Imperfection Visualized) or “As Is” Gardening

I was told by a mentor / friend that Claude Monet, had a signature use of misplaced color.  He purposefully interjected, “islandized”, “orphanized” or in some way “stranded” a color somewhere in every painting.  He did this because he believed it was necessary to do this as a reminder to the onlooker and himself that “It” whatever “It” may be, is never perfect. We have to accept life and gardening “as is”.

I had come to like this thought process because whether I liked it or not it had already become part of my “style” of designing/ gardening. Perhaps it began as an AADD symptom, a lack of follow through, a short attention span or just being a newbie without the necessary skill set to be sure to check every tag in a flat when choosing pre-flowering plants.  But an odd thing kept happening, as my design opportunities “grew”, so did my “mistakes.” ( Humm, a true refection of life, - the longer, the more!)

 And I began to relate to the unintentional rebel!  I saw the randomness as a natural portrayal of marking the birthplace of a future plant colony. I thought in my youth “well someone has to be first”, this to me was God’s Hand and His placement of a pioneer plant.  It became a visual of how I saw myself, an ambassador, a pioneer, but never an orphan, like my mother.  I had family, even if there was, at times, significant distance between myself and my siblings.

Now with my mother gone and my dad passing do I see this “As Is” gardening with a glimmer of pessimism.  Did I sentence those plants to a life of loneliness?  Was I simulating an imagined promise or portraying nature’s allowance for a certain percentage of efforts to come to a natural real life, historic end. Are these imperfections the reflections of my own relationship flaws?

In my effort to do things right, I have made so many mistakes.  I followed work plans, business plans, family plans, and now my dad’s plan.  I followed directions so well I am stranded, islandized and practically orphanized.  I am staring at another completed project that has left me alone.

I can see I have become for real the unintentional rebel.  I am in what feels like a wrong or wronged place.  It is scary to be away from the familiar.  I don’t know how it actually happened but I am here and they are elsewhere. The gap is huge so I look for comfort in my God who knows me and controls everything for my best.  He knows my flaws and loves me “As Is”.  So as I walk pass a flowerbed with a lone stranded color I remember all the imperfect places where  I’ve left my mark and wonder what ever happened and am grateful that gardening is an “as is” process never finished and I too am a “work in progress”

WHAT IF YOU WOKE UP TODAY ONLY WITH THE THINGS YOU WERE THANKFUL FOR YESTERDAY

Ok, I am trying something different- actually I am holding on to what still feels good to me regardless of a the day, week, year, person or persons and place- gardening. I am thinking about it, looking at it, digging, cutting, planting, talking about it and being thankful for my relationship with friends, family and this green heart of mine.

 I lost my focus, had my attention redirected, my mind cluttered and my energy poured out in more ways than I can’t count.  But funny thing, it’s all had some good come from it, especially from friends, family and the kids.  Even my recent pity party revealed a friendship I didn’t know I had and a reminder that Vitamin F (Friends) can keep you on a blessed path.

For me there is a deeper component to Vitamin F, it is the complex that binds F to your heart, body and soul, the essence of Vitamin F, Vitamin R: relationships.  It is the connector that allows F to be stored in times of stress.  It strengthens the affect of F and most importantly it ties into heart health and it is what I am most thankful for every day!  (It may even explain my new fondness for my smart phone where I can visit with friend or family, even when they are busy or asleep.  It lets me reach out and touch, remember, renew and begin relationships. ) 

Does it sound strange to say I am thankful for daisiedic was on the Wednesday before he died.  When I got his mail he was feeling conversational. Sometimes he would pick a topic he knew would get a reaction from me.  He knew me well and although it might have sounded like an argument, I was not arguing with him.  He was complaining how “everyone” preferred the complicated, the novelty and extremism of non-daisy flowers.

 I had felt uncomfortably lumped into a category of collector enthusiasts.  It certainly sounded insulting but it had an edge of truth.  I had been feeling disconnected and maybe had withdrawn from horticulture with a sour grape comfort in thinking that I was not missing much because nothing was new or different any more.  A lot of “sameosameo”.

The few times I had slipped away to get my hands dirty my mind was preoccupied I know but it felt like the plant shelves were just a blur of “what did they do, just renamed that” and “oh they are marketing that floppy failure as trailing form now?”

I know now I was not being fair.  I was doing what I dislike the most “lumping”.  I was lumping feelings, lumping thoughts, people and past memories.  And now my dad was “lumping” me!  I couldn’t stand it.  I couldn’t argue (after all he was a sick man) Instead I listened, for some reason I cried and the next day I went looking for daisies for him.  I did not know he was probably watching me right then from above and smiling.  He won as usual!  (By the way, it was never a fair fight, he was smarter and a faster thinker and I was always trying to be polite)

That Thursday morning I reassessed my own garden- counting my “daisy type flowers” hum, I did have a good number, especially considering my condensed amount of space.  I also noted I had regularly made a mental note of my pleasure in a strong performing coreopsis by my patio and recalled a few I had planted in other gardens I had a hand in designing.  Hah, see I didn’t think anything was wrong with daisies, and with something short of satisfaction at the crack of dawn I headed out to purchase daisies for my dad!

Last week, on my mom’s birthday I planted one of my purchases from that Thursday, the day my dad died.  She is in the little landscape bed on the corner of my dad’s villa.  Her name is Coreopsis 'Full Moon'.  I had been caring ( well only caring a little)  for a small collection of nursery stock that had found their way to my back porch that very long day.  There is a pale purple cone flower (mo native which reminds me of my heaven-like day at Hamilton Seed) and old fashioned variety of actual daisy (one that Raintree Nursery use to carry and that Gloria Fridley,  liked a lot and her, a new and so called improved variety of the lance leaf coreopsis with big soft creamy blossoms.  The plant-friends have been waiting patiently for me to get to that place where I could accept the task of cultivating some new relationships.

I placed her for a moment in her new space, evaluated the spacing and admired her soft but full willowy build and fair creamy complexion.  She looked good next to her neighbors and I liked her simple style-I DO like daisies!  I re-shoveled the edge, shuffled the mulch and soil around the anchor plants, snipped off her current blooms and settled her in her new space.  As I watered the bed with both hose and tears I felt peaceful and surprisingly still in my heart.  Apparently, there is nothing wrong with daisies and if this is any indication, she and I will keep on growing…blessed tomorrow because I am thankful for today…. 

PS my hort heart is still beating.  It helped me choose my plant selections that Thursday at Greenscape Nursery.  Not forgetting the headache that comes with a new variety of coreopsis.  I couldn't help remembering one that was marketed as a perennial but didn't make it through its first winter-anywhere.  Oh the outcry despite its continual bloom and surprising fall coloration that was like spun gold.  It was planted in the MoBot trial gardens where every year I invested my heart and hope in relationships that were sometimes very temporary.  Ah but those new varieties that turned so many heads- miss you MoBot and yes I truly miss all my hort friends- all of you, plants and people!

