The Redmond Master Gardener Clinic will be at the Redmond Saturday Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every week through October.

The clinic has been offering free research-based gardening advice to home gardeners in Redmond since 1975, when it started at the Marymoor Pea Patch. It has moved locations several times before settling at its current home at the market in the late 1990s.

The clinic is part of the Washington State University’s King County Extension Master Gardener Program, which provides more than 60 hours of training to selected applicants who then provide advice at clinics throughout King County.

Market visitors can ask general gardening questions, have a plant identified, learn about the least toxic ways to treat diseases and pests, get gardening class information and find out how to become a master gardener.

The Redmond Master Gardener Clinic currently has 40 members.

Comment on this story.

Hanging plants add interest, color, and balance wherever they are hung. Several hanging plants evenly spaced outside on a deck or porch, or hanging from an iron or wooden structure, can add a wonderfully decorative touch. An ideal indoor spot is in front of a window or in a sunny corner. Humidity-loving plants, such as ferns, add color and elegance to bathrooms.

Choosing containers

Selecting the right plants and containers for the particular area you’re going to decorate is the starting point. If you choose an indoor spot, use a container to blend with the decor. It is desirable to have a container with holes in the bottom, but be sure that the pot has a drip cover. To provide the proper drainage, place some gravel or stones in the bottom and fill the pot with a light potting soil. If you choose a ceramic container with no drain holes, fill the bottom of the pot with gravel and use a plastic pot to fit inside it. Five or six small plants for an eight-inch container will provide a full center arrangement. They should be watered and fertilized regularly.

Gardening Tips: Blooming Baskets

To create a hanging basket for an outside area, use a wire frame as a base. Line the frame with sphagnum moss, and fill with a light potting soil mixture. If a fuller basket is desired, use a layer of plastic (cut from a black or dark green trash bag) next to the wire frame. Place small plants in the center, and work the roots of several more around the outside in the sphagnum moss, poking holes in the plastic. Keep it well moistened for a few days. This should also be watered and fertilized regularly.

Selecting plants

Select plants that fit your particular sun or shade environment. Ferns, spider plants, Swedish ivy, vinca vine, philodendron, and English ivy are all foliage plants suitable for hanging planters, and can thrive in sun to shade. Add color with pansies and impatiens, which will grow in partly sunny areas, as well as petunias, geraniums, and begonias for sunny spots. A combination of foliage plants and flowering plants make an especially attractive hanging arrangement.

Hanging how-tos

To hang your planter, there is a wide variety of hooks readily available at garden shops and discount stores. For smaller (and lighter) containers, a simple cup hook can be screwed into a wood surface. Avoid rust by using coated hooks for hanging plants outside.

For heavier containers, macrame hangers are a good choice for added support. Look for ones with both a toggle bolt for mounting in a drywall ceiling, and a heavy-duty screw suitable for attaching to the underlying structural wood. In addition, there are many varieties of brackets for wall mounting. Snap-on swivels from fishing tackle stores can be used to provide an easy means of rotating your hanging plants to ensure even exposure to light and consistent growth.

A unique arrangement

Make a unique and inexpensive hanging arrangement that appears to grow out of nowhere. Use two medium-sized heavy-duty plastic trash bags. Place one bag inside the other for extra strength and fill halfway with a mixture of sphagnum moss, peat moss, and light potting soil. Water lightly and tie the top closed in a knot. Fasten this to a wooden post using two large nails driven just below the knotted area. Carefully make holes in the plastic and place small plants through the holes into the soil mixture.

Pad each hole around the plant with damp sphagnum moss. Use several plants and flowers, and after a few weeks in the right spot, the plants will cover the plastic bag, making a most attractive hanging garden. Herbs, such as thyme, oregano, parsley, or lavender, would be especially nice in this arrangement. No matter which plant varieties you choose, they should be watered and fertilized regularly.

The choices are endless. Let your imagination be your guide in creating beautiful hanging arrangements to enhance your decor, both indoors and outdoors.

Spring season is in full swing, and many people have been planting and tending to their gardens. While plants and flowers are beautiful, they can be lethal to our four-legged friends. With a little extra planning, your garden can be fun for you and safe for your dog. To help you keep your dog safe, the American Kennel Club offers the following tips for dog-friendly gardening. Among them:

• What you’re planting could be poisonous. Many common flowers and plants can be unsafe or even fatal for dogs. The danger could be in the flower, fruit, roots or leaves. Be sure to do your research before planting anything that could potentially harm your dog. Some plants to avoid are calla lilies, sago palm, azalea and rhododendron, among others.

