Palm Sunday Bouquet

This past weekend marked Palm Sunday and Peter volunteered (or rather, I volunteered Peter) to make the flower arrangement for our church in celebration of the holiday and the beginning of spring.

We went out Saturday afternoon in search of plant material for this, which took us to places ranging from our own backyard, as usual, to Costco for fresh flower bouquets and then to Home Depot where he happened to walk by a lovely palm plant just waiting to be put to use. Peter, whose mantra is "no flower bouquet or arrangement can ever be too big" set his sites on designing something bold, dramatic and imaginative--his trademarks in flower design, of course.

Then, when we finally arrived back home, the real fun began with him assembling his creation on the back porch in the late afternoon sun. Starting with red maple and cherry tree branches filled with colorful, fragrant blossoms along with pussy willow for the core of the arrangement, Peter let his imagination take over and the design began to take on texture and life in an old iron urn which is often his vase of choice. Although the urn is heavy, (it takes a strong back to carry it, even when empty) it can hold a lot and can easily withstand tall architectural arrangements. Most importantly, it won't tip over.

The flowers in this arrangement hold many meanings important to the Easter Season beginning with white lilies for purity and majesty and white roses for love and respect. There were also white chrysanthemums for truth and cherry blossoms for nobility. Red maple stands for elegance and reserve while palm branches are probably the most important symbol in the arrangement in honor of Palm Sunday marking Jesus' triumphant return to Jerusalem and the beginning of the most Holy Week in the Christian Calender. Sprigs of boxwood for endurance and eucalyptus for healing helped to complete the entire floral spray into a very thoughtful display.

Garden lore claims that Palm Sunday, the 6th Sunday of the Lenten Season, is also a good day for gardeners to sweep out the church and scatter the gathered dust over their gardens where it would protect and fertilize the soil during the growing season. Palm Sunday has often been thought of as a good day to plant seeds as well. This year, it is still a bit early to be planting anything other than frost-hardy seeds and plants in our Northern Virginia area.

The flower arrangement was simply beautiful and welcoming, standing tall in the church sanctuary on Palm Sunday morning. I hope it brought the same good thoughts, joy and remembrance to those who attended the services there as it did for Peter and me on such a glorious early spring day.

Signs of Spring

Can it be true? Has spring finally arrived? Has the snowbird finally flown the coop? Well, in my opinion, "Spring is bursting out all over, all over the meadows and the hills..." As the song goes, so goes spring this past weekend, especially here at Blooming Hill and I am all too pleased about it. And, true to form, the annual race to prepare the gardens also arrived right on schedule as it was a work weekend here, to be sure.

In celebration of the arrival of spring we pulled out all of the stops when it comes to tidying up the garden beds and my weapon of choice was the electric hedge trimmer. When you have almost 5oo lavender shrubs to trim before they start breaking, not to mention shrubs and bushes of all kinds that need trimming before they turn too green, what other garden tool would you choose?

Shovels, pruners, manual hedge clippers and the wheel barrel take a close second place in my heart on this beautiful, warm day that seems only to want to tease the most sincere of gardeners--I keep reminding myself that it's still only March--Don't get too excited. Yet, we plowed through, undaunted, with much more work to accomplish in the coming days. Just wait till we pull out the rototiller...oh, what fun that will be! While Peter took the helm with the weed-whacker on this day, by summer, I'll take that task over and he will captain the hedge trimming, tree pruning and mowing--don't feel bad for him--it's a riding mower. Weeding will demand every person available.

However, today, I spied daffodils, pansies and violets all eagerly blooming while irises, scented geraniums, cherry blossoms and tulips as well as hyacinths are making ready to strut their stuff within the next week or so.

Although I missed the first daffodil bloom of the season, legend has it that if a person is lucky enough to find it, she will be blessed with more gold than silver. Daffodils are thought to bring good luck. However, there is a word of caution to this legend. Never just cut one daffodil and bring that into the house on it's own because it may bring bad luck. In the language of flowers, daffodils represent respect, chivalry and regard for others. They certainly are regal looking in any setting, standing straight and lovely, clothed in golden yellow-- rain or shine.