Unbearable My First Birthday Without Parents

How I can feel like an adult orphan sounds as strange as it feels but it has made me feel more serious than

 happy about getting older.  I feel full of opposites, a bundle of feelings ready to burst and with and without words, very empty and disconnected and yet very present, hurt and accepting, solid and peaceful and yet a shadow of anx crowding me, ready to take over.   I feel mostly reflective on my life, its lessons and the great job my parents did with so few tools.  Bless God and all who have crossed my path and helped make me who I am today- THANK YOU.  I hope this next year is blessed with everything I need to be the person I am meant to be!

Pat Plants

Mother's Day, family gatherings and his time with Nana has influenced this set of greens thumbs to the point that my "Pattycake" cried as we went past some flowers on the way into the grocery store yesterday because I wasn't buying more plants!  Oh no, what have I done?

I couldn't resist turning his project into a  series of "how to" steps.  He's a natural!

Here he is telling me where the plants will go and showing me his basket and pink bacopa.  He was frustrated that all the plants didn't fit on the table.  He finnally let me put some in the chair. (See them in the background)

 He had some trouble keeping the potting soil going into the basket.  It was almost as if he didn't care where it went just that he could scoop up more.  Needless to say as much potting soil was on the table, the patio and his shoes as went into the basket!

I let him pick out which flowers to put in the basket from  the plants I had on hand.  I had started trying to do a pink and blue theme but there wasn't enough hot weather true blue flowers for a morning sun basket.  However there was tons of pinks in every shade- and he used every shade of pink I had gathered.

He insisted on helping me water the basket when we were done and hose down the patio.  We spent more time with the hose than it took to plant the basket.

This basket should hang low enough to look into it so I wanted some uprights to fill the top.  Also I hoped to attract butterflies
and hummers as much as possible and minimum care

 is always important as this is going to my son's house  and they are very busy!

Patrick liked the rose moss.  Hardly any flowers are open but he didn't care, he just wanted to squish the leaves.

He was in such a good mood when we met up with Greg and followed him back to his house that he didn't care that I wouldn't let him carry it from the car to the arbor.  My final favorite moment was seeing Greg stretching up on his tiptoes to see what was planted in his hanging garden.

Fairy Nice Time at Oma's Barn Last Night

If you are limited in time and space and are overloaded with imagination and the need to unwind perhaps you might want to experiment with whimsy gardening, with a focus on fairies and fantasy! 

Considered “current” with this younger generation, this old way to play is a new hot trend in gardening.

I am so glad these little gardens are catching on finally with the customers at Oma’s Barn.  I was pleased last night to share my interest in miniatures, gardening and fantasy with some interested shoppers.  We are planning another get together in a few weeks and more fun!

Like their namesake, fairy gardens are typically small. Think of them as the marriage of a table top garden and a dollhouse.  For me it was an inexpensive outlet for my overactive imagination and a play style I could share with my children with just a shallow dish, and a few small toys. 

 My fairy gardening eventually carried over to special time with my nephew Sam and grandson Patrick, and now….I look forward to sharing playtime some day with my next grand baby….who is, I am excited to announce is on the way! So last night I finished the class with a tiny garden with a baby fairy theme.  Congrats to Greg and Kristin!  I can hardly wait!

It is a Good, GOOD FRIDAY

I guess my "year"  begins with the Spring.  It is when my heart is warmed not just by the sun but by the fondness I have for those I get to share my green heart!  For me it didn't begin till this week and particularly today when I took  my grandson Patrick  to the Butterfly House.

 This week warmed up for me when I got to talk to my friend Ricki Creamer,(Red Cedar Gardens)  e-mailed a bit with Alan Branhagan, (Powell Garden) browse Dave's garden and saw my dear friend June Hutson. (Missouri Botanical Garden)

 I am ready to hunt down my gardening friends, plan a few shopping trips, start searching seriously for plants in spring catalogs, find a few flowers blooming, watch a few birds actually nesting and steal a few minutes to update my friend Glenn's blog and mine while watching the last of the snow melt!

Happy Easter and Happy New Season!



























year

May 2012 Mother's Day and Sylvia Update

Today I am celebrating the "jobs" I am doing- to the best of my ability; wife, mom and “Nana”.   Thank you to my children and their spouses for the nice thoughts and gifts. And, Kristin- what a wonderful lunch!  I enjoyed my time with you and your mom!  I am so glad I have such a wonderful family!

For those who are missing my segment on KTRS 550 Inside Out Show, thank you for so many kind comments and for understanding my decision to withdraw from the radio show’s weekly segment.  It’s been over a month now and I continue to listen and enjoy-I hope you all do the same!

The truth is, they have it well covered and my contribution, though appreciated was taking time from others in my industry who need to be able promote their businesses.  My wish is that our listeners will continue to enjoy the show! 

Thank you to those on the show and those who continue to stay in touch.  I am still happily connected with Lisa at Oma’s Barn where I receive love and caring support from friends, along with some occasional “horticulture therapy’ which truly warms my heart!  Last week I planted fairy gardens, shared a few stories and made a huge mess!  

PS  For all of you who have tried to help me find my friend, Sylvia, I just wanted you to know prayers still get answered!  We have been out of touch for more than 5 years due to a computer crash and postal issues!

 – It ends up that Friday, Sylvia came into town from Rolla, stopped in at a few nurseries she hadn’t been to before, heard a voice that reminded her of me, turn to see my beautiful Holly-all grown up, behind the counter at Greenscape!  Sylvia had to ask if she was my Holly (last time she saw her she was probably less than 10 and she’s married now).  It was a special moment on Friday evening when Holly told me Sylvia had talked to her AND realized our connection!  Today was even more special as Sylvia and I “ re”-connected and talked and cried and cried and talked!

550 KTRS Inside Out Show February 4th 2012 Plant of the Week, Fox Valley Birch

Well I admit I enjoyed hearing the promos for the Inside Out show on 550 during the week. I tried to listen close to the descriptions of the strengths for each of the girls, it puzzled me to think they could summarize these three dedicated people in such a short time frame.

As I remember I think Steffie was described as design oriented, Jennifer, as the “color splash” girl and Ellen, the guru of house plants, food gardening and urban gardening. (If I have this wrong, one of you please let me know!)

My thoughts when I heard the promo was how they can focus in on this talent pool, but somehow for the sake of time, I guess they had to do it! I surely hope that no one thinks any of these gifted professionals are limited by topics in their knowledge- because they are NOT!