• A thorny problem. Be mindful of flowers and plants, such as roses, that have thorns. The thorns can seriously injure your dog. Either leave them out of your garden, or block your dog’s access to them.

• Plant food is not dog food. Fertilizer may keep your plants and grass healthy, but it can harm your dog. Ingesting large amounts of fertilizer can give your dog a serious digestive upset. Always follow instructions for using fertilizer carefully and wait the appropriate amount of time after use before letting your dog run around.

• Dangerous pesticides. Products used to control insects and weeds in your garden can be very problematic for your dog. Pesticides such as snail bait with metaldehyde and fly bait with methomyl are especially dangerous to your four-legged friend. Make sure to store pesticides in areas where your dog can’t get to them and follow the instructions for use.

For more information on responsible dog ownership, visit the AKC website at www.akc.org.

True or false: Common household plants are safe, although maybe not desirable, to eat? The answer is false! There is a very good chance that somewhere in your home or garden, you have a poisonous plant growing. The list of poisonous plants is a very long one. Even some foods that we eat come from a plant that has poisonous components. Have you ever enjoyed a strawberry rhubarb pie? This tasty dessert contains the stalks of the rhubarb plant. However, the leaves of a rhubarb plant are poisonous! Even if you do not normally keep plants in your home, you might have an amaryllis, poinsettia, holly or mistletoe around during the holiday season.

Plants that might cause mild symptoms should an adult eat them can be deadly to a small child or pet. A good rule of thumb is that all plants should be treated as dangerous. For this reason, plants should always be kept out of reach, or removed from the house altogether, until the child is old enough to be trusted. Other ways to keep your child safe include:

Gardening Tips: Poisonous Plants

Knowing your plants. When buying a new plant or receiving one as a gift, learn its proper scientific name. Often plants have different common names and this can lead to confusion or improper treatment should the need arise.

Labeling your plants. The plants in your garden and home should be identified in some obvious way. Keep the information stick that comes with the plant. When you transplant your plant to a new pot, move the identifier as well. When planting a group outdoors, push several of the identifying sticks into the grouping. This will help should someone unfamiliar with your garden need to identify the plant for Poison Control.

Completing plant maintenance away from prying eyes. Children are great imitators! If they see you deadheading, pruning, or even cultivating blooms, they may decide to do the same when you are not around — with disastrous consequences.

Should your child ingest a plant, you need to take immediate action. Remove any remaining plant from your child’s mouth and call Poison Control. If you know the name of the plant, inform Poison Control. If you do not, give the professional on the line as complete a description of the plant as possible. Include information about the shape and color of the leaves, describe the flower/fruit it gets (if any) and any unusual characteristics. Also let the Poison Control professional know what part of the plant your child ate — seed, leaf, flower, or fruit. If your child is exhibiting symptoms — diarrhea, nausea, loss of consciousness, erratic or unusual behavior, vomiting, etc. — let the professional know as well. Do not induce vomiting or give your child anything to drink unless told to do so by the Poison Control expert!

Don’t let your vacations or holiday celebration be overshadowed by an emergency. Consult the list of common plants with toxic properties and use them judiciously in your home and landscaping.

“That’s a cute little garden you’ve got there.”
“Thanks.” Sigh.
“Something wrong?”
“Well, it was supposed to be a big garden. We planted so much and only a few things are really doing well.”
“What kind of fertilizer are you using?”
“Fertilizer?”

Such was my introduction to the world of fertilizer. When we bought our house, our neighbors told us that the elderly lady who lived here before us hadn’t done much in the yard for at least a decade. As a first time homeowner I was thrilled with the chance to gussy the place up and in the beginning it was so easy! Everything we planted grew easily and beautifully. But after a few years it became increasingly difficult to get the same yield from our veggies or the same brilliant blooms in our plots. The only place where my green thumb didn’t seem to be turning brown was in my containers. My containers — where I changed the soil each and every year.

