My Product Wish List from the Garden Writer’s Symposium 2010

Ups-A-Daisy is a clever little creation. It’s a pot insert that saves on the amount of soil you’ll need to fill a container. Have you searched all over the house for pot fillers? I have. I’ve used old cans, plastic jugs, broken pots, and the list goes on. These inserts work by cutting down on your fill area and allowing you to use less soil and making the container lighter in the process.

These Ups-A-Daisy plastic inserts are light weight and save your back when you go to move your pot full of mature flowers. I rarely move my pots as they grow cause the thing is just way to heavy. Well here is the solution. And..most annuals don’t need a lot of root space. Annuals grow better with about 10 inches of soil and they love to be snuggled together. It’s perfect for pansies. The design improves drainage too. So no more rotting plants.

Ups-A-Daisy is just one of the companies I made a mental note about so I could go back home and research more about the product. These are new to me and I thought you might like seeing some of the products I’d enjoy using in my garden and home.

Another of these companies was:

Lechuza Self-Watering Containers are on my list of must haves for my porches. This will be the answer to who is going to water while I’m on vacation or when I simply forget about them.

This system waters your plants for up to 12 weeks. There is a gage indicator that tells you when the container needs to be filled again.

I am really impressed with the design and idea not to mention it’s going to assure the success of my containers and make my plants more attractive.

I will be testing these containers and writing more about them in the near future but I am so excited that I wanted to share and give you a sneak peak.

There is a video on their website that explains how they work and they have an online shop. The colors and textures are very classy.

These containers will help you conserve water because you will know exactly how much water your plant requires. No over or under watering.

And , if you leave the plug in the containers for inside—you don’t have to worry about ruining your furniture with water spots.

Are you looking for a hose that will keep up the wear and tear you dish out, or a nozzle that makes watering easier, or maybe you’d rather the watering take care of itself? Look to the Dramm company to do it stylishly and still be durable.

This display was full at the beginning of the Garden Writer’s Symposium. You can see that it was a popular product.

I enjoyed meeting these folks and learning about their consumer and commercial line.  What color would you pick. I think my favorite is the burgundy. Check out their site and you’ll recognize the Color Wand as you probably own one.

Actually, I have several and the garden center where I use to work full time—has lots. It’s a cinch to reach hanging baskets with the long handle. Dramm makes a Touch and Flow wand that allows you to start and stop the flow of water with more ease than traditional nozzles. The control mechanism is in the handle and works by the squeeze of your grip and it will not tire your hand as is the custom of most hand held nozzles.

These are just a few of the items on my wish list and I’ll be writing more about them as the season progresses.

Sarah Catherine Designs, meet my logo creator

Sarah artfully walks through her day and you can sample some of her creations at Sarah Catherine Designs . Please meet Sarah Bradley, my new logo designer. I met Sarah in 1999 when she was working at Kaplan Early Learning Center as a designer— but soon after she climbed a ladder of success and works for herself today. She has designed everything from T shirts to business logos. I have complete faith that she’ll deliver a— knock your paws off design.

Sarah and her puppy dog Allie work from her home as she desigs jewelry, gift cards, T shirts, and business graphics. A line called, Enjoy the Chase! is perfect for the animal lover. You can send a picture of your pet and Sarah Catherine Designs will create a unique piece for framing. Visit the site to find out how and what your options could be. Enjoy the Chase!—- also has tastefully made jewelry in dog or kitty themes. Do you have someone on your list that needs a special pet themed necklace?

Take a look at Sarah’s fashion Jewelry. I want the blue shadow box pendant and I have ask her to think about doing a Flowergardengirl theme box pendant for us soon.

Sarah is full of joy and fun to work with. Please visit her site and cause she is one of our friends in the art world. She loves to garden too. You’ll be impressed with her graphic, jewelry, and custom creations.

Trucking right through the night gift topper

Trucking right through the night so that the little ones and you don’t stumble, is this exclusive night light offered by Gooseberry Patch. I cruised on over there cause their products brighten my day and I always find something to match a floral arrangement I’m doing. This is so Autumn isn’t it? And I’d love to use it as a tie on for a birthday gift. I’d use green and white gingham paper with thin strips of white, yellow, and orange ribbon. When I’m wrapping a gift, I try and find something fun to put on top. Anyone would love this little treat.

Add to the festivities with this cotton tablecloth from Provencal Tablecloths at Tablecloth Collections

I might would even wrap the birthday gift in this green gingham tablecloth from Amazon.com The tomato and lettuce are cute. I guess they come on the napkins. Add a good bunch of brownies in a basket and refreshments—wa–la–a great gift for the kitchen gardener

Christmas Cards already ;)

I’ve already been ask to design some Christmas cards—do you want a peak? Of course this is solicitation. Contact me for quotes. I do corporation and boxed sets. This is a series that I’m working on for a local garden center.

Not your typical card huh!?

Annie’s Vegetable and Herb Garden

Annie Baggett has a beautiful lavender farm in Hillsborough, North Carolina. I visited there this past Saturday for their 2009 open house. Annie had a dream that she would own a farm like this one day and she has made that dream a reality. The Sunshine Lavender Farm is making a positive difference in their community with organic practices and a give back attitude.

Annie has a back door garden that beckons you to come inside the gate and explore what might be served for supper.

There is a bright sunny face on the garden gate that gives a warm invitation to come inside.