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield was the “Out” girl for the week so I thought I would appeal to her “landscape designer” heart. I opened with the “aesthetics” of my plant choice for the week, the dwarf river bush ‘Fox Valley’. I loved chatting with her about this handsome workhorse! It is so fun to agree on what handsome in the plant world "looks" like!

B. ‘Fox Valley’ is the full package. He carries an “I’m good, any time” charm that exudes confidence through all the seasons. His lightly tanned features include a casual, beach baby look that reminds me of a wind tossed, weather –worthy blonde. He has the kind of looks that will last him a lifetime and they could carry him all they way but they don’t have too! His stout, very well built frame work does the rest!

His vulnerable looking fair skinned bark with a rose tint gives him that “dishy blonde man” kind of complexion that is similar to his full size native counterpart, Betchula nigra / River birch.

The best part is he gets better with age! Eventually he stops hinting about his brawny build and starts to reveal his strong good looks and easy his going nature. With his muscle bound brawn barely held in check, his sleeves of bark randomly rip apart. It still surprises me what a tease he is as he he sheds his bark. The end result is a tough guy look that is real, personalble and so endearing!

To read more about his many qualities and the best way to use him visit these links:

Evaluation Notes from my dear friend Richard Hawke

Chicagoland Grows Plant Introduction Program

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Show LINKS

John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield

Ellen Barredo, of Bowood Farms

Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

KTRS is doing a three person round robin rotation that will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis in the Gateway Gardener. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

God Bless You

… Re

550 KTRS Inside Out Show January 29th 2012 Plant of the Week, Christmas Fern

Finally, everything clicked. John called me ahead of time so I would know the day (this was suppose to be the last week the show was bounced to Sunday) AND the time the show was scheduled, (it has been an hour earlier and apparently an hour shorter as well)

It was nice not to miss my “window” like last week. Last week I was enjoying the show as I straightened up the house. I would have said I heard most of it, but clearly I missed the critical part about the show ending at 1:00 pm.

All I heard that let me know it was “over” was them signing off at the top of the one o’clock hour. I had just moved my notes and my cup of coffee, to my favorite window and got comfortable, ugh! Oh well, I got a laugh, enjoyed my coffee and the break in my house work and just figured God had a different plan for me that day.

This week, Jennifer Schamber of Greens

cape shared the air waves with John. I was so pleased that she praised him after he mentioned he actually repotted his peace lily. He has talked about this poor suffering plant that has begged for better care for so long that the real peace for me is knowing that he has finally heard what he should do and did it!

The also talked about hosta, care, division timing and sun tolerance. I was glad Jennifer completely agreed that no hosta has been identified as truly sun loving in St. Louis in the middle of August!

I got a kick out of hearing her talk about plant societies and particularly the Hosta Society. Yes, as a past member of more than a few plant groups, and a self admitted “hortiholic”, I at least am aware now that I was over the top in some ways with my gardening. I am blessed to have such great memories and only a few regrets.

The one regret that comes to my mind as I look at the 2012 Hosta of the year, ‘Liberty’ one the decision not to move with me, my 10 year old, so perfect it was featured in the newspaper, my most beautiful Hosta ‘Sagae’, ( the parent of ‘Liberty’). This striking beauty for 2012 has great genes and makes me miss my dear sweet shade garden.

I confess that last year, I stumbled on a small immature ‘Sagae’, which had been set aside to make room for the new and upcoming star hosta, ‘Liberty’. I just couldn’t stand missing my personal favorite hosta any more and purchased the very young ‘Sagae’ for my equally young and tiny shady border garden.

I don’t need, newer/ better. I was happy with my historic relationship with this hosta parentage. Oh, this will be oh so worth the wait! Just looking at all the ‘Liberty’ hosta images on the web has made me even more anxious for spring! (Liberty has the same strong features; I just hope she grows a little faster since so many gardeners seem to be rather impatient these days!)

Finally after wonderful chit chat with Jennifer, John reminded me to mention the plant of the week, the evergreen perennial Polystichum acrostichoides, better known as Christmas Fern. My favorite memory of this plant draws me back to my time working at Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center where I cared for a large collection of this fern growing under the purple leaf redbud, ‘Forest Pansy’ in the border of the main path / tram stop. (image included here is at White Flower Farm. I was frequently too busy to take as many pictures as I wanted when I worked at the Garden, but I have my memories. If you have some great pics of this planting- feel free to send them to me if you want to share!)

I still remember hesitating to pitch all the pretty greenery I removed in very early spring just to make room for the new spring growth! I don’t remember how much I was able to keep out of the compost pile but some made it all the way to the cart display in the main building. Some plants even after a normal winter have great foliage, too pretty to throw away!

Show LINKS

John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield

Ellen Barredo, of Bowood Farms

Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

KTRS is doing a three person round robin rotation that will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis in the Gateway Gardener. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

God Bless You

… Re

550 KTRS Inside Out Show December 31st 2011 Plant of the Week, Cyclamen

There, its over, we have started a new year, does that make you happy? Will a new plant make you happy? If you don’t know if it will, I suggest you try cyclamen and see what affect it has on your happiness!

Crazy as it sounds, I think this is a perfect starter plant for those seeking happiness in 2012 and are too scared to: commit, go overboard, spend big bucks, follow the dream, go for broke, or venture too far out on the ledge! After all, it only needs a window sill and some light! Ok, I am the one that’s a bit out there, but I like it here!

My favorite attributes of cyclamen is the long flowering stage, the variety of colors and its forgiving nature. It generally will give you a few “start over” opportunities while you learn the pleasure of nurturing a house plant. Although it does not have an indefinite life span, it can live longer than most flowering florist type plants and holds nice foliage with average care.

I just read an interesting article ( here is the link) about happiness. I stumbled on it when I tried to link “pleasure” and “sharing plant information” Apparently my intent to find the right words to explain my enjoyment in gardening and caring for a plant might be uniquely mine. (http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/what-makes-people-happy.htm)

I got side tracked but I admit I enjoyed reading and thinking about some other views on happiness.

Have a blessed 2012!

Here are some links on Cyclamen:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclamen

http://www.cyclamen.org/indexCS.html

http://gardening.about.com/od/houseplants/a/Cyclamen.htm

Show LINKS

John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield

Ellen Barredo, of Bowood Farms

Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

KTRS is doing a three person round robin rotation that will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis in the Gateway Gardener. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

God Bless You

… Re

550 KTRS Inside Out Show December 24th 2011 Plant of the Week, Meyer Lemon Tree

Yes there was a 550 Christmas Eve KTRS’s “Inside Out “show Saturday and there was questions and calls on a wide variety of topics. Ellen, prepared to entertain and inform as needed talked in the first hour about Meyer Lemon trees. She also brought in some tasty treats from a kumquat plant. It seemed logical as she whisked me along with her “on air enthusiasm” that I should take her lead and discuss this beautiful, fragrant house plant / tree.

