Seed Swap Or Feeding Frenzy – You Decide

One look at the picture and Feeding Frenzy is what you are likely to call this event.

Chicago Botanic Gardens called it a Seed Swap, but Feeding Frenzy feels right to me. I was among those vying to get our mitts on those seeds. Over 300 people had attended Diane Ott Whealy’s kick-off lecture for her new book ‘Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver.’ We relished every minute we could going down memory lane with Diane. Then I think everyone ran, not walked, to get a spot amongst the others who came for the seed swap.

Mark your calendars for the next Chicagoland seed swap event – March 11th at 3 PM. That’s when The Great Chicago Seed Swap is going to happen at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show.

I would have never guessed what a popular event a seed swap was, or that I would have had so much fun. I generally don’t buy many seeds. With Mike growing hundreds of dahlias in our basement each year, we run out of room for other plants. Plus I can’t bear to buy a package of 50 seeds if I just want to try planting one or two of something.

But this event was a game changer. I packed tiny seeds in tiny quantities in tiny envelopes. Just a few pole beans, just a few angel melons, just a few each of several kinds of tomatoes. I also now have heirloom nicotiana – a real get for me as the commercial variety has forsaken fragrance. Actually, I think I now have just a few seeds for every plant known to man and then some.

If you have an interest in seeds, I have two Chicago sites for you:

Check out the blog of Mr. Brown Thumb. Look through his many postings on seeds. Also scroll down to the bottom of his site to learn how to save many different kinds of seeds, and tips for starting seeds. I’ve met him – this man knows seeds.

One Seed Chicago is the other place to go. Each year, One Seed Chicago selects one plant to be the focus of a season-long celebration. Go there to vote for your 2012 favorite – chamomile, basil, or cilantro. They’ll reward you with seeds of the winning herb. Teachers can request a classroom size packet along with an educator guide.

Sunday was also a surprisingly warm day for a pseudo-winter walk. Did you know that the Botanic Gardens is quite lovely when all of those flowers and people aren’t distracting you from the lovely vistas? Who would have known?

A few last reminders…

Vote for my blog early and often at the 2012 About.com Readers Choice Awards.

And please join Mike and I at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show on Saturday March 17th. Mike will talk about dahlias at 12:15, and my presentation will be on Low Maintenance Gardening at 2:45.

About.com Readers Choice Awards

My blog is in the running for an award! So of course, I’d love for you to go there every day till March 21st to vote. It’s even ok if you check out my competition.

As I look at About.com 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards, I see this is about more than me (darn). Here are the categories in the Gardening section:

I know I’ll go back on March 30th to check out the Best Gardening Book categories. I have a $40 Barnes and Noble gift certificate that is burning a hole in my pocket. I’ll probably take a peek at who won the Best Blog Award as well. Ok, I’ll definitely be looking at that one. First.

The Parenting and Family Awards look interesting as well. Everything from Best Infant Car Seat to Most Admired Grandparent.

Here is the complete list of categories for the About.com 2012 Readers Choice Awards:

P.S. Mike and I are speaking at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show on Saturday, March 17th. Mike is talking about dahlias (of course) at 12:15. I’ve got Low Maintenance Gardening at 2:45.

Fingers Numb

I write to you with fingers numb.
I think that I might lose a thumb.
Chicago’s temperature is 33.
Yet I was gardening – crazy me.

The sun was shining.
The birds were singing.
I was smiling, trimming, digging.

Digging through the shed so deep,
my gardening tools buried in the heap.
But out they came and so did I.
A joyous day oh my oh my!

It’s true. I just could not stop myself from gardening on this February day. Well, maybe I didn’t want to stop myself. Not even when I saw the dreaded inside of our shed…

Eventually, I found this, my basket of gardening tools…

It was the urn that was calling to me this morning. Time for a little spring cleaning.

It took just a few minutes to make it look like this…

And the best part, look what I discovered as I cleaned up by the mums – new growth. Spring is coming early to our garden.

This was SO worth it!

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – Welcoming Our New Additions – Winter Aconite & Cameron

Like all expectant parents, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new little one. We are so proud to introduce you to our first bloom of the year, winter aconite. At no pounds and only 2 inches tall, this newborn arrived today, amidst much speculation about the arrival date.

Oh, there will be more. Winter Aconite shows up reliably in mid to late February.
In a week or so it will be scattered throughout my vinca. We’ve got it right outside the front door so there is no missing it.

Ours came from at a garage sale – we were allowed to snatch it right out of the garden. I’ve also bought a few packages of the tiny bulbs over the years. They’re a good get – small, inexpensive, and you plant them really close to the top of the soil. Easy.

Our other new addition is ever so much more exciting. This one is 22 inches tall and weighed in at a full 9 pounds. Cameron is our new grandson, and he was born on December 28th. Welcome little one. Grandma loves you!

Do you want to know what else is blooming in the February garden? To see what other bloggers have blooming on the 15th of every month, visit “May Dreams Gardens – Bloom Day” for our Garden Bloggers’ Bloom day entries.

