Auld Lang Syne (with lyrics)

Old Poem
Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,

and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old long syne.

CHORUS:

On Old long syne my Jo,
On Old long syne,
That thou canst never once reflect,
On Old long syne.

The Garden Year – a poem by Sara Coleridge

January brings the snow,
Makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.

March brings breezes, loud and shrill,
To stir the dancing daffodil.

April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daisies at our feet.

May brings flocks of pretty lambs
Skipping by their fleecy dams.

June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children’s hands with posies.

Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots, and gillyflowers.

August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.

Warm September brings the fruit;
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

Fresh October brings the pheasant;
Then to gather nuts is pleasant.

Dull November brings the blast;
Then the leaves are whirling fast.

Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.

Reprint from:  http://chiotsrun.com/

Feeding the Backyard Birds in Winter

The plants are still dormant for winter, so we have been watching the birds in the yard and reading about plants that attract birds and can support the birds during the winter months. 

 

Creating a bird-friendly yard is simply a matter of providing the basics of food, shelter and water.    There are several plants that can help provide the comforts of food to our feathered friends.  A yard and garden filled with a mixture of flowers, seeds, berries, and nuts will attract a variety of birds.  Try feeding naturally and avoid the general purpose seed mixtures typically found in grocery stores that can attract the nuisance birds such as blackbirds and starlings.

-Goldfinches and chickadees – daisies, sunflowers and black-eyed susans are good choices.

-Finches, sparrows and nuthatches – marigolds, phlox, salvia.  Sparrows are non-native birds and can be harmful to the bluebirds and other native birds, so if you are a blue bird lover, you will want to deter the sparrows.  




Audubon, NC - Will Stewart

-Audubon North Carolina has designated the brown-headed nuthatch a Species of Concern in the Piedmont and has implemented a nest box program to help them. Visit NC Audubon for more information.

 

-Bluebirds In the wild, bluebirds feed on small insects and fruit, so they are not often seen in traditional feeders that offer seed.  Adding fruit and berries to your landscape will help to attract these birds. 

Bluebird in Winter

-Hummingbirds – nectar from bee balm, geraniums and hibiscus.  We have a large hibiscus outside the breakfast table window and the hummingbirds are constantly feeding and fighting on the blooms in late summer. 

Taking care of Backyard Birds in the Winter

We had a nice holiday in the mountains of NC this past week.  There was a dusting of snow and the weather stayed cool in the 20's and 40's.   We were watching some birds using our bluebird house and I  decided to read a bit about how to attract and support  backyard birds during the winter months and here is what I found.  


Birds require food, water and shelter just as we do.  The best way to attract them in the winter months is to provide water through a birdbath, provide some favorite foods with a feeder and place a birdhouse out to take care of the cavity nesters.   

Food

A couple of our neighbors use meal-worms to feed the backyard birds and routinely have birds flying in for close viewing.  Common foods include: 

Homemade treats can be as simple as placing peanut butter on bark and adding some nuts or dried fruit.

-Fruit

-Meal-worms

-Sunflower

-Mixed seed

Water

Wild birds need access to clean water all year round, but when winter temperatures dip into the freezing range, this may be harder to find. Water can be provided with a simple fiber stone bird bath, metal or a beautiful glass bird bath.  The water should be kept shallow for the birds to be able to use.  Placing sticks over the feeder in the winter, will allow the birds to drink without getting feathers wet.   Wet feathers can freeze and cause additional problems for the bird.

Shelter

-Dense shrubs provide temporary shelter from the wind and rain for birds to stay warm and dry.

-Porches and overhangs can give birds shelter from storms, especially if there are no trees in your yard. 

-Hanging a basket on your porch can provide warm shelter for Carolina Wrens and other small birds.

-Some of the songbirds that nest in tree cavities or birdhouses in spring—will also use roost boxes to stay warm. Among them: bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, screech owls and some woodpeckers.  Leaving your spring birdhouse up can serve as a winter shelter.