Violets, on the other hand, have long been associated with politics as well as botany and herbal lore. Violets were the symbol for Athens, Greece as long ago as 1000B.C. and Napoleon adapted it as his symbol during his rise to power. It is also a flower that has long been associated with sleep. Many books on herbal medicine have recipes using violets in tinctures or teas to help people fall asleep. These violets growing in my yard are wood violets and are just beginning to bloom in the grass on our front hill under the cover of trees where they receive dappled sunlight. Violets represent sweetness and modesty--hardly characteristics of Napoleon, I'm thinking, but maybe Josephine saw something in him that the rest of the world did not.

And then, there are the pansies--so many colors to choose from at the garden centers all prettier than the next! Pansies have long been associated with Valentine's Day because they are an emblem of love and kind thoughts. These, pictured here, are so welcoming at my front door and they surely can withstand the swings in temperature that this time of the year can bring while always looking perfectly coiffed and frilly at the same time--how do they do that?!

All in all, the welcomed splashes of color throughout the yard make for a wonderfully delightful first few days of spring while readying the garden for future rewards as the season progresses. Good things come to those who wait and we certainly waited more than our fair share this past winter. Of course, there is always more work to be done than there are hours in a day but, Tucker, the ever-watchful foreman spurred us on, making mental notes of all the little things we may have missed for us to tackle on our next "work-in-the-garden" day.

Spring is here, at last!

Gardenia - You are lovely!

Walking into the kitchen these past few mornings brings with it an extra special delight--the lovely fragrance of a gardenia blossoming. This isn't happening because I went out and bought a Glade air freshener. Rather, it's because my gardenia plants are actually blooming. Okay, so it's really only one bloom at the moment, but I do see more and more evidence of creamy-white petal tips peaking through their green envelopes with each day, making ready to open and send forth their fragrant greeting soon. However, it can't be too soon as far as I'm concerned!

Every year, it seems to be a goal of mine to grow a richly fragrant gardenia in the house and this year has been no exception. A visit to my local Home Depot always leads me into the the garden department where I can find a lovely little gardenia to take home and try. This year, a visit there produced two small standards with braided stems, each standing about 18 inches high. Who can resist a gardenia's waxy snow-white flowers resting among the beautiful dark green, shiny leaves of this shrubby houseplant? And when they bloom, their fragrance is truly intoxicating. Of course, I should add that it's hard for me to resist anything when I go into a nursery or garden department of any store. Gardenias do best in at least four hours of direct sunlight each day, so lately, I've been taking to putting these plants out on my front steps to soak up as much natural light as possible, especially during this dreary, rainy week we have been experiencing.

Gardenias also like it cool (ideally between 60 and 70 degrees) especially at night in order to bloom well. I could put them in the green house where there is already precious little space, but I would miss them and their delicious fragrance in my kitchen--they make me happy. So, I shall continue putting them on the front steps for a few hours each day in order that they receive their daily dose of natural light and fresh, cool springtime breezes. They also seem to prefer "wet feet" so keeping them well watered is another daily task for me to do in order to keep these little beauties happy.

Just like the Loreal commercials say, "They are worth it!" especially when gardenias are in bloom. In the language of flowers, the meaning of gardenias translates to "you are lovely." Someone may also send a gardenia to their "secret love" or to someone they may want to wish "good luck" to. When you get up close and personal with a gardenia, you can definitely understand why their meaning is such.

Gardenias are only hardy as outdoor shrubby plants to zone 8, so if you buy a gardenia and want it for your garden, put it in a pot for the spring into summer into early fall periods and then bring it indoors to a bright and sunny daytime window where it will stay cool at night. Of course, this is easy for me to say, but not so easy for me to do, since it seems I end up getting a new gardenia plant every spring as I've long forgotten the one from the previous year. (Hmmm--Where did I end up putting that anyway?) However, hope does "spring eternal" and I find myself, once more, happily surrounded by my "current-blooming" and 'ever-gracious" gardenias.

