Check out The Organic Mechanic, Mark Highland, on NBC 10 as he shares his tips on growing plants that can improve your health.
-Stacey
GMG
Friday, July 30, 2010
Get in while the gettin's good!
Hey everyone,
There's a cool contest give-away going on sponsored by our good friends at The Big Blend Magazine and Liquid Fence. You can win a great gift bag chock-full of Liquid Fence products (like Speedy Grow, Liquid Net and more) for these dog days of summer. Very cool.http://blendradioandtv.com/Big-Bonanza/Giveaway-July-19-10.htm
Good luck!
P.S. Our veggie/herb garden got hit by a sudden rain/wind storm last week but is still hanging in there. The veggies I tried from our garden in my homemade Ratatouille were to die for!
~Lynne
Going Gourd Crazy!
My successes this year: my window box and gourds, gourds, gourds. All it took was a few seeds, and well, as you can see, they have been very successful. They are growing up my downspout - and now across the telephone wire! 
These are dipper gourds that I will hopefully be drying and making into bird houses! From my garden to yours have a great day -- Kathleen
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Fruit of the Vine
Well, like many of you this summer, we're enjoying some great veggies and waiting for others to show their stuff. Our hot hot cayenne peppers are going crazy (I plucked one just a few minutes ago for an "experimental" sauce tonite I hope to survive) and the banana peppers are coming along. Our basil got rocked by the extreme heat BUT looks like they'll make it. And the cherry tomatoes are popping off the vine. Can't really say much about the tea garden because the heat has been brutal to their tender feelings. I spray my veggies with Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit repellent (as well as here) and am happy to report victory against maurauding rabbit patrols and Bambi helping themselves to our veggies and edibles.
Oh, check out the pic of our white eggplant. I haven't tried it yet but seems like it will make a great Parmesan dish. Recipes anyone??
Enjoy!
Lynne
Happy Birthday Suzi!
At the GMG office, on your birthday you get to pick something special to do. Suzi wanted to go bowling ~ and we had a BLAST! I think the other bowlers were happy to see us leave because we were having too much fun. Don't we make a great team? I took lots of pictures and video, so more to come on this fun "off site meeting" .....Thanks Suzi! :) Have a great day ~ Kathleen
Is there a career change in the future?
Lately I find myself answering many gardening questions, most friends and family assume that that I am the ultimate authority on gardening (No pressure) The truths is that of all my years of trial and error in the garden, I have acquired some knowledge of what works what does not work in my zone, but I am far from been a guru on the subject, I consider myself more like a grasshopper learning something new everyday.
A co-worker asked me for help this week; she wants a nice garden in her front yard. The first thing she told me was “I am a killer of plants, I don’t know how to take care of them, I want garden that looks nice and is labor free” (is there such it thing?) she also told me that she is on a strict budget. This is quite a tall order but I couldn’t resist the challenge.This is my canvas; the house has a western exposure.
The large coral rock will move to the inside courtyard to become the focal point.
(The house will get a new coat of paint) I am suggesting stone border around the walkway and replacing the gravel with mulch. Where the rock is today I would plant a juniper or sago palm. Under the arch I would put a couple of thriyallis with some silver dragon liriope around it.
The inside courtyard is the main focus of the job, here I am thinking of dwarf ixoras around the wall, the large coral rock in the center and maybe a couple of alocasias around it, different types of liriope grasses and some lantanas for color. On both sides of the walkway I would put Mexican heathers. If the budget permits some garden art would be nice.
On this side I would put Mexican petunias against the wall, and a collection of the same plants from the other side.
For this spot under the tree I am planning on putting several bromeliads from my garden at no cost to the budget.
I am open for suggestions, and remember the three main factors.
1 – Plants must be drought tolerant.
2 - Easy to take care (there will be no gardener on duty)
3 – Economical plants that will fit a tight budget.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Here Comes the Bride - Karen Gets Hitched
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Karen and Mark's wedding was perfect. A beautiful bride. A handsome groom. Family and friends and a glorious day. .JPG)
We wish them years of happiness, lots of love and tons of patience and a pound of laughter! .JPG)
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Dino (Mark's nickname for Karen's dad) seals the deal with a handshake!