As usual, she triggered a ton of favorite plant memories for me! She also caused me to ponder the sadness brought on from the reminder that I have lost track of my friend Sylvia who first introduced me to growing citrus plants indoor. (Side note, if anyone knows Sylvia Greer and has her contact info please let her know I would like to hear from her. She moved to Seattle WA and then retired to Rolla and then my computer crashed. I lost all my info and a dear pen pal / friend who also enjoyed my passion for geraniums!)

When Sylvia moved away, her level of indoor gardening success became the envy of those who inherited her plants. I struck “pay dirt” when she gave me her wonderful compost pile, but my MG cousin accepted the challenge of what to do with a large thorny tree that needs to be near a large door or window. Also it took her some time to research and meet tree’s ongoing need for acidic pH. As I recall she has also battled a few insect challenges in the process of getting this tree to thrive. All is well now and the amazingly wonderful fragrance of the flower and fruit that fills the room is enough keep her committed to the effort!

I have moved away from my dream garden that benefited from Sylvia’s compost but my dear green heart cousin took all of Sylvia’s house plants she could manage and then later opened her home to several of mine. I have “anytime I want” visitation privileges and for that I am so grateful!

I confess every time I listen to Ellen I feel like hopping in the car and heading to Bowood Farms. Shortly I know I will find myself unable to resist the craving for warmth and more light. Knowing I will need to find a good light filled space with plants, my dad and I have decided to take Ellen up on her “on air” invitation to visit to Bowood soon!

We are planning to bring our poinsettias for her recycling program and have lunch at Bowood’s Osage Café. I am hoping I don’t forget I live in a very small light deprived place these days and have no place for such a “deserves better” plant as Meyer Lemon tree or a “crazy cute” Kumquat! (I am praying I will be able to stay strong and not purchase any plants that I will just have to relinquish again!)

For those who want to try citrus and may not want as much of a challenge as the lemon, it is noteworthy that kumquats don’t have as many thorns and may be a little easier to grow. They also need lots of bright light!

If I've worried you some about the challenges of growing lemons indoors, I offer my apologies. But don't give up! Instead consider Ellen’s alternative: a kumquat. It will give you the same year-round gifts of shiny leaves, fragrant flowers and delicious fruit but with a little less grief.

Here are some links on Meyer Lemons:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon

http://www.5min.com/Video/Caring-for-Your-Meyer-Lemon-Tree-152679509

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/d391/citrus-x-meyeri-meyer.aspx

Or check this link for Kumquat information:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18828304

Show LINKS

John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield

Ellen Barredo, of Bowood Farms

Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

KTRS is doing a three person round robin rotation that will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis in the Gateway Gardener. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

God Bless You

… Re

550 KTRS Inside Out Show December 17th 2011 Plant of the Week, Norfolk Island Pine

"The Inside Out show was especially good Saturday!” Yes, it is Christmas, well almost and I am just now getting to download all the thoughts that have been floating lose in my mind. This was my dominate thought ever since the show ended. I even caught myself talking about the show and once having to explain my silly smile. I was surprised earlier today when I realized I was planning tomorrow’s activities in a way that would leave me in listening range of the radio, even though it will be Christmas Eve! (I hope my family is ok with this!)

Ellen reminds me of the “old times” when I would purposely visit greenhouses in the winter just to stand in the warmth of the sun and watch plants grow! Frequently house plants found their way to my car and my window sill at home so it seemed fitting to discuss a few favorites and share one of my favorite past times, seeing a familiar plant growing in its preferred environment. Who wouldn’t enjoy going to Hawaii to see 100 ft Norfolk Pines growing in a place so natural.

I admit it pains me sometimes to see such beauty and know I kept something so wonderful from reaching its full capacity. On the other hand, I know I treated my plants very well and I loved, each and every one!

Here is a useful link and a reminder, you better watch out, you better be good…to your plants: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/norfolkislandpine.html

More LINKS

John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield

Ellen Barredo, of Bowood Farms

Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

KTRS is doing a three person round robin rotation that will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis in the Gateway Gardener. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

Merry Christmas,

… Re

550 KTRS Inside Out Show December 10th 2011 Plant of the Week, The Boxwood

T’is the season of boxes and each needing to be in the right place!

As I watched a UPS truck loaded with boxes, I realized I might have a different mind track than most people at this time of year. I was not thinking of the rising postage costs, the possible damage to gifts en route, or even where I will be Christmas morning.

Instead, I was struck with the number, the variety of shapes and the well considered arrangement it took to fit so many boxes in one truck. Somehow… it reminded me of spring and gardening and left me wondering where in my favorite garden could there be a need for boxes!

It is hard to explain my thought process in a blog, (just as hard in person so I rarely try any more!) So for now I will do as I did on Saturday, find another green heart to share my “out of the box “type of thinking! Thank you Steffie Littlefield of Garden Heights and John Shea on Saturday’s KTRS Inside Out Show for participating in my, Plant of the Week “rave” about this holiday worthy evergreen, the Boxwood, casually known to most “hortiholics” as “boxes”.

I confess I haven’t been as busy as the UPS guys this time of the year, but perhaps you are so I decided not to drivel on too long before I share my favorite traits about this rather dense, easy to trim evergreen.

Boxes, botanically known as buxus are handsome! They are also generally deer resistant and are tolerant of gentle clipping this time of year to decorate- my boxes, door hangings, candle bases or even mantles!

To learn more about some of the more reliable performing varieties of boxwoods or “boxes” as I fondly call them visit Missouri Botanical Garden's PlantFinder. this should give you a good description of specific varieties and what is available in our area. I usually leave several links here but the web is not cooperating tonight! I will add some when I can. Meanwhile, visit your favorite garden center/ nursery and ask which ones they feel best about recommending for your particular site. Steffie of Garden Heights mentioned a few of her favorites, so I am sure she can line you up with some great choices! Also know each variety may have a have different growth habits! Oh so, so , so many boxes!

My words of wisdom about this beautiful greenery may sound clumsy and a little like a warning, but as my husband likes to say about so many things, it’s all about, “location, location, location”! (He isn’t talking plants when he says it but it certain applies to this plant for it to perform well!)

Boxes must have the right location, with good drainage, water even in the winter, and some protection from wind!

