Tulips forecast spring ahead!

 My friend Jan, former AZ Snowbird of mine, is staying in touch with Facebook!  I miss our annual January plant shopping days in Az to gather some plants to enjoy for three months!  This year she is staying safe in the Seattle area, where she resides most of the year.

But, she just shared her enjoyment of a pot of tulips she received as a gift!  Each day she took a picture to capture the changes as they unfolded from buds to full flowers!  

Just have to share with you the magic and inspire you to contemplate that spring is coming and with it the magic of friends coming back from the earth to visit you!

I think I need to go shopping for a pot of spring bulbs to enjoy!  

A time to plan and dream about spring!

 

So what are your dreams for spring this year?

My gardening neighbor, Tammy, is dreaming of a green house!  Actually she is drooling over what she is finding on the internet for sale and trying to figure out who she can get to assemble it!  

I am checking into a few webinars on line for new ideas and new plants to look for that might fit into my beds.  I may be losing some shade area due to a sick tree in my neighbor's yard, which provides lots of shade for my big hosta bed and also part shade for a bed along the garage!  So, wondering how that is going to change my growing conditions!  

Also looking into tips on growing hostas in more sun, which seems to be provide moisture, lots of moisture, at the base of the plants!  

Lots of new annuals I might look for as I mix those in to provide longer season of color among the perennials!  And occasionally looking at some smaller flowering shrubs to consider moving in that direction here and there towards less labor as I age more.  

Gardening always provides new plants and changes you can make each year to provide new interests and looks.  

My newest friend!

 Orchids on sale....$15 so I made a mad dash and got "a pick of the litter" so to speak!

Feeling confident now that I have had two orchids rebloom I am watching for sales to pick up a few more over the next few months to hopefully stagger the rebloom time during these dreary months of MN winter!

This is the one I am enjoying right now, which I purchased in Nov. a year ago.  It has been blooming since late November: 

This is my newest friend I just brought home.  I selected this one as it is just beginning the bloom and has healthy looking roots.  Looking to enjoy this one for two to three months!  :

Having faith in the future.....

Today's news is almost overwhelming with fear and uncertainty regarding the status of the Covid Pandemic in our country along with the challenges our country and it's Democracy is being faced with.

After watching the news today I walked down the hallway and facing me was my collection of indoor plants through the open doorway of a room.  On the top shelf was, the above picture, of a miniature orchid just beginning its first rebloom for me!  A big message of encouragement to remember my gardeners faith that in the future that come spring my plant friends will regrow to greet me with beauty!  I've continued to care for this plant having faith that it will rebloom in a year so I can enjoy its beauty!  And here it is, reminding me to look ahead with confidence.  

As I enjoy this orchid for the next few months, I am looking forward to being reminded of my trust and faith in the future will bring us thru the gray uncertain days ahead in our country.  We will survive, enjoy our lives and Democracy will continue to thrive.    

  

2021 is here!

 I have been a bit busy so far this year because  I agreed to do another year term as 2021 Treasurer of our local Garden Club.  This had not been on my agenda as I planned, at this stage of my life (age 82), to step back from any leadership positions in my beloved organization for the past 20 years.  But, with the shortage of members willing to accept this job, I relented to do this one more year!  It is has been a busy time preparing for an audit and budget to be approved, so a few things have moved to my back burner, such as posting on my blog!

But, I am back but may have fewer monthly posts during the winter.  To kick off 2021 I just must share with you a recently created piece of  art by a gardener friend posted on her Facebook page!   I so love her art work and now she has taken on learning the art of calligraphy!  What a talented and inspiring woman!  This message instantly inspired me to share it with you to start off 2021!  

Karen_Sumie_Studio: products on www.Zazzle,com

Free Gardening Seminar Series

 Wow, I just received the news from our Rochester Flower and Garden Club we are now entering the world of providing gardening seminars at no cost via Zoom access on smart phones, I pads and Personal computers!  

So, if you have used Zoom for communicating and educational information, meetings, etc. you will be able to enjoy this with experience in using this medium!

If you have not had experience using Zoom, this is a great opportunity to give it a try free and broaden your horizons with this easy to use link to communication!   

If you understand what a link is:  you just need to click on the connection, that will be delivered to you via email after you have registered via email, on the right date and time, and presto....you will be connected to the seminar!   Just follow the "bouncing ball", but be sure you can hear if , using a personal computer, that you have the speaker turned on!  Most seminars will only let you listen and watch so it is not very complicated!

Here is the information:  

All Are Invited;

 Announcing RGFC's Beginner Gardener for all Ages  Program Series starting Monday, January 25th, 2021 at 6:30 pm via ZOOM Invitation.  This four (4) part series is open to all RGFC members and their friends.  Program is presented by Pamela Hein, Past President of the Rochester Garden and Flower Club.

Below is a list of the Program subjects and dates and times!    Please email rgfc@rgfc.org to provide your name and email address which will assure you and your friends will receive the Invitation and link to attend. 

  The following date, time and Topic are as follows;

Design Your Garden to Fit Your Needs
Jan. 25th, 2021 at 6:30 pm

Soil Prep and Weed Control
Feb. 8th, 2021 at 6:30 pm

Plant Selection & Care
Flowers / Vegetables
March 15th, 2021 at 6:30 pm

Preserving Your Harvest
April 12th, 2021 at 6:30 pm

Good Bye 2020!

Looking back thru 2020! 

Yes, in many ways and for many reasons we are all eager to move forward into 2021.  

Looking back thru 2020, which we gardeners do every year to review our gardening season to determine what changes we may want to target for next year's growing season, we recognize it has been a challenging year in general for all of us! 

We faced the changes in our lifestyles due to the Covid Pandemic and recognize this will continue into 2021 with the confidence this pandemic will come to an end.  As gardeners, we have developed a strong faith in the future!   Hopefully the news will be more uplifting to watch and read.  This country has sure experienced a year filled with turmoil that has affected each of us in some way.  

Personally I have been reflecting back on the challenges I have faced.  First our last big vacation plans for a trip to Alaska, which was to include a visit to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, was cancelled due to the Pandemic!  Our social life went thru ups and downs with the various changes in coping with the Pandemic.  Being we are in the older population segment and we live in a major medical community, we rolled with the recommended guidelines to protect our health and that of other people.  The money we would have spent on our vacation ended up being invested in our home by early winter when our home was resided to decreased the physical maintenance of the siding and gutters.  

I thought I was handling the lack of social activity and contact with family and friends quite well, especially during the summer which allowed us to enjoy the outdoors and gardening.  But suddenly one day this late fall I found myself in tears for no specific reason and realized the problem was I was not handling the drastic scale back of social interaction with family and friends as well as I thought!  Slowly I have been working at ways to handle that better, the biggest challenge was facing that was the problem and I needed to take some more action!  

The holidays were a mixed bag of feelings and emotions.  Counting my blessings needed to be done more often indeed.  In a few days it will be my time to pack away the holiday decor and return to finding a cozy comfortable home environment and ways to increase my contact with friends and family.  I have a few projects lined up but I really need to discover more plans to get me thru the dreary overcast days of the the MN winter in a more upbeat mind set.

Noticing my grow lights for my plants are bringing them their needed light to be happy, I may be shopping soon for some lights to help me be more happy.  I realize our 13 years in AZ as snowbirds added more sunlight to my life, which had a very positive affect on me!

And I will saying goodbye to one of my favorite holiday plants soon.  I have chosen to enjoy them when in season and look forward to them again next year, like I do my Holiday dishes! 

 

I am looking forward to my traditional oyster stew for supper tonite!