It wasn’t until a visiting relative asked me about fertilizer that I saw what I was doing wrong. My efforts to have a showy garden were being thwarted because I did not fertilize. The only reason I had gotten away without fertilizing for so long was because the land hadn’t being gardened for a long time before we moved in. And, the few plants that had been growing were eventually dying and decomposing back into the soil. It’s the decomposition process that returns chemicals to the soil for use by future plants. However, I was cutting blooms and bringing them inside to use in arrangements and picking tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs from the garden. By leaving nothing to rot and return to the soil, we were depriving the soil of a chance to renew itself.

Gardening Tips: Facts about Fertilizers

Nobody’s soil is perfect

Anyone considering the purchase of fertilizer should have a soil test done first, because only a soil test will correctly determine which nutrients are deficient in your soil and give you enough information to buy and apply the correct fertilizing mixture. You can have your soil tested by your local Cooperative Extension or you can purchase a home test kit.

Three nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — are commonly missing from soil. Plants growing in an area lacking vital nutrients will often display characteristic symptoms. If you notice the following problems, you can assume the corresponding deficiency and treat accordingly.

Yellowish-green stunted plants are a symptom of a nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen is a component in both chlorophyll and protein and is the nutrient most likely to be lacking from your soil. Without nitrogen your plants will not be able to build new cells.

Plants that have weak stems and arebrown or yellow around the edges or tips are probably suffering from a lack of potassium. Potassium (also known as potash) is especially necessary for vegetable plants. It is also responsible for the deep color in flowers.

If the leaves of your plants are showing red or purple spots a phosphorus deficiency is most likely the culprit. Phosphorus is needed for early growth and the formation of a strong root system and stems.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are sold together in the form of commercial plant foods. The ratio of these nutrients in each preparation is clearly marked on the label. A 5-5-5 fertilizer will contain 5% of each nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, in that order. The rest is inert material.

Another mineral, calcium, is added (in the form of limestone) only if it necessary to raise the pH level in your soil to make it less acidic. The only way to determine the pH level is to have a soil test done.

Organic vs. inorganic

Organic fertilizers such as compost (homemade or purchased), manure and bone meal are slow-acting and long-lasting. They do not release their nutrients until they start to decompose. Their nutrients are not soluble (they don’t break down in water) so you do not have to apply as often. However, because their nutrient ratio is low, you’re getting fewer nutrients for your dollar. Organic fertilizers usually contain more nitrogen than potassium or phosphorus — if your soil is poor in either of these other nutrients, organic fertilizer may not be your best choice.

Inorganic fertilizers, also referred to as conventional, are either manufactured or mined. They are soluble and readily available to your plants but because they are not long-lasting, you’ll need to reapply. Take care — too much may burn the plants. When you apply them, make sure that none of the fertilizer touches the leaves, stems, or flowers. When transplanting, make sure that any inorganic fertilizer you add to the hole is thoroughly mixed in with soil before setting the root ball into the hole.

Liquid vs. dry

Liquid fertilizers, with the nutrients dissolved in a liquid base, are easier to apply in small quantities. They are also great for accurate application on houseplants and outside container gardens. Compost, manure, bone meal, and lime are examples of dry fertilizers. Choose the form you prefer.

A word on micronutrients

We’ve focused on some of the most common nutrient deficiencies. In addition, some fertilizers contain quantities of micronutrients in which your plants may also be deficient. There is no need to apply a fertilizer containing micronutrients unless your plants are in serious trouble and do not respond to regular fertilizer. Since the amount of these nutrients needed is small, overavailability can be toxic.

Greener greens, bigger, brighter blooms, and a higher yield in the veggie patch can be expected when you use fertilizer in your garden. Another big benefit is that healthy plants compete more effectively with weeds. Taking the time to apply an effective fertilizer once or twice a year is well worth the trouble when your garden is the envy of the town.

Have you recently moved to King Township, perhaps into one of the new subdivisions in one of our villages? If so, congratulations on choosing our rural way of life!

As you look out the front and back windows of your new dream home, what do you see? Is it a few metres of freshly laid sod put down by your builder? Is it an expanse of pale brown, lifeless dirt that has had all the topsoil, living organisms and plant nutrients ground and compacted out of it?

The purpose of this article is to give you some tools and information that will help you to add to the beauty of your new home and contribute positively to our Sustainable King!

One of the first things you might consider is the installation of an automatic watering system. Please do not do this! This would be one of the worst things that can be done in subdivisions. Think of all the wasted water and unnecessary expense! Look at the trees and shrubs that your builder has planted. They do not have irrigation systems – your garden does not need one either.