Twas the Night Christmas - Marianne Binetti version

T'was the week before Christmas, and all through the yard, not a gift was given, not even a card.      The tools were all  hung, in the carport with care, with hopes that St. Nicholas soon would repair,     The shovel with blade all rusty and cracked, the pitchfork still shiny, but  handle it lacked.      When out on my lawn, (it's brown and abused) I could see poor old Santa, looking confused.     No list had been left for Santa to see, no gardening gifts were under the tree.      But wait there's still time, it's not Christmas yet, and gardening gifts are the quickest to get.      You can forget the  silk tie, the fluffy new sweater, give something to make the garden grow better.      If she wants a gift shiny, then don't be a fool, it's not a dumb diamond, but a sparkling new tool.     If fragrance is listed you can forget French perfume, it's a pile of manure that'll make gardeners swoon.      Give night crawlers, not nightgowns, the type of hose that gives water. (Anything for the kitchen is not worth the bother.)   Give a great gift  that digs in the dirt, it's better than any designer-brand shirt.     Now look quick at  Santa, this guy's not so dumb, Under his glove, he hides a green thumb.     His knees are so dirty, his back how it aches, his boots stomp on slugs, (he gives them no breaks).      The guy only works  winter, you can surely see why, The rest of the year it's a gardening high.      Elves plant in the  spring, pull weeds merrily all summer, in fall they all harvest, but winter's a bummer.     And so Christmas gives Santa a part-time employment, 'Till spring when  the blooms are his real life enjoyment.      So ask the big guy  for garden gifts this year, Seeds, plants and tools, Santa holds them all dear.      You see malls may  be crowded, vendors hawking their ware, but visit a nursery, stress-free shopping is there.      Now Santa's flown  off, to the nursery he goes, and his voice fills the night with loud Hoe! Hoe! Hoe! Hoes!   Binettigarden.com

What does drooping Rhododentron Leaves Mean?

I love rhododendron.  Living in North Carolina , I grew up with abundant rhododendron. Below Mount Pisgah near Brevard, North Carolina is a lush area called The Pink Beds, a profusion of pink wildflowers, including mountain laurel and rhododendron.  If you ever get the chance to see this in the spring, I would highly recommend.

Traveling with my job today from Charlotte, NC to Boston, MA, I read an article about rhododendron "Why do rhododendron leaves curl up in the cold"?  I arrived at my hotel in Boston and found rhododendron covering the front of the hotel curled up in the cold.  

I read in the article that the leaf curling is a protective mechanism to be more efficient in photosynthesis and to protect from freeze.  Rest assured that the plant is simply protecting itself. 

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" 
-   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Welcome to the Garden Spot: Christmas Cheer

Welcome to the Garden Spot: Christmas Cheer: We are still in the grips of Winter Cold, sitting at a sunny -4 F. After having spent most of the week indoors last week, we ventured out y...

Garden Tool of the Week - The Garden Tote Bag

A Great Holiday Gift for the Gardner on Your List

The best garden tote bags will allow you to carry all your tools and even your cell phone when you're going out to garden all morning.   I keep my garden hand tools tucked in the pockets of my tote bag. It keeps them handy and helps me to avoid losing them.

Tips:
Select a bag that has plenty of room for all your tools, bottled water, note pads, gloves and everything else.

The best canvas tote bags also have long sturdy handles so you never have to worry about it breaking

Plant Recommendations for a Great Winter Landscape

One of the challenges of creating a great garden is to get great color and foliage throughout the year. Most plants peak during a certain season and then fade into the background of the garden. Few plants can offer more than one or two seasons of interest.

Here are a few of my favorites that can add beauty to your winter landscape: 

Camellia




Camellia



 

The Camellia is a popular winter plant in the Carolina’s.  I have two that bloom from late winter to early spring.   These plants, originating in Asia, need an acidic soil with a moist but never soggy soil.   I have two bushes that get the morning sun and are healthy, happy plants.  I have tried them within a woodsy area on the west side of my house, but have had no luck.  The biggest problem there is voles, but also, there is not enough sun.

Coral Maple

Coral Maple

 

This Japanese maple is a small tree that is prized for its bark that turns coral pink in cold weather.  But the interest isn’t limited to just the winter.  This tree will add color and interest to your garden all year long. In the winter, the bark color intensifies with the cold weather and almost becomes fluorescent.  The color really pops when there’s snow on the ground.

My neighbor has a coral maple as centerpiece to his front yard and it adds a beautiful display all year long.  

Birch Tree

Birch

 

Birch trees can grow to 80 feet tall or more and have wonderful fall foliage that turns bright shades of yellow.  But perhaps the most notable feature of birch trees is the bark that begins to peel off the tree as the cold weather sets in.