A sure sign of spring – the Chicago Flower and Garden Show is March 10th to 18th.  Mike and I are both excited to be speakers this year.  Join us on March 17th, when Mike will talk about dahlias, and my presentation will be on Low Maintenance Gardening.

Candied Camera – A Sweet Photography Contest

Photo by Kristen Taylor

Just in time for Valentines Day, Mike found something sweet on the Chicago Botanic Gardens website. It’s a seasonal photo contest . Wow – they’ve been running this for a year and we just saw it now. Well, not exactly ‘now’. Let’s say a few hours ago. Since then I’ve been oohing and ahing and downloading. Sweets for the sweet – and these pictures are sweet.

If you would like to enter the winter contest, there is still time to get to Chicago Botanic Gardens to take some pictures. Entries need to be submitted by March 23rd. This part is sweet too — You can win a Chicago Botanic Garden Membership. What is even sweeter is that you become famous. Well, not exactly ‘famous’. But your entry does go on their website; its complete with your name attached, and may even be downloadable.

If you saw my recent pictures from Morton Arboretum, snowy vistas can be beautiful. I’m probably the only person in Chicagoland hoping for another snow – I want to go to Chicago Botanic Gardens and take a picture to enter.

Photo by Colin Michaelis

They even make it easy for us by providing a staff photographer for a free monthly photo walk on the first Saturday of each month. Photo walk participants meet at the Alsdorf Auditorium at 9 a.m. for a brief talk, and then tour the Garden to take pictures of what’s in bloom. Pictures taken by photo walk participants are posted on SmugMug and most of those were suitable for downloading as a desktop wallpaper.

Photo by Fernand Baros

For now, I am happily viewing entries from each of the 4 contests – spring, summer, and fall of 2011, plus the current entries for winter 2012. Some, like this hawk by Fernand Baros, are sharp enough for a desktop wallpaper. I don’t know that I can use it as as a wallpaper though. Its so realistic, I’m afraid he might eat my sweet new wireless mouse.

Now Really, What Were The Odds?

I’ve heard that the longer a couple is married, the more alike they become. I’ve heard that they can practically read each others thoughts. I can understand Mike knowing what I’m thinking when we are in the same room. Even without a word being said, Mike can read my body language, and he knows me well enough to know what I’m thinking. But that doesn’t explain this. ‘This’ is my desk, and as you might guess from the setting, I often work from home.

The part that is hard to explain is the orange flowers in the orange vase. It is unusual that I have flowers on my desk this time of year, as it is winter (more of a pseudo winter) in Chicago. It is also unusual that I bought a new vase in winter, as I don’t do that very often. So what were the odds of me buying an orange vase on the same February day that Mike buys me orange roses? The odds must have been pretty good, because the vase and flowers appeared in my kitchen within minutes of each other.

Putting flowers on your desk this time of year is a real cheerer-upper. Lindy used to do this for her desk every week. Seem extravagant? Putting it in perspective, it’s cheaper than a garden. So even if it’s up to you to treat yourself, enjoy!

Odds are good that you can pick up a vase at Hobby Lobby like I did for $5.00. Odds are good that you can get flowers at the grocery store for under $10.00. Odds are good that flowers feed the soul.

Gardener’s Muse Day – February 2012

As I complete this monthly series paying homage to Edith Holden, I thank her for writing her diary and sharing it with us so many years ago.

February, per Edith Holden’s “Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady”…

This month derives its name from the word februare, to purify or from Februa, the Roman festival of expianon, which was celebrated through the latter part of this month.

And from the collection of poetry Ms. Holden has been kind enough to share with us …

One month is past, another is begun,
Since merry bells rang out the dying year,
And buds of rarest green began to peer,
As if impatient for a warmer sun;
And though the distant hills are bleak and dun,
The virgin snowdrop, like a lambent fire,
Pierces the cold earth with its green-streaked spire
And in dark woods, the wandering little one
May find a primrose.

What is it about poets that they MUST put in at least one word we just plain ole’ never heard of? For example, how often have you used ‘lambent’? Perhaps the word was popular when Hartley Coleridge wrote the poem in 1842. I can just picture a modern day Coleridge hovering over his keyboard perusing his Word a Day on-line calendar with delight, exclaiming to himself ‘Gotcha’!

Still, the poem speaks to me. Especially since it was written in 1842. How little the human spirit changes over the years. We await spring as did Coleridge, as do snowdrops, as will our children and their children.

As for ‘lambent’, it is a lovely word!
1. Gleaming.
2. Playing over surface, flickering or playing as a flame over a surface without burning it
3. Brilliantly light, having a light but brilliant touch.
Even the definitions are lambent.

Whereforth cometh the inspiration to wax poetic? Garden Bloggers’ Muse Day, where Carolyn Choi of Sweet Home and Garden Chicago has invited bloggers to share our favorite poems, songs, verses and quotes about gardening on the first of the month. Carolyn has left Chicagoland and her blog to follow her heart to North Carolina. Thanks to Carolyn for her inspiration.

