Just a tease

Just a few things that I put together the other day

with no real idea of what I wanted to write.

Gee nothing new!

These pictures were taken last Fall at the

wholesale nursery I had visited.

This helps me when it comes time to order.

I used to just put a check by the plants on the list...but when

I get down to ordering them in the winter I can't really remember

even with a description and a catalog picture what they

"really" look like.

Not a good example...believe it or not this

plant has no lovely script on it's leaves.

I guess you figured that out....

sadly I was late in ordering this knautia and it was sold out!

A sea of Euphorbia "Bonfire"

Just a reminder that there is still time to enter the giveaway.

Just leave a comment on the previous post.

Hope your all having a great weekend.

It's a beautiful sunny day today but we

had frost last night and it's suppose to be

chilly tonight too.

Stay warm!

Carole

White Wednesday and a little JDL Giveaway

I know the excitement that everyone feels when Spring is

upon us. No other place then

a garden center does that enthusiasm come out as much.

Well, maybe your first day at the beach

can give us that thrill too:))

The smile on customers faces when they enter the greenhouse

when they are greeted with something "green" and lush.
It doesn't even have to be flowering.

It alive and it's been a long winter

and they're

READY!!!

We have to be ready too which is why I haven't been
posting or blogging as much lately.

I know you all understand.

I've missed coming around to visit you and feel like I've gotten so behind
on what's been going on with all of you.

In the next few months my schedule will

be more of the same.
It's what my husband George and I have been doing for years so
we're pretty used to it but to most
of our close friends they think

we're NUTS!

we realize now they are

Right!

But as the saying goes

"You have to make hay when the sun shines"

Good thing George doesn't actually go haying anymore.

He did always like it. Maybe because he got to

do it with his dad.

He adored his father.

I miss him too.

I wanted to mention that the 9 issue or 3rd issue for 2010

( I'm never sure what to call it)
will be arriving next month around

April 15th.

Makes tax day much nicer

don't you think?

You can go HERE and preorder if you'd like.

Expected to be just as lovely as the other

issues with more gardens, recipes,

craft ideas and of course decors that spur the imagination.

I thought I'd share what is in the courant issue...just something sweet and

a tradition that you might not have known of.

It is a Danish tradition where a letter containing a riddle has been

crafted from paper.

Children would send these letters to each other,

and if the recipient wasn't able to guess who send the letters,

the author would win a kiss.

Today children still make the letters but rather then a kiss,

they hope for an Easter egg instead.

( Jeanne d'Arc Living)

Nostalgic Ostrich Egg

Here they've decorated a blown out ostrich egg and decoupaged

it using paper and text. They've torn off strips of paper

and glued it onto the egg using glue and decorated it with a little lace and an old Danish coin.

The egg looks great in a lace paper lined sauce bowl.

A few small eggs, onions and feathers compliment the piece.

I think even a novice crafter could do this.

No real big investment of materials needed.

I wish I could say I've made one myself but it

seems these days that I enjoy watching what you
all create more then making it myself.

I'm overwhelmed with the talent you have to

make all the things you do and still have time to blog and share

and even have tutorials about it.

I have so enjoyed getting to know you through your blogs and

emails. I never thought that when I started this blog that

I would love it so much and it would become a daily oasis where I

would find such kind friends.

It's truly made such a difference in my life.

I thought that it was time again to thank all of you for having

been so kind with your encouraging words and comments that

I would do a give away of the 2nd edition magazine just in time for Easter.

I love this magazine and just want to share it with you.

So

All you have to do is leave a comment and let me know what it

is about Easter that you love the most.

That's it!

Anyone already a follower will be entered too!

Winner will be picked next Wednesday on the 31st.

Good Luck!

Oh and
now don't forget to visit our lovely hostess Kathleen at Faded Charm
where you'll find all kinds of wonderful WHITES awaiting you.

Images

1-4 me

5-11 Jeanne d' Arc Living

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

As I was working and planting today I realized that I had the perfect

plant for the holiday.

The oxalis!

Not the typical shamrock but a cousin.

I think this one is new and

called Jade.

Not to sound like a commercial but it's

from Proven Winner

I just thought it was so cute. I wish it would stay that small

but it'll grow up big and strong like most of

the other plants.

Ok back to work for me!!!

Oh right almost forgot!

this also could qualify as a White Wednesday post!

so rush over to Kathleen's and check out the

other participants!!!!

March marchs on!

The weather of late has been less then ideal.

I think payback for the great weather we had the week before!

Even me who never minds the rain is saying enough

Thank you!

The worse is not the rain but the wind. Saturday was the worst.

60-70 mile an hour winds and gusts.