John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield

Ellen Barredo, of Bowood Farms

Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

KTRS is doing a three person round robin rotation that will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis in the Gateway Gardener. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

My Faith Note:

“Location” has always been a focus for me in my Christian walk too, especially lately. Location is the defining word for my family too! “Too far from home” is my eldest daughter, just “not close enough”, is my youngest daughter, who battles traffic and gas prices and thankfully the one with the most recent change of location, my son of which “I am grateful it is not farther” is the thought that rests in the back of my mind. (Actually I think it is one of the most perfect places I can imagine. I could almost call it my idea of heaven on earth location. And those that know me, know I don't say that lightly or very often!

Location can be a daily matter as well. Yesterday as always I pray to be in the right place, at the right time and sometimes but not always, when I reflect on my day, He let’s me see my path and if my prayer was answered. Yesterday, I was in the right place for me and as I think about it I hope it was the right place for others as well!

At breakfast with my dad at our weekly place, I noticed the smile on the waitresses seemed a bit weak. I couldn’t help starting a conversation that lead to her sharing her lack of enthusiasm for Christmas.

She had lost two sisters, who loved “The Season” and confessed she struggles to enjoy it at all and wouldn’t even try if not for her children and grandkids. I sympathized and shared about our loss in our family of our two youngest children, my sister and my only brother.

My dad sat very still during the exchange, more patient than normal with my chit chat. During the conversation, he didn’t say a word just an occasional nod in agreement. As she left our table, I hoped I had not made anything worse for her or us. I was even more uncertain when I looked across the table and I thought I saw tears in my dad’s eyes. Some how the rest of the day, well, seemed more honest, if not better as we got through the day.

The same day, in the afternoon, I held a newborn girl in my arms and gloried at the miracle of birth and the transformation of my young friends from a couple to a family. As I left the hospital, I thought about how grateful I am for my own children, those who have let me share that special beginning time in their lives and how thankful I am for that special time in my own life.

By night I found myself giving a blessing to the front line woman at a fast food place who was struggling to learn the register on a busy night. When I smiled with understanding of her situation, she flashed a smile back to me. Then her face furrowed and her voice cracked as she mentioned she had hoped for a family night but as the sole supporter of her family, and with her husband out of work for over two years, she was thankful for the opportunity to learn the register. I offered a prayer of blessing for the business that employs her, hope for her husband and patience for her customers as it was crazy busy for it being a Thursday night!

By the time I got home, I was so glad I had a quiet home, a wonderful family and such special friends and neighbors, that when I brought my dad his “look what I made for you, no salt, tasteless with too much variety” dinner, I was able to smile when he began to preach his theory of why his ankles are swollen, why there is nothing wrong with opening a whole can of salt laden spaghetti every day and eating it all.

I tried to hold that smile as he launched into his spiel on calories, what a body needs, and who I think are the experts on nutrition and healthy heart eating. (I may have let my smile slip but only to help hold my tongue)

Somehow I found myself still smiling when the garage door didn’t work. “This is exercise”, I said to myself as I weaved between dogs and fallen leaves that blew in with me at the front door, and followed me through the garage while I struggled with the door and finally blew out when I pulled the running car into the garage.

I found my smile again just minutes later when I was timely enough walking the dogs to be outside just in time to motion to my husband not to fret about the door as much as I had as I had already unhooked it. Unfortunatly I wasn’t fast enough to control the dog circus at my feet fast enough to open it for him. Hopefully he knew my heart and my good intentions!

I am not sure I should have smiled when I heard him grumble my name about something while he showered-but I did. “Hum, here I am Lord, everything is normal”, and maybe that is a location blessing in its self!

As I laid my head on my pillow last night I thought more about my “location”. Yes, it is sometimes hard for my imperfect self to know what is the right place for anything, especially myself but thankfully I am aware of my failings and make it part of my daily prayer.

All my prayers end as a “location” prayer. My sister Joanne, “located” now in heaven helped me find the perfect way to include a request for “location” for my life, even as it changes. It became the inspiration for the naming of her BENCH Garden.

Daily I ask God to place me wherever He can use my heart, my hands, and my words and at the very end I ask Him, to keep me, no matter where I am, close to Him:

B e
E ver
N ear
C hrist’s
H eart

…Re

550 KTRS Inside Out Show December 3rd 19th 2011 Plant of the Week Deciduous Holly ‘Nana’

It sounded like an easy breezy show this week with John and Bowood Farm’s Ellen Barrado. Not so much of an easy week but definitely a fast week for me as I have started a new Christmas tradition, “intentionally” giving myself and my time as my gift. I have found it surprisingly more difficult than it use to be to estimate my time.

My apologies for anyone waiting on me to do this blog, I know it is late, but it is a gift as well and I do believe in the “better late than never” saying. Consider this wait time as training for whatever waiting marathons that might lie ahead this holiday.)

I have written about this wonderful plant, Ilex verticillata, and so many times that this should have taken a minimum amount of time. I thought I would just link back to previous articles, http://maryannfink.blogspot.com/2010/10/ktrs-550-inside-out-show-plant-of-week_30.html, http://www.newtownatstcharles.com/NTCourier/NTCourier_2006-11.pdf and this one I wrote for the Water Gardening Society’s newsletter, Water World, http://www.docstoc.com/docs/90600495/October-2009-WW-e-mail and post a cheery pic of a heavily berried holly in my neighborhood and be done.

Instead as I read these over myself, I found myself falling in love with this attractive native all over again! I confess I have just scanned thru the customers at Bread Co. wondering who I might be able to strike up a conversation with so I can introduce this beauty to someone right now! Euow… something is so wrong with me! (Here is one I just mentioned reading, I. v. ‘Nana’- but of course I read the whole article which sent me off in another direction, missing my grand baby who calls me “Nana”- focus girl!!!!!) http://maryannfink.blogspot.com/2010/11/ktrs-inside-out-show-plant-of-week_27.html

I am also including a Plant of Merit bloom list link because this holly is also a Plant of Merit. My friend Becky Holman spent some time a few years ago putting a “seasonal time of interest” for the plants that were Plants of Merit at the time.

Unfortunately the Plants of Merit program has ended, not because these aren’t good plants but the support to fund promoting them seems to have come to an end. Hearing this news was a sad moment for me because of the effort and time that has been committed to it by so many. (A reminder that time is a gift to be appreciated all year) Enjoy the link anyway! http://www.maryannfink.com/POM-listofBloomTime.htm

My sister Joanne posted this link (and so much more you are welcomed to use and enjoy) on my website as her gift to me. My advantage was I did know it was a gift even at the time. Now I know why I was so blessed but I didn’t know how much I would treasure her gift or how it was going to change my life.