 

 

Winter Quote

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour. "
-  John Boswell

Gardening Chores for August

My summer garden is almost done.  Very few tomatoes are left and the herbs are needing harvest.
I was reading about August chores this morning in a few different garden books that I have around the house and thought I would share my findings:

This is the time for setting out cloves of garlic for an early harvest next summer.  I haven't tried planting garlic before, so will be a new one for me.

It is time to sow the fall garden can be sowed to produce beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, rutabaga and squash.  Kale, mustard and turnips can be planted now and grown in intervals to lengthen the harvest season.   We will plan to do some beans, lettuce and kale.  I am not a big fan of Brussels sprouts.  It is one of the few vegetables that I do not care for.

Summer Gardening Quote

"Wisdom is often nearer when we stoop than when we soar."   Wordsworth's Insight

End of Summer Harvesting and Planning

Time to Harvest what’s left. 

Don’t let all that bounty go to waste; instead, make it last:

Herbs: Hang dry hardy herbs like lavender and rosemary, and freeze dry tender varieties like basil, parsley and chives. Place rinsed leaves in ice cube trays, cover with water and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags. When cooking, add a cube or two to flavor dishes.

Berries: Use immediately in ice pops, or preserve them—try our fast, foolproof Freezer Jams. Or freeze them whole: Gently rinse, then drain. Once completely dry, arrange on a baking sheet, freeze overnight and transfer to a freezer bag.

Vegetables: Have an overabundance of cucumbers? Pickle them, along with carrots, onions and zucchini. It’s easy-as-can-be with our Quick Pickles technique! Or make and freeze loaves of Zucchini Bread, too, so you always have hostess gifts or housewarming presents on hand. 

Tips above from:  http://media.homemadesimple.com/ 

This is also a good time to think about Fall and Winter gardening.   We are purchasing a small greenhouse to cover our vegetable gardens this year.   

We are excited about this new Press Release!

 Thanks to PRWeb for a great job on this Press Release.  We have already been picked up by 108 media outlets including the LA Daily News and many more!
By: PRWeb

August 09, 2013 at 02:51 AM EDT

SimplyLoveGardening Launches Online Garden and Outdoor Living Store

Rick and Em, owners of SimplyLoveGardening, are pleased to announce the creation and launch of their new online store. Rick and Em's absolute passion is working in their yard and garden and have been doing so for decades. This experience with working outdoors has allowed them to select the perfect products for the merchandise available at SimplyLoveGardening.com.

Rick and Em love to go to garden shows and nurseries in search of unique, top quality products that will beautify the yard, garden and outdoor living experience. SimplyLoveGardening carries a broad selection of products including yard décor, garden décor, planters, hammocks, garden tools and apparel, outdoor furniture, arbors, fountains, pergolas, and much more.

At SimplyLoveGardening, there's something for everyone--from the new home owners who need to purchase garden décor or patio furniture or to long time gardeners who are looking for the latest trends in creating beautiful landscapes. Rick says, "We have found the best quality merchandise for our customers at competitive prices. Whether you are a fan of lawn gnomes, have specific ideas for an outdoor room on your deck or patio, or are making arbors covered with greenery, we have what you need to design a unique outdoor experience."

SimplyLoveGardening's goal is to provide our customers with long-term value and product satisfaction with every purchase. They strive to be a customer oriented company that provides top quality customer support with every sale. Rick says, "We look for new and innovative products that are just coming to market. We currently offer a full line of 'Alternative Gardening' products such as easily assembled raised bed gardens to alternative Vertical Tube Planters. Living around a great Artisan Community in Western NC, we also want to bring unique, one of kind yard and garden art to our customers."

Rick and Em encourage their customers to make the most of nice weather this summer by enjoying time in their gardens and yards with the products offered on their website. They have both Single Hammocks and Double Hammocks made out of durable, weather proof material. Em says, "There's nothing more relaxing than lying on a hammock, reading your favorite book and swaying in the breeze! And if you get our double hammock, you can do that with your special someone!" SimplyLoveGardening also has a big selection of stylish Sun and Gardening Hats in an array of colors and sizes that will protect you and your family from the harsh summer sun.