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Enchanted with W. Gary Smith of APLD
I recently had the pleasure of talking with award winning landscape designer W. Gary Smith. I just love how his work gives children room to discover and pretend. He creates magical spaces.
"Children have many high-energy play places where they can run around and blow off steam. What's hard to find these days are quiet places in the woods where they can commune with nature, turn over logs and rocks to look for bugs and worms, build dams in little creeks and float ships they make from sticks and leaves. This can be done in any home garden, no matter how small or how urban. "
To hear an interview with Gary, click here! http://bigblendmagazine.com/Garden-Gossip/June-12-10.mp3 . To see more of his work visit http://www.wgarysmith.com/design/
Just be prepared to be inspired and go on some road trips!
June is National Rose Month!
If roses are America's favorite flower, Knock Out Roses must be our favorite rose plant! This not stop blooming machine out sells all other flowering shrubs, not just other roses. It's disease resistant, drought tolerant and begs to be left alone. And this year, Knock Out turns 10 years old.
Gorgeous!Here's another great idea from the American Rose Society: Since it is also National Library Month, ARS suggests sharing the gift of roses with your local library! The ARS offers libraries a discount subscription to American Rose magazine for just $25. Purchase a library subscription for your local library, and ARS will send a FREE copy of Modern Roses 12, a $100+ value (S&H additional $15).
Plus donate a Knock Out Rose bush or two to yiour local library to brighten up the garden.
And take time in your busy day to "stop and smell the roses!"
Suzi
Garden Media Group
Pot Up Some Patriotism
Going to a party this 4th of July? Then you'll be one of 144 million Americans celebrating this national holiday the traditional way.
With all this celebrating this 4th of July, you may want to take your outdoor holiday decorating up a notch?
Here's a quick trick for creating an instant party decoration that you can do in minutes without picking up a shovel:
- Pick up a Classic Red Knock Out® rose and pair it with white veronica and calibrahoa, and the hardy blue geranium ‘Rozanne’.
- Next place the Knock Out® in the container. If you have to give it a lift, set in on another container turned upside down. Now arrange the other plants -- still in their containers – around the rose.
- Top dress with pine straw, moss, coco husk or just drape the trailing plants to cover the tops of the pots.
- Of course, keep them watered and give them a shot of Liquid Fence Speedy Grow for a little nutrient boost.
With a little imagination and help from an expert at your local garden center, you can create an instant outdoor 4th of July celebration that will last well past Labor Day!
-Stacey
The Good, the Bad and the Buggy
Did you know that you can order ladybugs online? I had no idea! Ladybugs are actually a good thing to have in your garden since they eat up all those bad bugs.
Watch CBS News Videos Online
-Stacey
GMG
Make a Splash in Your Garden
I'm thinking about taking the plunge and adding a small cast stone fountain to my city garden this month. With so many options out there, I decided to ask our friends at Campania International to put together a few simple tips to help me choose my perfect fountain.
Here's what they said I should keep in mind before heading off to my local garden center:
What’s Your Style?
The most important consideration to keep in mind when selecting the right fountain is the overall style of your home and garden. Whether you have an urban, contemporary or country garden, the fountain should be compatible with your personal style and the aesthetics of your house and garden.
Consider Your Space
Whether on a patio or in the landscape, a free-standing fountain can be a mesmerizing focal point. The size of the fountain that you choose will depend on the size of your garden space.
Although fountains can take center stage in the landscape, you might also consider nestling your fountain in a secluded corner of your garden. Tucked away among the plantings, the fountain will not distract from the overall composition.
What’s Your Desired Outcome? Dramatic or Zen?
If creating a highly dramatic effect is your desire, the classic choice is a larger two- or three-tiered fountain as a focal point for your landscape. If you want something Zen, look for a more soothing effect in water gently cascading over a cast stone ball. For dramatic night-time illumination, look for freestanding wall fountains with lighting components.
I'll be sure to keep you posted on my selection. In the meantime, check out Campania's website to get inspired --campaniainternational.com.
-Stacey
Pink is the new Blue! (In the plant world)
Sunset Magazine rocks! We're lovin' the reviews coming in on the new pink blueberry from Briggs Nursery that's taking the garden world by storm.Get it now or try getting on a waiting list for your garden center because this is one exciting blueberry you don't want to miss! -Lynne
Click here to read the full article!