I still smile when I think of all the questions she had while she read through each and every Plant of Merit and followed the links. She was amazing at making sure everything was working right, but she was a little like me, and time slipped away from both of us as she began a list of plants she wanted to see for herself. We even critiqued the photos and she offered some suggestions about which ones needed a better picture. Side note I planted a few of her favorites in her BENCH Garden at Creve Coeur Park’s Sailboat Cove.

LINKS

John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield

Ellen Barredo, of Bowood Farms

Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

KTRS is doing a three person round robin rotation that will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis in the Gateway Gardener. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

My Faith Note:

I believe in the example God set for this season, of our Savior’s birth, as a time of giving of one’s self. This year my gift to family and friends is so precious to me, that I am having difficulty explaining my reasoning and its value, to my own family. I hope someday they will understand me better and know that I actually have a new and deeper sense of the Spirit of Christmas.

Until I lost my sister, I am not sure I realized how time could be so painfully short and priceless. I also am more aware that this is a difficult to package gift. It surely does not come with any warranty or guarantee of anything, either!

My time is difficult to measure for the recipient on the pleasure scale too! Apparently enjoyment is not promised! Patrick probably doesn’t enjoy every minute with Nana and as I help my dad this past week review his eating habits and find new ways to limit his salt intake, he has doubts about the current value of this gift too!

As a matter of fact, I am thinking about weighting out six pounds of water and setting them on his kitchen counter today. He has lost 6 pounds in six days. Do you think he can see sometimes a gift is not having something, like this much water weight, leaning on his failing heart valves?

There is no exchange policy either! It can’t be given back or returned and once it is gone, it is gone. I hope that as I give this most precious gift, it will be a time of thoughtful consideration at least for me of what the Gift is that I am celebrating this Christmas. Thank you dear heavenly Father, for Your Son, for His Birth, His Life, and His Death so that I have Your Eternal Gift of Salvation!

Merry Christmas to All….Re (Nana)

550 KTRS Inside Out Show November 26th 2011 Plant of the Week Abies fraseri (Fraser fir) AND, Welcome Co-Host #3 Jennifer Schamber

I am so happy that Christmas trees have such a foundational place in the home in this season of celebration! I am also pleased that the past few weeks have been such a blessing for me. I have enjoyed this opportunity to welcome to the Inside Out Show some of the best green thumbs in the St. Louis region! Congrats and blog bow to new Mommy, Jennifer, manager of Greenscape Garden & Gifts!

Certainly for some families, tradition plays an important role as to how much focus the Christmas tree will have both in the house and as part of the holiday festivities.

For some holiday participants, there may be several trees and a whole house decorating bonanza with decorations and greenery in every room. For a few of us it is enough if we have a wreath on the door, or maybe a handcrafted table centerpiece or mantle decor. For a couple of my friends, it becomes an ever evolving, never the same, display that can only be described as an annual activity that is in its own right, an art form!

Here are some links to help you think about the advantages of purchasing a live tree, also some advice on caring for fresh cut greenery in the home and some interesting information about Fraser fir trees, the most popular cut tree choice!

Caring For Your Christmas Tree and Holiday Greenery (I am including a link detailing how to use wiltproof to help your greenery stay fresh looking longer!)

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/other/seasonal/hgic1753.html
http://www.helium.com/items/615314-choosing-and-caring-fo-holiday-greenery
http://www.humeseeds.com/xmastre.htm
http://www.christmastree.org/trees/fraser.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abies_fraseri
http://forestry.about.com/cs/christmastrees1/a/top10_xmastree.htm
http://missourichristmastrees.org


Where to buy locally grown Christmas trees: Members of Missouri’s Christmas Tree Growers Association and map of grower/ suppliers:

http://missourichristmastrees.org/graphics/MCTA2011MembershipRoster.pdf
http://www.christmastreemap.com/farm/MO.html
Why you should buy a real Christmas tree
How to buy and care for a Christmas tree



Here are the links to the new 550 Inside Out Show co-host’s, Steffie, Ellen and Jennifer, their garden center websites and some of their events and holiday information:

Steffie Littlefield

Garden Heights Nursery Open House
Bring Your Holidays to Life
with fresh ideas

Friday, December 2nd
5:00 – 8:00 pm
Wine and Cheese Evening

Saturday and Sunday
December 3rd & 4th
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Visit Santa from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Jennifer Schamber

To Prep Your Pots For the Holidays check out GREAT IDEAS at Greenscape Gardens & Gifts

Ellen Barrado

To experience a warm and wonderful event to launch your holiday season visit Bowood Farms Bonfire & Open House: http://www.bowoodfarms.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/calendar.detail/event_id/152/index.htm:
Holiday Bonfire & Open House
Thursday, December 1
5-8 pm, FREE!

How to tell if your tree is a Fir or a Spruce

To tell spruce and fir trees apart, it helps to know that spruce needles are sharply pointed, square and easy to roll between your fingers. Fir needles, on the other hand, are softer, flat and cannot be rolled between your fingers. Spruce needles are attached to small, stalk-like woody projections. When needles are shed, these projections remain. As a result, the branches of spruce trees feel rough. Fir branches lack these projections, and thus have smooth bark. The color and length of needles are not reliable means of identification; these can vary from tree to tree, depending on cultural conditions and the planting site)

Faith Note:

Themed Christmas trees are so much fun. I have a friend who hangs ornaments that celebrate notable events and trips she has taken each year. Over the years, enjoying her tree with her reconnects her to the amazing journey she has been on and lets me enjoy it with her! It is a way she celebrates the faith life she has as well as her faith!

I have done an ornament exchange for 30 plus years with my best friend who lives out of state. We periodically discuss how much we think of each other when we look at our trees. It is my prayer that each and every ornament reminds her of how much we have in common, most importantly, our faith! I think at some point we have discussed how meaningful it would be to visit each other at Christmas so we can see the trees we have decorated from afar!

This year I was included with the tree trimming process with my friend Lisa and Julie at Oma’s Barn. I made a few new friends and got to share in an unbelievable transformation of the heavily used barn. It has been in the family for years and is a treasure chest of gift items, funiture, antiques and home decor all year long but at this time each year, it is totally transformed with the holiday spirit. Unreconizable to even frequent visitors, it has a new look, with each nook and cranny given a new purpose. It has been beautifully prepared to greet and warm the hearts of all shoppers and lookers.

Dressing it from ceiling to floor, was an absolute blitz of time and effort, but oh now it is bursting with treasures. It has more than I can begin to describe, it must be everyone's dream of new Christmas folly and old Christmas memories. They even included an upside down tree. Perhaps it is a visual for the way our days seem headed. Any way you look at the barn it is bursting with bliss!

Without a doubt each tree was so over the top that I was nearly overwhelmed looking at them. The completeness and the artistic gift God has blessed each of the girls is amazing. Even though I was there when the changes started, it didn't seem possible to do what was to come, I needed to see it to believe it!

