Well, it's about freakin' time

My Scilla peeking it's head above ground to see if it's safe to make an appearance.

The survivors of the 2008 Crocus/squirrel massacre.

Finally! After this cold, snowy winter, dare I whisper it - spring may be here. Granted, today is cold, gray with showers threatening later in the day but you know what they say about April Showers. I haven't had much to say on here this winter. That's mostly because there hasn't been a whole lot going on outside and worth writing about. I do have some lovely orchid blossoms right now and I should take some photos of them for you all. But, I took a long winter's nap from the landscape.

I started puttering around outside two weekends ago and started my spring clean up. I think everything came back this year but the jury is still out on some of my marginal Carex who made it through last year. Last year was a treat, I had annual salvia that made it (I'm not hopeful about that this year.) I have a plan to move all of the herbs out of the raised beds and into containers on Deckzilla. The method behind that madness is to a) make them more accessible (I hate fumbling around out there in the dark) and b) to make some more space in the beds for veggies. I have been waiting for some more consistant weather to come before I seed lettuce and peas out there. I think this weekend, I will go for it. I can no longer deny it, I have been seriously considering buying one of those upside down growing systems for the tomatoes. Gardener Supply Catalog has them and I think I'm going to get one and see how they do. No guts, not glory, right??

All of the inhabitants of Lake Larson seem to have made it through another winter! There have been reports of a heron flying around earlier this winter. I told Eric he should place the nets out soon and I plan to buy some water lettuce as soon as the threat of frost lessens. I haven't done much serious work with the pond because the water is frigid. This is the year I buy waders to work out in it...

Spot and Chunk (Yes, we named the gold one after the Goonie :)~ )

Ugh, I have some work to do....

Movie Night for Trees

Movie Night for Trees!

Presented by the Providence Tree Advisory Committee

When: Friday, April 3, 5:30 – 7:30

Where: Eddy Hall, Bell Street Chapel, 5 Bell St. (just off Broadway, parking lot behind on Grove St.)

Cost: Free

More info: Call Doug Still, City Forester, 785-9450 x219

Come celebrate the arrival of spring and a new tree-planting season! Please join the Providence Tree Advisory Committee for a viewing of two films that will raise your spirits and inspire you to roll up your sleeves.

The Man Who Planted Trees

Based on a short story written by Jean Giorno, this animated film is an allegorical tale about a shepherd who single-handedly reforested a desolate valley in the foothills of the Alps in southern France. The winner of many awards including an Oscar, this one will tug on your heartstrings!

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai

This documentary is the story of Wangari Maathia, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Kenya whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy. This award-winning film directed by Alan Mater and Lisa Merton was shown last year at the RI International Film Festival.

The final product

Honorable Mention in the Non-Profit category!!

Well, I survived the 2009 flower show this year! LOL...I did take today off and spent it straightening up the house and with the boys. It amazes me how much that week kicks my butt! However, I do think it gets easier with each year. This show went by fast...I'm not sure if it was because I know what to expect now or the hordes of visitors. I noticed a huge difference in the number of people who attended the show this year...lots more and more from further away. Thankfully this year, we had no snow which caused a day last year to be a complete wash out. I am so excited to have met so many people who are excited about the upcoming spring as I am!!!

I am taking a hiatus from designing the exhibit for the 2010 flower show because of my being busy with the Presidency of RINLA. It's okay though...it's time for someone else to get their moment in the spotlight!

RI Flower Show 2009; Part II

Here are the rest of the photos from today's progress -









As we do more detail work tomorrow and make the finishing touches, I'll keep taking photos and post them again. I'm still in the same booth - 313 - as in year's past. Come by and say HI!!!!

I have to laugh, I use my Witch Hazel as my signal for the Flower Show...it has bloomed Flower Show week each year since I planted it. The Show is a week early this year and I figured the Witch Hazel would miss it and bloom next week. Nope, she's blooming outside (not as strong as normal) but she's got the timing right. How did she know!!!! :)

Rhode Island Flower Show 2009!

Yes! I am back at the show for my fourth time as the RINLA exhibit and as a marketplace participant. The theme of the show this year is "Gardens of the World" and our garden is based on Tuscany/Italy. I'm channelling my inner Italian (I'm a quarter Italian!) and came up with this year's design. We're on the second day of the construction at the show site but the building itself has been in the works since December. I've been taking a bunch of photos along the way as we have been building.

The hardscape and the building were the bulk of the work on Sunday (I wasn't there for that) and yesterday. We had gotten a couple of the plants spaced out and planted...but we had to wait for the walkway completion before we got too far.






Today, all of the plant material came from Lake St. Garden Center up in NH. They force a good part of the flowers we use in the exhibit. We tweaked the walkway and the patio a bit today and incorporated another type of block and made a border and some neat features in the patio. So, once the landscapers got that all done, I was able to start placing and planting the remaining plant material. There were some challenges with this exhibit because the layout had changed and I didn't have enough space in some places and too much in others. Some of the plants didn't come and some I had both more and less numbers of what I needed. I followed my plan more or less as a guide and did a lot of designing on the fly. I am pleased with the outcome despite some uncertainty with layout and plants.