Dig This Baby!
Tis the season for lemonade and flower stands! 
And Dig This! 
A folding spade. And it has a sharp edge for getting through roots and the like! Folds up into the little nylon envelope there! You can now buy Centurion Garden Tools at Home Depot, but they are on http://www.amazon.com/ too! The gourds I am growing are OUT OF CONTROL! I will post pics of them soon. Boy are they climbing all over! Kathleen
Tough Love, Garden Style -- from The Wall Street Journal
Well, I'm back from my fabulous trip to France and returned to find 100 degree days baked the gardens in our parts. But I must agree with Bart Ziegler of the Wall Street Journal who shares his favorite workhorses in his garden that survived the heat and lack of rain. He includes three of my favorites I have in my garden: Knock-Out roses, of course, Black Lace Sambucus and smoke bushes.
Bart says this about Knock Out Roses:
"Most roses are a mess in my part of the country, attracting bugs and diseases and eventually succumbing to a harsh winter. But there are newer varieties that perform much better. 
Knock-Out roses are among the few types of roses that have done well in my yard.
Knock-Out roses are among the few types of roses that have done well in my yard.
One of them is the Knock-Out series (zones 5-9). They seem to avoid most common rose ailments such as black spot and mildew. Japanese beetles, which recently made their dreaded annual appearance at my house, do attack their buds, but unlike with most other roses they won't eat the leaves.
Read the whole story in The Wall Street Journal.
Suzi
Around my neighborhood
The Royal Poinciana trees are in full bloom. This year the trees are putting on a show like never before, I’m told the colder winter has something to do with it.
This park is near my home and is where I bike after work everyday.
The man made lake has a seven mile running and bike trail, and there is a large collection of Royal Poinciana trees all around the lake. Biking this week has been pleasant to the eyes.
Today was a cloudy day, great for biking not so good for photo taking
Lazy Wednesday
Yesterday on my afternoon bike ride, I fell off the bike and landed on my right shoulder. This morning I could hardly move my arm. Driving to work was out of the question, so I called in sick and now I have one of those rare days when I have nothing to do but stay inside (under heavy medication) and read blogs. I though of going to the garden and pull weeds with my left arm; but the weather outside is hot, muggy and rainy.
Before the rain, I managed to take some pictures.
Peacock Ginger are back for the summer
Rain Lilies before the rain
Before the rain, I managed to take some pictures.
Peacock Ginger are back for the summer
Rain Lilies before the rain
What does bromeliads and weeds have in comments?
Both thrive in the summer hot, humid and rainy weather of South Florida. These are some of the bromeliads thriving in my garden this week; I will spare you pictures of the weeds.
Thank you for all the nice comments, I’m doing better from my injury, but my only activity in the garden these days is that of taking pictures.
My family and I are taking our yearly summer vacation to Sanibel Island in the west coast of Florida next week, so I will be away from my garden and blog for a few days
My family and I are taking our yearly summer vacation to Sanibel Island in the west coast of Florida next week, so I will be away from my garden and blog for a few days
Blogging from paradise, Sanibel Island, FL
This morning my wife and I woke up in paradise, the Island of Sanibel in the West Coast of Florida. For the last 20 years my family and I have been coming to this island for our summer vacation (a couple of weeks of well deserve R and R). Our two daughters will join us this weekend after their school year is over, both are teachers.
This year we are mindful of the terrible environmental disaster happening a few hundred miles west of us in the Gulf of Mexico, we are all hoping that this wonderful island is spared such calamity. The Coast Guard has told local officials that the chances of this area been affected by oil is less than 10%, but with so much of the oil spill on the news, the drop in tourism is noticeable on the island.
If anything positive can come out this disaster, is that drilling offshore is not the answer to our energy crisis, and we most demand from worthless politicians to find alternative ways. There is so much Mother Nature can do to keep fixing our mistakes.
Here is my wife practicing our favor Sanibel sport of Shelling, we spend hours walking the beach looking for shells, I don’t know why I do it, but once I get going I can’t stop. After gardening it is the most relaxing activity I can think of.
