff dominates the great outdoors.

The geraniums are doing very well and I got them
transplanted into their pots.

 The little greenhouse is slowly filling up with
new seedlings so I do have a small amount of green
going on at least indoors.

The mutated amaryllis ‘Grand Cru’ did put on a few
more gorgeous blooms. The stem may have been bent and
scarred but its blooms were beautiful.
I have one more amaryllis that has taken its sweet time
to get buds on it to share later. Although everyone may be
getting tired of amaryllis pictures I still welcome the big
beautiful blooms this winter.
Maybe it waited so long because it knew it would be
more welcome later in the winter.

 

We are having some beautiful sunshine today and
warmer temps so maybe some of the slow will slowly melt down and the icicles will come down.
But another snowstorm is coming in the first of the week
so it well just be making some room for the new snow to
come in.

 

“ Flaunt those Flowers ” whether from last summer, new
beginnings or your indoor bloomers for us frozen gardeners
to look at.
Also word has it that Stuart at Blotanical is moving to
a new server so maybe  it all means we will be having
a revamped and faster Blotanical when it comes back online.
I for one am missing it and was glad to have had many of you
on my Google Reader to keep in touch with.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend.

 

Summer Containers Part 2

Good afternoon everyone!
Hope everyone survived another round of snow.
I really got to take down the " Let it Snow" and
" Welcome Winter" signs on the front porch because
this is getting ridiculous. For years I have kept track of
the weather almost everyday by writing snowfalls, rains,
ice, high and low temperatures, etc on my calenders and
then carrying it all over on the new years calendar, so I
have kept track of the snow for this month and it is 30
inches so far for February here in the hills.
I know it is not as much as some of those living farther
east have gotten this month but I am getting tired of
all of this white stuff. I have come to the
conclusion that I would never survive living in Alaska or
parts north of Ohio. They would probably find me walking
around muttering to myself on some back road. LOL!
Come to think of it I do that muttering thing
already on a regular basis.
Oh well, I guess we get what we will get so might as
well make the best of it.





Since there is nothing blooming now but another budding
Amaryllis in the works I thought I would do a part two on
the Summer containers.





Some of you who have read some of my postings
know I love to use baskets as planters so this will
be a repeat for you I am afraid.

All year long as we visit yard sales, flea markets, the
Salvation Army or Goodwill stores I have my eye out for
baskets. I love all shapes and sizes and you can pick up
some really cheap ones if you are watching for them.





Since they get a lot of water and are out in the weather
they sometimes only last a few years in the garden beds
but they are great for sticking around where you need a
punch of color at the certain times of the growing season.





I will recycle an old plastic grocery or store bag to line
the baskets. Punch a few holes for water drainage
and then fill them up.

Some of the baskets are planted for the shady beds
and some are for the sunny ones.
I have more shade at times in many of the beds
but the baskets are easy to move around to make
sure they get some sunlight.

I set them everywhere and even hang them on
trees and decorating fences.

I even have an old wicker clothes basket that I fill with
impatiens and set in the woodland bed to brighten
it up. That basket usually ends up getting the impatiens
that are leftover after filling other containers so it
can get pretty bright and funky some summers.
I also realized I do not have one picture of it.
That is strange, maybe it has always been to funky
looking, it is surely not this lack of a sharp memory
of mine.

A basket of white impatiens hanging on a shady tree
glows in the evening or at night.




An old favorite is to fill up old bushel baskets with
mums for Fall decorating.

You can spray paint them up in white or cool colors to add
even more color to the garden, patio or your porches.




But if baskets are just not your thing you can always
plant an old grill.....



a little word of caution at this point - the bottom will
eventually be lying on the ground one morning when you
go out to water with soil and plants all in a pile and the
Styrofoam peanuts that you added to use less soil will
be blowing all over the yard.

... or you could plant an old mailbox that some kind
soul has taken a baseball bat or rock to.



Happy Gardening Everyone!