Another great way to be responsible with our precious water resources is to use rain barrels on each of your downspouts. Then you will have a ready source of clean water right in the garden. If you have sod installed, please water it by hand or by carefully placed sprinkler. A few deep waterings a week is much better than frequent shallow watering.

But do you really even want a lawn like everyone else on the street? What about planting a native garden in both your front and back yards? Once established they would require very little maintenance. Your subdivision used to be rolling countryside full of wildlife. If you plant native trees, shrubs, plants and grasses then you can bring back some of the birds and maybe even butterflies.

There are plenty of people and organizations that can help you to consider your options and the best choices for your home and lifestyle.

Did you know that vibrant horticultural societies meet monthly in both Schomberg and Nobleton and King City? Both of them have qualified master gardeners eager to help, monthly speakers on a wide range of home gardening subjects, competitive flower shows and garden tours in the area at the end of June and early July respectively. For more information in Schomberg, call Carol at 905-833-3324 and for Nobleton/King City email Deb at fireflies52@hotmail.ca.

You can receive free landscape advice from the staff at York Region. Just call 1-888-967-5426 or register on-line, www.waterfortomorrow.com. Trained advisors will come to your home and perform a personalized garden and lawn assessment that will help you to reduce your water use while creating a beautiful lawn and garden. Take advantage of the free Water Efficiency Kit, too.

A not-for-profit organization called LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) has a special program for residents of King Township. For very reasonable prices LEAF sells Native Garden Kits for shade, songbirds and butterflies and will provide 3-to-8-foot-tall native trees along with planting instructions and care advice. Request a consultation by reading through the “Four Easy Steps to a New Tree” at www.yourleaf.org or calling 416-413-9244. In fact, come to the Nobleton/King City Horticultural meeting at 7:45 p.m. on May 28 as the guest speaker is one of the staff from LEAF!

Have you browsed the King Township web site lately? Keep a lookout for more info and links to many sources. www.king.ca.

Both the Lake Simcoe and Toronto Regional Conservation Authorities provide planting advice. Large landowners (2 acres+) can become planting partners in reforestation projects at very reasonable rates. TRCA Customer Service Phone: 416-667-6295; e-mail: customerservice@trca.on.ca. Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Phone 905-895-1281 or 1-800- 465-0437.

If you would rather have someone else do all the work and planning, there are many reputable nurseries and landscaping businesses in and around King Township. Unlike the big box stores these businesses have knowledgeable staff and do carry a variety of native plants. Remember that we are in a different gardening zone than Toronto, so what worked there will probably not do well here in King. Consider buying locally.

I hope that this article has shown you that you have many choices beyond just a patch of lawn. Talk to your King neighbours. Visit some established gardens, come to a horticultural meeting and welcome to gardening in King.

Susan Beharriell is on the board of the Nobleton/King City Horticultural Society, chair of KEAC, worked on the Sustainability Plan, has a native garden, geo-thermal heating and was one of the first 30 folks in Ontario to have a contract with the government for a Micro-FIT solar power system.

<!– –>
• 
  Tweet
  
• 
  –
  A
  A
  A
  +
  

Written by

Leigh Brock

<!–

–>

Here are a few tips from hgtv.com…

• Don’t like getting dirt under your nails when you work in the yard?  Try dragging your fingernails across a bar of soap before you go out.  It will seal the underside of your nails so dirt can’t get in.  When you’re done, just use a nail brush and some water to clean up.  The soap is already there!
• Weed eater giving you trouble?  To prevent the string from jamming or breaking, spray it with vegetable oil before installing it into the trimmer. 
• Want your husband and kids to help you dry herbs?  Give them this project.  Dry them in the car.  All you have to do is put them on a sheet of newspaper in a single layer and lay them on the seat of your car on a hot day.  Close the doors and windows and let them dry.  Just make sure you REALLY like the way your herbs smell…
• Create natural markers for your plants with smooth, flat stones.  Write on each of them with permanent marker and place them beside the plants. 

For more tips, check out this website.

hgtv.com

Sometimes I receive interesting tips for gardening and sometimes it’s just some bit of general information.

