Saturday, April 2, 2011

It's All in the Numbers.....and Seeds!

I can't wait to spend long, sweet days in my flower gardens this summer. It's almost time. Like most  of you, I work till I can barely walk into the house, then collapse. But I am right back out there every evening, surveying every little improvement.( I call it surveying my kingdom).  Gardening is so good about giving us both immediate and long term rewards. Here's part of my little kingdom:






But until then, a great article in the February/March 2011 issue of Birds and Blooms talked about seeds and some interesting facts about them.


 The Big 3
According to Burpee, the top three ornamental seed varieties are: sunflowers, zinnias, and marigolds.








$2.75
Packets of heirloom tomato seeds average around $2.75 each at seedsavers.org



$40.00         
You can save $40.00 or more if you grow your own zinnias from seed instead of buying plants.
     
                                       


68 degrees
Most seeds won't germinate until the ground temperature hits 68 degrees. This goes for indoor seed starting as well.





5-10- not life
Cucumbers,melons and tomatoes are among the vegetables with the longest seed life, good for 5-10 years.








49 years
The is the average age of home gardeners.......





70%
BUT.... 70% of all home gardeners are women!


YOU GROW GIRL!!!
HAPPY PLANTING


I am joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.


















Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Pansies Thinking of You Tablescape


Pansies are so amazingly hardy, yet so delicate looking. They are "cousins" of the similar looking viola.



Pansy  comes from the French word pensee, meaning "remembrance" or "thought".  So, when a bouquet of pansies is given to you, it means, "I'm thinking of you."

Here is my "Thinking of You" Tablescape!
 
 
 
My mother made this statue in ceramics  years ago........
 
 
 
and she made this runner for me last week!
The green flower shaped plates are from Pier 1.






Hallmark’s longest-running greeting card is, in fact,  the Pansy Card



I bet you've seen this one!

It.was introduced as a Mother's Day card in 1939, selling for a nickel.
Hallmark reissued the design as a thinking-of-you card in 1941.

The pansy card remains in Hallmark’s line today and sells for 99 cents.
 
And in conjunction with Hallmark's centennial, USPS  introduced a 2010 LOVE stamp that featured an image of a white woven basket brimming with purple pansies.
 
 
A 6 pack of pansies and the thinking-of-you pansy card.......
Wouldn't it be a wonderful little gift for someone you know?





 
                               I am joining Susan at 

   
                                                                                 
               for Tablescape Thursday.  
                                                         


Monday, March 28, 2011

Easter Bunnies and Flowers



 


Two bunnies on a  little bookcase.


This little bunny I got at an antique store, and found the pedestal later at another antique store. When you see him up close, he looks a little mad, doesn't he? ( mad as a March hare?)



I've had this big guy for so long, I don't remember where I got him.



There's a gleam in this bunny's eye!


I am joining Tabletop Tuesday today.
Please click here to see more beautiful tabletop vignettes.


Sunday, March 27, 2011

Easter Hutch Decor

My Easter hutch is done in little vinette collections. Here is a sampling of each.

A white rabbit family with apple blossoms.


Here's a little Russian bunny in the cabbage.




My mother gave me this when I was a young mother. It is hand painted, someone really did a nice job.




The little green birds from Michael's have.....and everyone else!


The top of the hutch:








I am joining


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Easter Decor Peter and Beatrix



I have decorated my hutch for Easter, and thought I would share parts of it today. Who doesn't love Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit?

"Peter who was very naughty, ran straight away to
Mr. McGregor's garden and squeezed under the gate. First he ate some lettuces and some French beans and then he ate some radishes." - Beatrix Potter
 
There's another little bunny hiding in the lettuces with some eggs.
 




 
"Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare crow to frighten the blackbirds." - Beatrix Potter
 
 
 
Please see more vinettes at