The funny thing was, it was a blessing, because somewhere in the process, I was "re"-minded how much this blessed holiday should be a total celebration in my heart. If they can do it with ornaments and decorations, surely I can do it with song and prayer, kindly actions and thoughtful words. Like the old barn, I am praying to be so re-newed!

My prayer of hope this season is that God will find as many ways to use me as Lisa and the girls have found to use an old and well used barn!

Thankful For My Sisters

It is true but impossible to put into words the blessing it is to have sisters. I am more fortunate than some to feel so blessed because of so many people in my life, but it all began with sisters.

I have been blessed at the birth of each of my 4 sisters. They have taught me the most about being a friend. An with those lessons I hope I have shared the blessing with my friends, relatives and an amazing extended family.

So many of you have become an important part of my life. I have some special friends as close as next door and one as far as Denver. I am most thankful that Love has such an amazing reach!

We don't know the future and we can't change the past but Joanne use to try and explain the importance of living in the present and it being God's Present. I can barely grasp much less truly focus on the absolute truth of that important lesson but I will try this minute and say how blessed God has made me to have so very much-love to you! Ma (Re)

550 KTRS Inside Out Show November 19th 2011 Plant of the Week AND, and a belated welcome to Co-Host #2 Steffie Littlefield of Garden Heights Nursery

There may be a chill in the air today but it was warm and friendly yesterday on KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s earlier than normal broadcast from 11-12:30 Saturday. I am still smiling!

Like kids running in a field with outstretched arms, John and Steffie touched the tops of so many green topics that I am lagging and laughing still today! It was exhilarating!

I have heard if you listen closely you can actually hear corn “growing”, I started to wonder during this week’s show if we are growing corn in the studio, have added sound effects or if what I am hearing ( that sounds a little like crunching and whistling noises) is John going through his own “growing” spurt. If he keeps learning at this rate, his green thumb will outgrow the rest of him! I am so proud of him!

One thing is for sure, John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea sounded like he has really enjoyed these recent weeks with his new co-host arrangement. I think he was impressed with Steffie’s quick and completely on target responses to the many garden calls. A worker bee himself, he seemed completely enthralled with Steffie’s energy.

Steffie is a green heart through and through, and shows it in her passion for nursery retail, landscape design, general gardening, vegetable and grape growing and heirloom plant preservation, garden writing and …so much more!

She is like her other two co-hosts; she is very involved professionally and personally with many horticulture projects, activities and endeavors. I am “blog bowing” officially now by adding all these great links (see links below) and apologizing already for whatever I have overlooked!

For me the pleasure is to be so “chat tuned” into the show. I was late calling, but we still had plenty to clamored about as we discussed the many attributes of Redtwig Dogwood as the Plant of The Week.

Cornus sericea better known as Redtwig dogwood has many homescape friendly attributes to appreciate. This shrubby dogwood’s deep red branches are stunning in the landscape in fall and winter. With a few well considered pruning cuts, He is happy to share some of his plentiful ruby colored stems as a festive accent in seasonal arrangements both inside and out!

He is totally a broad shouldered handsome and modestly low care shrub. Strong enough for rain gardens and erosion control, he can also hold onto slippery stream banks. This is a dogwood that thrive where there are periodic wet dry cycles, continuously soggy or even just routine clay soil issues.

My personal favorite attribute of this dogwood is his willingness to contribute to any habitat oriented / butterfly friendly landscape. It seems his real strength is to be able to wear rather lacey looking flowers without looking too delicate. It is pretty amazing that he can look so naturally at ease in such a nurturing role!

LINKS

John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea

Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield

Ellen Barredo, of Bowood Farms

Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

This is the three person round robin rotation that will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis in the Gateway Gardener. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

Faith Note:

Dare to Bare ( and bow)

As the leaves fall, the structure of my friend’s redtwig is laid bare and fully exposed, many of his strengths and weaknesses that have developed over time are obvious to me.

At this time I am grateful for this reminder that naturally this is an imperfect world. I am humbled by what I see in his branches. I can see the damage, blackened dead stubbed tips remaining from hesitant pruning cuts.

There are plenty of dead gray twigs, (a reminder that not all growth is meant to thrive) and some now obviouse without the cloak of leaves, a few random shoots have been rushing in the wrong direction!

With closer inspection, I can see some raw and irritated places where branches have crossed over each other, rubbing, chaffing, wounding each other, equally hurt, equally damaged. But then I see at my feet buried in the leafy rubble with bits and pieces of broken, fallen branches, and his scattered withered with age decaying leaves, a tiny fruit from a neighboring tree-a seed of hope. Oh how I pray I can keep this thought as I ask for God to bless me, each and every day: "Help me “re”-late!"

550 KTRS Inside Out Show October 25th 2011 Plant of the Week AND, Welcome to New Co-Host #1 Ellen Barredo (twitter link) of Bowood Farms

Season’s change, life changes and now the hosting of the Inside Out Show has made some changes. Joining John Shea, of Collier, Thompson and Shea this Sunday was Bowood Farm’s Ellen Barredo, (check this link to see what an idea (l) girl she is for this job) as “co-host of the week”.

Ellen is the first of three female local green industry professionals that will share the show’s “outside” expert position. John will also have Garden Height’s Steffie Littlefield and Greenscape Gardens, Jennifer Schamber

This three person round robin rotation will address the part of KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s focus on gardening, landscaping and turf care (basically the “Out” portion of the show.)

John Shea will continue with his team of experts and industry representatives from the home building industry and hardware retail suppliers as the anchor of the Inside Out Show and as professional advisor for the balance of home owner call in questions.

John Shea excels in all areas of building design, construction and care, so there will be his influence and continuity to carry the show. As before, he introduce the seasonal home care topics and be a representative for the program's many sponsors and advertisers.

With John’s knowledge of new homes and trends, plus all the types of home remodeling options and renovations he has implemented over his many years of experience, he will sure continue to earn his popular pet name as “Mr. Fix-it”.

His house care tips and his timely home upkeep suggestions are second only to his gift for problem solving which he does on air on a weekly basis. I am sure listeners appreciate John's jovial disposition. He finds numerous ways to keep the show energized, even as he sympathizes with callers and their challenging predicaments and issues.

Fair warning girls, his humor is contagious! I expect eventually all of the girls will get a case of silliness from his sometimes unexpected comments. All ready, first week I could hear a few timely giggles from Ellen as John educated / entertained her and his listeners. I hope all of new co-hosts will find my friend John as funny as he is knowledgeable. As a home owner myself, I have found him to be a valuable source of information and a great asset when making my weekly" to do" check list.