Recently I received a tip from an old friend who asked me if I had read about Splenda, the artificial sweetener, killing fire ants. I hadn’t but if you unfortunatly have those really bad insects, it is worth a try.

This tip came from one of the smartest people I have ever known so I am sure it’s worth trying. I was bitten many years ago by one of those fire ants and it was very, very painful. We had a terrible time getting rid of them.

To get rid of slugs, buy “slug bait”, small pellets of poison, and put it under boards, under plants which slugs like, such as hostas, or any place you have seen the slug trails. It is a sure way of getting rid of slugs.

Or you could encourage those little garter snakes which like to eat slugs. Personally, I prefer the slugs. Speaking of snakes, recently some folks have been talking of the use of moth balls to discourage snakes and it is true.

You can buy boxes of crushed mothballs to place around a foundation or around a deck or any area that you want to protect from snakes. Just be sure you place the repellent on the outside of the snakes’ area. That same box of crushed moth balls will repel skunks and squirrels.

Now that you have worked for many months to have perfect flower beds, problems start arising. Some problems can be caused by too much rain, some by viruses and some can’t be identified. But some easy problems to diagnose are the lower leaves which turn yellow which is usually from nitrogen deficiency.

Calcium deficiency can cause leaves to curl. Viruses can sometimes just be too hard to cure and it might be best just to throw the plant away but not on the compost pile. I have found that it helps most insect or mildew problems to have a sprayer filled with a combination of insecticide and fungicide, a combination which is made by Ortho and easily found in any garden supply store.

One way to keep down mildew is to use a sprayer called a wand which is attached to a hose. It diffuses the water and keeps water from the leaves. It’s especially harmful to sprinkle at late evening when the water will stand on the plant overnight causing mildew.

No matter how much you do to prevent disease and other problems in your flower garden, it will happen. So about the best you can do is to learn to identify problems and the best way to do that is from a good gardening book. And sometimes, when I am sick and tired of doctoring some plant, I just dig it up and throw it away.

I often wonder why my grandmother’s flowers always looked so healthy. She had no insecticide and no fungicide and no gardening books to identify problems. I think that over the years, her flowers were inherited from her mother-in-law and some from friends but mostly, she didn’t have a great variety of plants and that is probably the answer.

If something didn’t thrive over the years, it went to plant heaven. Her fertilizer was natural and the only insecticide was the stems of tobacco plants which she used all over her flower beds along with chicken manure. Ma would be called an organic gardener though she wouldn’t recognize the title.

The most important thing to remember is that the environment must be right for each group of plants. The right growing conditions are fertilizers, mulch and water. You can’t mix plants which must have full sun with plants that require shade and expect a good outcome.

That is why it is so important to read the tag on each new perennial you buy. Not every plant requires the same fertilizer but all flowering plants must nave low nitrogen to bloom. Some plants require little or no fertilizer, such as iris.

Almost all blooming plants need mulch, but on the other hand, peonies need little or none. Water is essential to plants but not all plants need the same amount of water. I have always grown the plants which like dry soil in groupings the farthest from my water source, the spigot. The plants which like shade should always be grown together.

Then the plants which love the sun and need more water should be grown closer to your water source. It all makes sense and when separated into those groups, you spend a lot less time caring for them. It seemed that I spent a lot of time moving plants around to get the right spot in the flower garden.

Mulch is essential to good gardening but there are different kinds of mulch and gardeners generally have a favorite kind. I have always bought cypress even though it may not be the cheapest.

The reason I like cypress mulch is that it repels insects. I discovered that garter snakes were going through my mulch looking for roaches and other insects. Then I read about cypress. Who wants garter snakes roaming through a flower bed?

Please feel free to call me at 270-522-3632. I so appreciate your kind words about my Ma and she would be so pleased.

Starting seeds is a cinch with the help of self-watering seed-starting kits.

Growing your own transplants teaches you the joy and fun of gardening. It’s also cheaper than growing from the costly transplants sold at garden centers.

You simply can’t go wrong by using these amazingly designed seed-starting kits: Just place one, two or three little seeds in each cell of the kit to get your spring garden on its way. There’s an opening on the bottom, so the seedling can draw water from the capillary mat. The kits are also wider near the top, which makes it easy to pop out the seedlings when you’re ready to transplant them into the garden.

Gardening Tips: Starting Seeds Made Simple

The starter kits are constructed to insulate the seedlings — but of course, most seeds warm-weather crops like peppers and tomatoes germinate much faster and better in warmer soil.