Morton Arboretum – Perfect For A Scenic Snowy Breakfast

I love to ski, or should I say ‘I loved to ski’. It has probably been 10 years since I’ve been on the slopes, so I’ll go with ‘I loved to ski’. I never seemed to mind the cold – being properly dressed does make a huge difference. As you can see by the picture, Mike feels the same way about cold weather.

Most of the time when I leave the house now in winter, I’m not really dressed for cold. No snow pants. No mittens. No hat. My coat is probably not buttoned or zipped. Skin is exposed to the elements. Accordingly, cold and snow are not as much fun as they used to be. Unless…unless…unless…I’m on the inside looking out.

Inside looking out is a wonderful place to be after a fresh fallen snow. That’s where Morton Arboretum (Lisle, IL) comes in. Morton serves breakfast with a view, perfect for a winter morning. Give me a made to order omelet or chocolate chip pancakes and I’m a happy camper. Well, ok, I’m not camping at that point, but I am enjoying nature’s beauty.

Mike and I were at Morton recently for breakfast, knowing that we would likely be lured outside for a winter walk. As we watched the walkers, joggers, cross country skiers and snowshoers, we soon knew an outside trek in the snow was irresistible. Gorgeous!

I love the photo shoot opportunities in the snow. Check out the picture of the DuPage River below. Contrast like this makes for a great screensaver or wallpaper. Beautiful to look at, and it allows for a solid area for easy ICON viewing.

This one has even more room for Icons, as there are those among us who have more Icons that Midas had gold.

We surprised ourselves by walking for an hour and a half. It was just so pretty! I eventually choose the shot below for my wallpaper. I lined my Icons up along the fence, with a few along the trees at the top left.

If you decide to go to Morton Arboretum for breakfast, be careful to arrive while breakfast was still being served, before 11:00. The consolation prize for arriving after 11:00 is a nice lunch. It’s also helpful to have a membership, as the $12.00 a piece entry fee is a steep price if you are only staying for breakfast. The $80.00 membership fee for two is a veritable bargain though. You can even use the pass at over 250 other public gardens, allowing for breakfast at say, Chicago Botanic Gardens next time.

Say Hi To Hy’s Hibiscus Flower

My hibiscus waited for a snowy day to warm us up with this lovely bloom!

We were anxiously expecting this bloom on the 14th. And the 15th. By the 18th, I resigned myself to waiting. The wait is over. Hy, my hibiscus is no longer in the world of ‘I Think I Can’. Hy’s new motto is ‘I Knew I Could’.

So what was the delay?

I think Hy wanted to be appreciated for all that he does in the bloom category. He is certainly climate challenged here in Chicago, yet he comes through.

The eight hibiscus species that are considered to be the ancestors of the modern exotic hibiscus were originally native to Mauritius, Madagascar, Fiji, Hawaii, and either China or India.

Note the absence of Chicago in that list. Hy is not used to the snowy scene he sees out my window. I know Hy was not outside today when this snow fell, but I think he made us wait because he was feeling that we take him for granted.

It’s kind of like bananas. Yes, bananas. Bananas are also taken for granted. According to A Brief History of Fruit,

Bananas are native to Southeast Asia. However by 500 BC they were being grown in India. Alexander the Great ate them and his men took them back to the Western World. By 200 AD bananas were grown in China. Bananas were probably taken to Madagascar by the Arabs and spread from there to mainland Africa. In the 16th century the Portuguese took bananas to the New World. The first recorded sale of bananas in England was in 1633 however they were expensive until the end of the 19th century.

We’ve got it good these days, even on a cold snowy day. I had to walk no further than my kitchen to find a blowl of fresh fruit, as well as my blooming hibiscus. Thanks Hy, for reminding me to be thankful.

Hy Is Still Chugging Along To Make That Flower

I’ve decided to give Hy as much time as he needs to create a hibiscabloom. Hy is my hibiscus, and I tried to talk him into blooming for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom day on the 15th. You may have read about it. Hy tried, and tried, and tried, but Garden Bloggers’ Bloom day came and went. Hy is still trying. He firmly believes that he can. History is a pretty good predictor of the future. Hy has been successful in the past, so my bet is that he will bloom soon.

Hy can have as long as he needs. After all, no matter how much time you gave me, I couldn’t do it. What Hy is doing is miraculous. Give me all the biological and botanical explanation you want, its still miraculous.

Man thinks he has this whole create thing down. After all, if God told man to create a new flower, man could. But as soon as He tells us to make our own raw materials, the party is over.

Accordingly, I will continue in my anticipation phase while Hy is doing his magic. And I’ll be thankful to God that Hy can do his thing, and I can do mine. My two miracles took a little longer, 9 months each to be exact. And one of them is now a professional photographer who took this lovely picture for me.

Come back in a few days. I’ll let you know how Hy is doing.