Everywhere you look there is something good to eat. Just look at those colorful poles she uses for her vining plants.

Being inside the garden sheds light on Annie’s love of organic wholesome living. The scents inside the picket garden are just as grand as those in her lavender field. A little path leads from the front gate to the rear gate. It’s all very charming.

This fabulous back screened porch looks out over the picket garden. So much charm and personality is featured in this area. I would love to drink a glass of her lavender lemonde while enjoying Annie’s company on this cute little back porch. Wouldn’t you?

She has a rain barrel and look at her flagstone patio. Most folks forgot to look in this little area but not me! I was learning to appreciate Annie from her back steps. Her farm is wonderful from the long drive up the road to the back pastures where the horses grazed all day. But this little garden got the most of my attention. It held Annie’s heart and was the soul of the farm.

And as I closed the back gate of the picket garden, the little shovel knocker gave a friendly clanking shout to have a nice day. Thank you for having us Annie. I had a wonderful day!

Sunshine Lavender Farm

My First Post on The Sunshine Lavender Farm

Annie was a guest on Cameron’s Blog, Defining Your Home Garden, and wrote about how to grow lavender. See it HERE

Helen at Gardening With Confidence met me at Annie’s Sunshine Lavender Farm and she wrote about it HERE

Blog Milestone and Giveaway

See the little market bag hanging on the door of Sweet Pea’s Fresh Market at The Briar Patch. Well………

You might win it!

For you to participate, you must be a regular meaning you have stopped by at some time since I started this blog.

I’ve been blogging since February 2008. This was my first blog but I left it for about 3 months to check out other blog host and get my act together. After deciding on WordPress, I got serious about developing this blog to promote good gardening and encourage those who make a few mistakes along the way.

My blog is also a way for me to connect with others who love gardening. Since Feb 08, I’ve moved to my new home and started over in the garden. It’s been tough but more fun cause I could share it with all of you.

So at some time today or tomorrow, I should pass the 100,000 mark. WordPress is tweaking stats with some kind of super duper tracking system so the stat numbers are fluctuating a bit. At one time today, they were over 100,000. WordPress has assured me that they are keeping up with the stats even if they don’t always reflect it on my blog. The new stat system should be in place soon.

So be a part of the celebration and let me send you the market bag above. I want to thank you for helping me reach my goal and continue on. Hugs to all of you!

The sign-up will end at midnight tonight( West Coast Time), Thursday May 14th, 2009

I’ll let you know who the winner is tomorrow. I’ll mail out the bag the first of next week. Open to everyone not just the USA!

Create a Firefly Garden

Fireflies are attracted to each other from the bioluminescent flickering yellow green of their tails. You can create that atmosphere and perhaps invite a few Fireflies along for the fun. Let’s see how!

Life in the Garden Giveaway part 2 of 3

And the runner up will receive—-

A Dragonfly Sundial

Whitehall commemorates this ancient clock, which has survived the test of time, by offering an elegant collection of uniquely styled sundials. Each piece is crafted from rust-free recycled aluminum and carefully finished with weather resistant paints to withstand any climate.Features:

• Made from rust-free recycled aluminum
• Finished with weather resistant paints to withstand any climate
• Inscription: “Flying jewel how quick your flight reflects the passage of day to night”
• Dimensions: 12″ Diameter

I love the inscription!

Nothing says ‘Life in the Garden’ like the sun. For those of you just following along, you can read HERE about this two part giveaway.

So far we’ve talked about how to bring life to your garden in some unique ways. Yesterday we talked about the movement of wind and today we are highlighting the sun. Certainly nothing could grow without it but it has more to it than that. You can also tell time by the sun.

Playing with the shadows creates a fun place for the kitty or doggie to lay. How many of you know exactly where your pet chooses to hang out in the garden?

When you first receive your sundial, set it in a very sunny location. Take your watch so you can keep moving the sundial until it registers the correct time. The gnomon needs to be pointing North. There is also a complicated set of instructions that ehow.com has set up nicely for us.

Did you know that sundials are particular to their location. One set up for Madrid  would not necessarily work at any location. If you don’t win the giveaway, you can go HERE and make your own. I don’t have one yet for the new home and just might consider buying one from Teak, Wicker, and More. They were sure good to us by giving us this sundial and the weathervane. It is a win win for them and us.

I would like to thank Khara who works for Teak, Wicker, and More. She allowed me to pick whatever–within reason–that I thought you all would like. Fun isn’t it?

Ok garden fans—tomorrow, April 22,  is the day! I will preset the post to appear around 8am. The contest ends at 8pm. That’s it….no ifs ands or buts. You have to leave me one message  between 8am and 8pm on April 22nd to enter. I will pick the winner and  announce it here on Thrusday April 23rd. You can only enter once.

You must give me a short explanation of what brings the most life to your garden. For me–Copper Top Cottage. It will be home to all the seedlings next year, it will have a swing, and I will store my treasures in there. I’ll have a birdhouse on the side made from the scrap wood that went in to Copper Top. There will be chimes that tinkle softly. It will be a living shed and bring ‘Life to the Garden’. Now tell me if you have ‘Life in the Garden’ other than plants. If you have nothing—then by all means tell us what you would like to have—besides the sundial and weathervane–that’s obvious!

Right now this is only open to those in the USA. I’m checking on it though. I’m rooting for everyone and I have ask.

=====The giveaway is over. The winner will be announced some time in the next 24hrs in a new blog post.