Hometown Arts and Crafts Fair

It was an exciting weekend for both Peter and me as we participated in the 13th Annual Hometown Fine Arts and Crafts Fair at Ida Lee Center in Leesburg, Viginia. We were the only booth of our kind there, among the multitudes of jewelry artists and doll clothes makers, which probably helped our cause in selling eucalyptus wreaths, pussy willow wreaths and Peter's paintings not to mention lavender pomanders and sachets and handmade pillows and pins and even some live plants.

We had a vision of keeping the booth to a somewhat cohesive color scheme (shades of blue) which really helped to draw visitors in and browse our "gifts from the garden." This was our first venture into an indoor show and we had a wonderful time meeting and talking with so many friendly people and we were thrilled to hear over and over again that we brought with us a breath of fresh air by opening the doors to a sneak peek at spring after this long winter--which may not be over with just yet. I'll admit that it did smell good in our booth stocked with lavender products, aromatic wreaths and scented geraniums ready to bloom. Spending time at this crafts fair reminded me that spring truly is just around the corner and I'll be very glad when we finally get there!

Craft Fair Ready!

Ever the dedicated wreath maker, Peter was up in the Pink Pussy Willow Tree this past weekend busily pruning it back in an effort to embellish this year's crop of Pussy Willow Wreaths with an added dimension of "catkin" softness. I think they are turning out to be very lovely. Our nephew, Chris, stopped by this weekend as well and thought that these wreaths would look "really nice on a wall somewhere"...you think?!? After all, that is the point of all of this creativity and craftsmanship.

Peter has truly mastered the art of twisting and knotting branches into everlasting keepsakes from the garden. What makes them especially special, in my opinion, is that they are from our own garden and we have the heavily pruned pussy willow bushes and tree to prove it!


And me, well, I keep busy gathering and glittering magnolia pods and dried hydrangea mopheads that will look lovely displayed in springtime arrangements in vases and beautiful tabletop bowls. I'm also busy assembling pomanders and sachets that fill drawers and rooms with a gentle, lavender fragrance sweetened with "rosy/lemony" aromas from scented geraniums. Yes, that's me in my Christmas present "Snuggy"sewing up a kitty cat sachet...thanks, Nick! It's kept me warm and cozy while watching the Olympics and working on my crafts.

The reason for all of this "busyness" recently is that we are getting ready for the 13th Annual Hometown Fine Arts and Crafts Show at the Ida Lee Center in Leesburg, Virginia this coming Saturday, March 6. We'll be there with all of our "bells and whistles"--everything we create from wreaths and pillows to pins and paintings, handcrafted and hand painted by Peter and me. These, pictured here, are just a few of the items that Peter and I will have at the craft show and hope that you will come and visit us at our booth. I'll even have a few scented geranium plants and rosemary standards to get you thinking spring in all of it's coming glory. The snow can't last that much longer!

Don't miss seeing Peter's exquisite eucalyptus wreaths, too. This spring they are made in the blues and greens that reflect the freshness of the season and are perfect for dressing up any room in the house. I like to hang them off of large pieces of furniture, like this bookcase in my living room. Once again, my nephew suggested that they would look great on a wall, too. Such a smart boy--brains, along with creativity, run in the family.

We hope to see you at the Hometown Fine arts and Crafts Show. If you can't make it, don't worry, we''ll be in other shows and fairs later in the spring or you can always stop by and visit us here in our garden at Blooming Hill. It's our favorite place to be.

Pretty, Little Azalea

Sitting in my kitchen, is the prettiest lipstick reddish-pink azalea (rhododendron) plant, in full bloom, standing no more than 10 inches tall, but boy, does it make a statement on these dreary February days. Given the fact that the azaleas/rhododendron (azaleas and rhododendrons are really one and the same genus) growing outside in my gardens will be extremely challenged to bloom at all this coming spring, makes this tiny tabletop bit of natural greenery (actually "pinky-redery" with a bit of greenery) all that much more pretty.