The Plant of the Week feature will continue. Ellen and I discussed a cool, “cool season annual alternative” ornamental kale. This is a favorite of mine for container gardening as well as in ground planting for fall! John was out of the loop some but he will catch up! He is sure to learn alot from this crowd!

I have listed a few information links about ornamental kale, the websites of the new co-hosts and the magazine/ resource, Gateway Gardener. All three of the new Inside Out Show’s garden hosts/ experts are wonderful writers and have featured articles published on a frequent basis. KTRS’s website will surely be updated with this new hosting information shortly!

PS Yes, I know Jennifer is soon to deliver her baby so I asked John Shea what the “plan” is for her sub-good news, her dad John Loyet, will hold her slot on the show. Check out this national industry magazine link which featured John, Jennifer and her mom, Sally on the cover! I am so proud of them! Check out their face book link.

Personal Tidbit, my sweetest Holly, mother of my grandbaby has worked for Jennifer for several years. I am so blessed to have her share in my love of my industry. I have had Jennifer her family and her staff in the perimeter of my family life, they have celebrated with me and cried with me.

I have loved watching Holly "grow"with them in so many ways. I am thankful for everyone at Greenscape who has shares in being part of my "extended" family! I so wish Joanne was here too- she would be so excited about Jennifer, the baby and the radio show! What a wonderful job you all are doing!

Here are a few kale plant links!

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/kale.html

http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/ornamental_kale.htm

http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofile1/p/Orn_Cabbage.htm

http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/brassica-oleracea-ornamental-cabbage.aspx

PSS Not a Bible quote but one that speaks to my heart as a reminder of how far our voices can reach (airwaves to heaven?) and how as close as a whisper is God when I am surrounded by His Creation, God has blessed me!

" I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." ~George Washington Carver

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Time Out-What To Do

Despite being off air a couple of weeks and the many changes in the" landscape" of the Inside Out Show, I decided there is no lack of tips and information for me to share.

The upcoming changes with the hosting of 550's Inside Out show signal a transition in more than the weather for all of us who care about the "Inside Out " show and its hosts.

Jim McMillian has retired and it is well deserved. I will miss his banter with John and his teasing about my intentions to take his job-ha ha Jim, I didn't take it!

I do wish the best to the trifecta that is coming along side John to take Jim's place. I wonder how good Jim feels knowing it will take three amazing people to take his place.

I have certainly learned that although no one can do the work of another and that change is unavoidable. I wasn't certain at first how we could possibly go on but now that John has made some rather awesome arrangements, I feel an unexpected excitement and pleasure at the thought of "re"-connecting with some of my past and a few of the best of our local "green girls".

Much has changed with me in the past few years. I am sure life has brought many changes to them as well, I look forward to hearing whatever they have to share and hope they enjoy my continued interest in sharing the passion for plants He has given me! In the mean time here is what I recommend doing in the garden:

To Do List: Make AND Do

Start getting in the habit of disconnecting the hose from the hose bib after watering- but KEEP WATERING!

Take notes, start a journal and make an inventory list of the plants in each bed /landscape area and what activities you know you did and ones you maybe should have done sooner- make your calendar for next year accordingly!

Remove at ground level summer annuals. Take cuttings now if you have a sunny window and desire a cost effective spring planting. Do some research for exact methods as propagating easy annuals such as coleus can be fun. This can be an adventure for the experienced gardener who wish to savory that certain plant or for a newbie who wants to develop a green thumb over winter with minimal effort!

For most annuals, make notes in your journal, especially the ones you wish to repeat, (or not) the numbers you used, how well they spread and filled an area. Start a budget now and maybe even draw a simple plan as a reminder as you shop next spring.

As you cut away all the annual material that is visible, also clean around the crowns of neighboring plants, at the base and under shrubs, and remove any weedy vines such as virginia creeper or bind weed that have infiltrated the structure of the trees and shrubs. Use this material for composting or place in pick up bags.

Remember; leave the still intact roots of the annuals in the ground to decompose. This creates natural air and water ways, releases stored energy back into the ground and allows the neighboring foundation plants a chance to revive and restore themselves for a few good weeks without unnecessary competition as they prepare for the dormant season.

This “leave the roots method” also seems to decreases “winter heaving losses” caused by accidental roots disruption from pulling up the neighboring plants. I have noted it also seems to help prepare the ground to become more “expansion friendly”. It seems the spreading and maturing perennials near by benefit from the improved water and air penetration left behind and can fill the empty space in record time.

Doing a “gentle” clean up now keeps me from having a heavy hand later when plants are more challenging to recognize ( as they might even seem gone). Also walking in the garden late in the season can cause damage from stepping on the tender, less protected crowns. (I recommend creating “care paths” all through the garden. I do this so I can reach and take care of the landscape without walking over roots. It helps all year long but as the wind play hide and seek with my paths, too many plants end up at risk!)

I tend to leave the “still green” material on the perennials and all stems on the semi-shrubs such as butterfly bush and caryopteris till early spring.

I even prefer to do minimal pruning on shrubs and trees at this time because it leaves the pruning cuts exposed to winter’s cold and wet for an extended time allowing moisture to cause expansion and giving disease and insects a foothold.

I prefer to do most formative and controlling pruning for any plant including trees and shrubs as a growth phase begins in late winter so that the wounds can take timely advantage of nature’s normal healing process. The plants recover quickly and my hand on method is less evident and most effective! It also gives me something to do when it is too early to be working in the garden.

On occasion, reseeding is desirable and even intentional. If this is the case, clean up the immediate area of the favorite bloomer and then intentionally hand disperse the ripened flower head’s seeds. Keep in mind success can be variable and think about your time and reality.

Occasionally there are factors and limitations that make managing an excess of plants that are popping up every where next spring more headachy than heartwarming. (Personal note-my lesson was learned with Rudbeckias and relearned with asters, eons ago! What was “picture perfect” one fall quickly became a “nook with the look of neglect” the following spring)

Whatever material remains gets a pass for the winter leaving some cover and protection for the wildlife and the soon to be sleeping landscape.

Knowing that all the majority of the excess material and all the most unsightly or questionable foliage has been removed while it was still fairly easy to identify, examine for problems and access for future plans and care gives me a happy heart knowing I have been a good and Godly steward, hopefully worthy of being a conscientious caretaker of His Garden for one more season!

Blessed With Today…

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With my thoughts on water and caretaking, it seemed fitting to reflect on our Lord’s personal promise found in Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

He tells me that my pursuit of righteousness will lead me to Him. I have come to know Him through Jesus Christ my Savior, intimately as my companion and Lord. I look forward to my daily Walk with Him in His Garden