I'm going to make another post with more photos...this post is going to be ridiculously long if I don't.

Well, this is definitely news worthy...

There was a smaller inauguration which happened in Rhode Island at the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association annual meeting today. Yup...I am writing to you as the new RINLA President for 2009. I am so excited about the opportunities this will bring and the work I have in front of me. Change is also a catch phrase I have heard throughout these past couple of weeks and especially today from the RINLA members. I have a great board of directors backing me and I think we all can make some good changes to the organization. I am ready for this challenge and new direction for The Garden Consultant.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Here we are on another snowy day in Rhode Island. I've been taking it easy this past holiday week. I'm caught up with projects and waiting for the holidays to pass and clients to get home from travelling. It was much needed. For a quiet snowy day, it's been a flurry of activity around here with both Bird Central and engaging in Rottweiler Games outside. Since there's not much to do outside in the garden, Lars shows me how to truly enjoy a winter storm warning!

Bah! Who cares about 20 - 30 mph winds and a 6 degree wind chill!

I was the party pooper and made us both come inside because a) my lens started to get covered in snow and b) and I wanted to go back to feeling my extremities. I had been watching the feeders myself today (but it wasn't a count day today) and was pleased to see a ton of birds. I did get two new feeders for my safflower and my thistle seed - one of them is really squirrel proof from what I can see. Eric fixed my heated bird bath which had been smashed by a falling tree limb last year. I have to find and extension cord that will reach to the garage. I've had a bunch of chickadees, juncos, goldfinches, nuthatches, house finches, carolina wrens, titmice, and the pair of cardinals.

His and Hers feeders. :)

Before this week's snow it was close to 60 degrees this weekend. I popped outside and snapped a couple of pics of cool things in my landscape (granted there are just a couple.) Below is one of my yellow foliaged heathers (yes, the foliage is yellow in the summer and changes red) I planted two falls ago. I have to look up the variety and figured it out from deductive reasoning since it didn't have a tag when I bought it. I can't wait to get good sized. I think I have a new love affair with heathers, especially since they love my sand.


I'm dying to see what this hellebore does! This is it's first year in the garden and it's starting to set buds. Hellebore flower in a weird time of year - winter. I think I will cut these and bring them in to enjoy them. They are tucked in behind the grass and the witch hazel near the water garden because it would get the shade it needs there. But that doesn't lend well for viewing and it being winter time doesn't help viewing either.

Move over Poinsettia, there's a new holiday flower in town

I am so psyched at this unexpected floral gift! I haven't had my passonflower bloom in the winter before...and I can't help but think the Faux-electra had something to do with it. Totally cooler than a Christmas Cactus or a Poinsettia -

Seasons Greetings!

Late, rainy night funny

Hee!

Now for some indoor gardening

I think this year will be a good one for indoor plants at the GC HQ. I'm attempting something completely different this year with them. I fed everyone today with my faux-Electra and want to see what results I get. I think they will be good since an organic fertilizer will release nutrients slowly which will be great for the slower growing plants.

This year's orchid crop is going to be a good one...I have multiple panicles coming on most of them. That is very exciting. I'm amazed at how easy Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis) are easy to grow in a home environment. I would like to get some more because we did have some casualties from puppy jaws over the year.

Here is my "holy grail" for this year with gardening inside...overwintering my rosemary inside. I tried it years ago when I was in college and actually got it to survive. I haven't been able to do it since because we always kept it too warm in the house. Rosemary likes cooler temps at night and we have been doing that in this house since we moved here. So, I dug it up and potted it. I kept it in the greenhouse for about a month and a half. When it got seriously cold a couple of weeks back, I moved it to the house. So far, so good and I do believe it's growing!

Jack Frost came a knockin' last night

I just said to Eric as this window was popping up for me to make a post that it snowed this week last year too. I only remember that because it's a year ago he had his last back surgery. We didn't get dumped on...just enough to make it feel like the holiday season and for the boys to go out and enjoy it. It helped to get the embers of my holiday spirit start to glow a little bit. I put out my wreath on the front door. I was also saying to Eric last night I have a bad case of the "Bah Humbugs" this year...he feels the same.




As Lars and Sam were charging around the backyard, I really noticed how pretty the pond looked. So, when they were done, I went back outside with my camera to get some winter garden shots. I definitely think the winter garden is completely overlooked when people consider their landscaping. If you think about it, winter is one long season in this area and it shouldn't be written off by gardeners. I have noticed the longer I do this design gig, I get requests for landscapes to have winter interest which is very encouraging. I was over at Jim's house (the design in my title photo) yesterday and I swear that yard doesn't have a bad season. Is it just as amazing in December as it is during the rest of the season.

(I've having some difficulty writing at the moment...there's someone playing with his ball and using my right arm as a headrest. So, I'll post photos)

Frosted Lavender

The fall pansies just won't give in to winter...

Ghosts of summers blooms -