We still can't get a good look at the outdoor azaleas/rhododendron, or anything that stands under 3 feet tall in the garden beds for that matter, because they remain under deep drifts of snow and the few branches that are poking above the frozen white landscape have been broken or bitten off by the marauding devil deer that seem to take pleasure in destroying anything from holly and boxwood to even the creeping yew!...Yes, yew! For those of you who may not know, while their glossy, deep green needles make yews versatile shrubs in the garden, their berries, foliage and bark are poisonous. I've never known deer to even try munching on these, but this year, I'm sure the heavy snowfalls have brought new meaning to the word "hunger' into a deer's vocabulary. I can't even bring myself to look in the direction of the shrubs planted out in satellite borders of the yard since it's hard enough to keep the deer from eating these at any given time of the year, much less now.

Anyway, back to the azalea that I'm enjoying in my kitchen. I bought it at the local Giant Food Store at the end of January. I'm a sucker for their plants and this was on special, making it that much more appealing. The blooms were tight but some were about halfway open way back then and now, here it is February 22--still holding up beautifully and its colorful radiance makes me smile every time I enter the room. Of course, it helps that there are no devil deer around the table trying to make it their lunch...and we all know they would if they could!

Azaleas are among the most colorful of all of the flowering shrubs ranging from reds to yellows to purples and pinks. The azaleas/rhododendrons in our garden beds are mainly purple or white blooming to compliment all of the lavender bushes, of course! In the language of flowers, azaleas symbolize someone expressing "please take care of yourself" and to advise you to use temperance or caution in matters. Azaleas are also an expression of fragility. The Chinese use azaleas as a symbol for womanhood (hard to imagine given the hard life, it seems, that most women bear in China) yet, azaleas are frilly and feminine and beautifully shaped adding still an extra dimension of beauty in the fall garden with their often brilliantly hued foliage.

To further explore its meaning in flower language, the name, rhododendron, can symbolize danger which seems, to me, contrary to it's beautiful and delicate appearance, especially when in full bloom. However, a passage written in "The Complete Book of Old Wives Lore for Gardeners," by Bridget and Maureen Boland, England, 1976, warns superstitious readers to take precautions when venturing out beyond the safe and peaceful confines of their gardens by hanging "a root of rhododendron round your neck to preserve you from any savage dogs you may meet" (p. 104). I'm thinking not! Rather, I'll enjoy this pretty-little-frilly thing until it's done blooming and, later, find a place somewhere in one of the garden beds to be it's permanent home--perhaps where the deer won't think to look.

Back On Line And The Snow is Still Here!

"But now 'tis winter, child, And bitter northwinds blow, The ways are wet and wild, The land is laid with snow."
Robert Bridges

After days of no internet service, due to a bent satellite tower and the collapsed barn the satellite tower was built upon in a nearby town, I am back in contact with the outside world...hallelujah! However, not much has changed--there is still about three winters' worth of snow on the ground. The rain gauge, standing 3 feet high, is just now peeking through the snow and even an old wasp's nest I spied high up in a tree can't get a break from this weather.




I attempted to make my way to the pussy willow out back--farther afield--a place beyond, I believe, Narnia, where the deer now rule, but I still sunk into the snow drifts up to my thighs. Even the Pink Pussy Willow Tree, just off the back patio seems a long and arduous climb through banks of stubborn snow. Both approaching full bloom status in a couple of weeks and then it will be pussy willow-wreath-making-season, once again.

The Willow is a symbol of grief in the tree and woody shrub world. In the language of plants and flowers, sprigs of willow can be worn by those who have been forsaken in love. It's meaning let's them share their heartache with the world. But, no one can deny that the catkins of willows are lovely just the same. When it is blooming,he pink pussy willow is much more delicate looking and reflects a wispy glow of blush in cloudy and sunny weather.

Tucker was hopeful that I would blaze a new trail for him, having grown tired of the shoveled areas and driveway. No such luck, there! It will easily be a few more weeks of the same old trails for both of us. Now I know how the pioneers felt trying to make their way over the mountains before the big snows came or they would be stuck for months.

Thankfully, grocery stores and craft stores are the purveyors of all things necessary to get me through this unforgiving February, which is traditionally the snowiest month of the year for us here in Northern Virginia. This one, however, is a bit snowier than others with 56 inches clocked in, so far--but who's still counting, anyway?! Back to the craft room I go...