In the future, Rick and Em intend to add even more products to the stock of SimplyLoveGardening such as Patio Umbrellas with Stands and Outdoor Furniture Cushions. By periodically updating the merchandise available in the online store, Rick and Em want to encourage customers to keep coming back to the site to see what new products have been added.

To complement the main website, Rick and Em have also launched a blog located at http://simplylovegardening.blogspot.com/. The blog features articles such as "Hot Trends for Gardening for Summer 2013," and "Two organic additives for your garden that are FREE!!" 

As "Baby Boomers", Rick an Em are just a few years out from retirement from their full time careers. It is their hope that SimplyLoveGardening will supplement their income into their retirement years and afford them the ability to enjoy vacationing in as many of the beautiful sites around the US and beyond. Rick and Em feel that owning an ecommerce business tied directly to their love of gardening will be critical to their success.

For more information or to shop online, visit the new store at http://www.simplylovegardening.com. 

You can also find SimplyLoveGardening on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simply-Love-Gardening/471498106220438. 

1-877-839-6339.

 For the Month of August, SimplyLoveGardening.com will off a 10% discount on your entire purchase. Just enter the Discount code "August2013" when you check out!

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/8/prweb11012941.htm

Planning What to do With Your Dahlia's at End of Summer?

WHAT TO DO AT THE END OF THE SEASON

Dahlias are perennials and are not winter hardy. In nature the tops die back in the winter and growth the following spring comes from new buds formed on the roots. The same process will occur in your garden as the days begin to shorten and the temperatures drop in the fall. This cycle repeats indefinitely if the plants have good drainage and are not disturbed. 

You have two choices when it comes to over-wintering your dahlias. Leave them in the ground or you can dig them out. We recommend leaving your dahlias where you planted them and enjoying them for a few seasons before digging them. If your soil is well drained and does not freeze solid you can manage them so they will return each spring for 3-4 or more years. Digging dahlias is laborious. It involves washing, dividing, labeling, storage, and replanting, often during the wettest and coldest months of the year. 

Either way, to ensure your plants enter the dormant period in the best condition, withhold fertilizer the last 30 days before anticipated freeze or allow them to slowly decline in the fall to avoid lush growth at the end of the season. This promotes sound roots that will over-winter in the soil or the storage container in the best possible condition. 




Good Advice reprinted from http://cgdahlias.com

The Sound of Beauty

The Sound of Beauty

Posted on July 30, 2013by SimplyLoveGardening.com & TheTrendyKitchen.com

 Reblogged from leaf and twig:

Floating flower bells
silence is their song.

Beautiful Picture.

Welcome to the Garden Spot: God's Garden

Welcome to the Garden Spot: God's Garden: Come join me in the cool Colorado mountains in God's Garden where the moose run free and the eagles soar, where big fish tales can come...

Free Organic Additives for your Garden

Two organic additives for your garden that are FREE!! 

(Article from the American Dahlia Society)

Fall Leaves

Fall is the time we can do our gardens a BIG favor! Rather than rake the leaves up, put them in a plastic bag and send them off to the dump, why not take this free organic additive and spread it on our garden plots. It's FREE and very helpful to our soil. By adding this organic matter we encourage our friends the worms to stay and multiply. Lots of worms are a sign of a healthy soil and healthy soil will produce great plants.

Step one-- Use your lawn mower to grind up the leaves--a couple of passes will accomplish this. Take these ground up leaves and spread them about 3 inches thick on your garden beds.

Step two-- I place some black weed cloth over the leaf mulch to prevent them from blowing away in the winds of winter. By spring most of the leaves will be gone as food for the worms.

Pretty simple and cheap! I would prefer maple leaves but any type will do the job. Feeding the worms will make them happy and want to stay in your garden. As they digest your banquet they produce and leave behind those wonderful worm castings to nourish your plants. They also till your garden to improve your soil. I haven't tilled my dahlia beds in 2 years and can drive my stakes in up to 14" by hand.

In the spring when you uncover your beds the soil will be warmed and your plants will have a good start. There will be some leaf matter left and this can be left on the surface as a mulch or worked into the top few inches of the soil by hand raking.

This fall as I dug my tubers there were loads of worms entwined in my clumps. I gently returned these to the soil and told them dinner was coming. I truly have never seen so many worms in my soil.

So take advantage of this free help for your soil by recycling your leaves in your garden. The worms will thank you!