. . . . .

The use of pesticides is a controversial matter for everyone — not only gardeners. Increasing concern about what we eat and environmental issues such as water contamination are luring people to chemical-free gardening.

Remember chemicals are poison: They are out, out, out! From reducing insects to increasing soil nutrients, organic remedies are gaining growing acceptance — not only in the United States but throughout the world.

Good garden cultivation and sanitation are the best way to control pests and diseases. Rotate your crops, remove diseased and dying plant material, and water early in the morning to maintain a healthy plant level in your garden beds.

With good housekeeping and a little patience, you’ll find that having a garden is like having a good and loyal friend. All the love and tender care you put into it will be returned.

Consider your flower garden a work of art, outdoor artistry. The famous French painter Claude Monet considered his garden at Givenchy his most important work of art. His paintings that hang in galleries around the world attest to his love of his garden.

Gardening is an art form as it allows the gardener the freedom to pick and choose…complete creative license. How big or small, what colors, etc. Today’s nurseries hold untold wonders of plants from around the world. I look upon my own garden as an ever changing and evolving place to enjoy outdoor living. Each day, each week, and each month is a reward for all the planning, planting and patience, the labors of love and expression unfolding. My husband enjoys sitting on our deck that overlooks our backyard paradise. Like a painting in a fine gallery, savor the sight and sounds.

Gardening Tips: DECORATE…The Art of Growing

I’ve been asked about how to go about planning a garden? Decorate, decorate and decorate–make your garden a reflection of your own personal taste and personality. Preferably pick a site that can be viewed from inside your home (why plant for the neighbors?). Consider your site and the amount of sunlight to determine whether you will need sunny or shade flowers.

Soil preparation is important. This is where you discover the hardest part of establishing something new. You either have to dig out the old, or start by digging out the grass. This is the stage were you discover it is best to think small and colorful. My very sharp shovel works wonders. I like to skim a shallow layer of grass off in small clumps, toss them in a bucket or wheelbarrow and use them to fill in low spots somewhere in the yard. You can also put them in a washed out ditch and give mother nature a hand. Then with deep digging, I shovel down about 6 to 8 inches, turn the soil and chop it finely. This exercise will be exercise, but will expose the type of soil that your plants will be residing in. You dare not ask a plant that needs well- drained soil to thrive in an adverse setting…Shame, Shame. If you start reading plant labels, most will tell you that the plant needs well drained soil, thus the need for amendments such as peat or a planting medium.

Want to hear the good, new ya, ya? .It is your garden! Do what makes you happy! It is perfectly wonderful to look at garden magazines or books and see all of those photos. Hey, that is someone else’s labor of love…their love of nature and their time and money. Sitting beside one rose bush can be as rewarding as sitting beside a hundred. Well, that is a stretch, but you get my point.

The important thing to remember is decorate, decorate, and decorate. Flowers are the jewels of the Aarde Moeder (Earth Mother). She likes lots and lots of bright happy colorful zinnias, soulful shade loving hostas, rambunctious unruly riots of daisies, quiet little lilies of the valley, sweet tiny sweet woodriff, brass marigolds and wispy graceful cosmos and rambling creeping phlox. Think about the five senses–sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. A garden has all. Like the Nike ad say, “Just do it!”

I don’t have indoor garden rooms, but my whole backyard is a huge canvas that I can dab splashes of color here and there amongst the permanent frame of evergreen trees and shrubs. That is why I can change colors so easily every year. That is what makes it fun. I haven’t met a plant or a person that I didn’t like. I have been disappointed by some, but not many. Each spring it is so exciting to see the new things arrive at the nurseries. I need to get off my order to buy blue poppies.

I have nearly all of my spring cleanup done. The tulips are blooming. I am awaiting the spring rains to awaken everything from their winter slumbers.

I become so frustrated when I try to write about gardening. I guess all I can say is, that I am and I garden. I think I will go to the garage and bring out my decorative art pieces. I have a small collection of concrete angels that I tuck here and there…little surprises. I have a pottery bird bath, two Elis Nelson (local metal artist) cranes, my three new large ceramic planters, wind chimes, and pottery bird houses. You see, I do the same thing outdoors as indoors. Bring out the seasonal things and decorate, decorate and decorate.