January 2009

Garden Bloggers Spring Fling 2009: Chicago!

January 31, 2009

Last April, a couple dozen garden bloggers flew into Austin, Texas, wondering if they were nuts to meet up with a bunch of total strangers. In a word: no. First of all, they were not total strangers. Many of them had been reading each other’s blogs regularly, offering advice, compliments and sympathy in the comments [...]

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Botanical Interests Seed Giveaway

January 30, 2009

Congratulations to Robbie, who won some free seeds from Botanical Interests at Carol’s giveaway! Those of you who didn’t win have another chance. The giveaway here is just a bit different. First go over to Botanical Interests and look over their offerings. Then list the six seed packets (excluding the large packets) you’d like to [...]

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Hand-painted Adirondack chairs build community spirit in Clinton, NY

January 27, 2009

If you’re looking for a way to jazz up your garden this summer, you would do well to follow the example of the good people of Clinton, NY. For the past two years, the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Kirkland Art Center (KAC), have been running an event they call Art Rocks. [...]

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Designing with Native Plants: Creating Sustainable Landscapes for the Finger Lakes & Upstate New York

January 19, 2009

Just learned of a fabulous workshop on designing with native plants for the Finger Lakes and upstate New York. Here’s a brief synopsis of the offerings: Creating Habitats for Birds on Properties Large and Small Stephen W. Kress, National Audubon Society and Lab of Ornithology Learn how to attract birds using the native plants they [...]

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day January 2009

January 15, 2009

Yes, this is it. One measly Christmas cactus blossom. The last one, and no longer in its prime, at that. I’ve learned my lesson. Winter is just too long to go without flowers. Next year I will invest in something–amaryllis, hyacinths forced in glass, florist’s cyclamen from the store. I don’t know what it will [...]

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In the Garden with Jane Austen: Book Review

January 13, 2009

I first read Pride and Prejudice in grade school, when my grandmother put a volume of Readers Digest Condensed Classics for Children in my hands. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice (unabridged) several times since then, but I never had a good grasp of the culture of that day and missed some subtle humor in the [...]

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