Used Coffee Grounds

Here is another FREE garden aid-USED COFFEE GROUNDS! We as a country and as individuals drink a lot of coffee. The remains of all this brewing are usually just thrown out with our waste. But wait, these used grounds are a wonderful organic fertilizer for our garden. Last spring I collected many pounds of spent coffee grounds from my local deli. I picked up a 5 gal container every other day. I then spread them on the surface of the garden to be worked in lightly before planting. Don't worry about the filters as they are paper and soon are eaten by the worms (who by the way love coffee grounds). These grounds started my organic dahlia garden off in a fast way.Used coffee grounds contain about 2% nitrogen, about 1/3% of phosphoric acid and 1% potash. Please note most of the nitrogen will be available pretty fast. So use several small amounts over the season. Analysis of coffee grounds also shows that they contain many minerals, include trace minerals and carbohydrates. All this makes used coffee grounds a good fertilizer.

HOW MUCH? Use about 6-8 tablespoons per plant dug in around the roots---or spread ¼" - ½" on the surface of the garden and work it in thoroughly in the top of the soil. I did this 3 times last season with excellent results.

Used coffee grounds and slugs: The research on slugs and caffeine shows that concentrations of caffeine as low as .01% reduces feeding by slugs (they avoid caffeine treated leaves) but that doesn't kill them at that rate. A 1% solution kills 60% of slugs while a 2% solution will knock out 95% of all slugs. Fresh coffee contains about .05% caffeine. Thus the grounds will act as a deterrent but not kill the slugs. Slugs will go elsewhere to eat if given a choice. Next season I plan to use coffee grounds around my dahlia garden to discourage the slugs and snails.

In addition to the above grounds make a wonderful addition to your compost pile.ALL THIS and THEY are FREE!!

CAUTION NOTE: Both leaves and coffee grounds are slightly acidic and may lower your garden Ph so do have your soil tested to reveal the Ph. If needed rather than add lime add crushed eggshells that are equal to or better than lime. Again these are FREE and usually just thrown away adding to the waste stream. Starbucks has a company-sponsored program to give away used coffee grounds.

*Two simple FREE ways to improve your garden soil and as we all know great dahlias start with great soil*

 www.dahlia.org 

Great Patio and Porch ideas from Southern Living:

Porch and Patio Design Inspiration

Get inspired by the ideas and designs of these Southern patios and porches. These classics are inviting and inspiring.

Hot Trends in Gardening for Summer 2013

Mini Gardens

People are still strongly interested in being more self-sufficient and growing gardens in less space.  Raised Bed Gardens are one of the most practical and economical way to start flower and vegetable gardens.  Raised Bed Gardens come in all shapes, sizes and materials to fit your Gardening Needs. 

• Growing tomatoes for enjoying during the summer and canning for winter

• Growing flowers for cutting (We are enjoying hydrangeas and dahlia's at our house!)

  

 

Heirloom Seed Saving 

•  Find a favorite tomato?  Save the seeds of yesterday for gardens of tomorrow.
• Anyone, with little more work and attention than it takes to grow a home garden, can begin to re-elevate the gardening experience to a sustainable level. Rediscover the importance, magic and rewards of seed saving...

 

 

 

 

Personal Herb Garden

• Cooking with fresh herbs -- straight from the garden is such a pleasure.  

• Garden planters filled with rosemary, basil, and parsley -- are enjoyable throughout the summer.  We freeze portions for cooking in winter.  Small snack bags work great for freezing a hand full of herbs.

 

 

Edible Landscaping

Pots of Raspberries and Blueberries can be moved around in the summer yard  to catch the sun and used to decorate your landscape as well.  

• If you grow your blueberries in a container, you can easily create a blueberry friendly acidic potting soil and your plants will thrive.

 

Summer Sun Shone Round Me

The Summer Sun Shone Round Me
by Robert Louis Stevenson

The summer sun shone round me,
The folded valley lay
In a stream of sun and odour,
That sultry summer day.

The tall trees stood in the sunlight
As still as still could be,
But the deep grass sighed and rustled
And bowed and beckoned me.

The deep grass moved and whispered
And bowed and brushed my face.
It whispered in the sunshine:
"The winter comes apace."

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (1850 - 1894) was a Scottish novelist and poet.