If any of you have ever been in a greenhouse when it's raining ....well that is a

walk in the park

compared to how it sounds when the

wind is blowing hard.

Only 2 thin sheets of plastic between you and the elements.

The sound can be like a freight train.

(Hosta and Algeria Ivy)

Most of the time it's not that unnerving

but a little voice kept saying to me

" you should have replaced the plastic on the greenhouses last year"

Ugghhh!!!

I know, I know!

I'll cross my fingers and hope we won't blow away.

I stood there watching the lights and metal purlins sway back and

forth.....the real bones of structure. The cracking sound of the layers of plastic hitting each other was deafening. At times I thought how

is it that this structure is still standing???

Of course I still stayed in there most of the day.

Boy, was I happy we had no deliveries scheduled.

(Clivia)

Years ago when we first started this business, when we had a

hurricanes we would come down and spend most of the night

just sitting in the greenhouses just in case something happened.

(Osteospermum)

It seems so silly now. What were we going to do? Mother nature was going to do what

she wanted and we had no power over her.

We once did lose a house in a hurricane.

It was in the process of being finished. The sides still hadn't been

secured all the way.

The wind just came in and pulled the piping right out like toothpicks.

If we had just slit the plastic off it would have done less damage.

The good thing is that there were no plants inside unlike what could have happened

last weekend.

We were very lucky and not even lose power.

Many areas around us did and suffered from flooding.

Sempervivum( Hens and Chickens)

in a chicken feeder

Before we know it Spring will be here.

No, this picture is from last year.

It's still pretty gray outside and nothing green

except for the Leprechauns lerking about:))

I can't believe that St Patricks day is Wednesday and our anniversary

the day after!

                                            I guess we'll have to go out for green beer:))
                                                         Not for our anniversary though...

maybe champagne!!!

What do you do for St. Patty's
do you go out and kick up your knickers??

Remember everyone is Irish on St Patricks Day!

Have Fun!!!

Just another day

Some of you may know that we have been getting ready for

planting and this week has been....lots of cleaning, getting things seeded and little plugs

put into their little pots........and sometimes big pots:))

The weather here feels more like Spring then Winter.

But I've seen this before. Unseasonably warm as

the weather men like to call it.

The plants do seem to love the extra sun that isn't always

in plenty every Winter when they are put into

hyper grow time.

Sometimes it can feel like watching water boil.

"Do you see anything growing???"

" No, not really"

Then suddenly that plant will explode into bloom

before you realize the time has passed.

The days now are spent mostly in the greenhouses.

and with our cats. They seem to migrate to the houses with us more.

Where we are.... they are.

They are very social creatures.

But it's why we love them!

When we take a break then they take a break!

Well......

They're more on perma-break .

Oh... btw that's Shaggy.

I think this is his first appearance.

He's our big tuxedo kitty.

No, this isn't a ghost or some strange possessed animal

lurking underneath the benches.

It's just Charlotte.
Ok enough cat pictures....

but you have to admit it's been a long

time since I've shown my cats....my kids:)) I've been really good!

I've been resisting the urge

to not show their sweet adorable furry faces.

in every post...:))

Now, what I really wanted to talk about is what I saw this afternoon.

When I was heading out to run an errand

I came to close down the houses and check the temperature settings.

I looked and saw this.

Which doesn't look like much but when you

realize that I've been waiting 3 years to see even THAT!

I was excited!!!!!!

I know, it doesn't take much.

Then I saw THIS hidding behind that above....

you probably recognize it I'm sure.

A Bird of Paradise.

I called George immediately to tell him.

He was not as thrilled.

He just wanted to know if I was on my way to where I

was supposed to be.....

"Yes, I'm going!!!!"

When I came back and went right to see it again. I hadn't had time

to really get a good look yet.

By that point George was back too and I said "have you seen it ?"

"Oh" he goes....."that's been blooming since Christmas".

"WHAT

and you didn't tell me????"

What can I say.....

I had to wait 3yrs to see it and I could have seen it

2 months ago but I was

Content now.

I told you

I doesn't take much!!!

White Wednesday

After our time at the antique show in Naugatuck we stopped

back at Paula's house so we could look over all that we

had bought.

Just so we could eeww and ahhh over everything. How come guys don't do that???

Maybe they do......but I'm sure a bunch of old keys wouldn't do it for them:))

and certainly not lace!!! Their loss!!!! Right?

Paula picked these up for a great price if I remember right....from a guy!!!

He probably thought......why would anyone want old keys???

or a little metal chicken???

This Paula was told was a corkscrew but it seemed too small for that???

Maybe one of you knows.

She was wearing it like a ring.......

I stayed far enough away.... haha

In one of the booths she had picked up some window blind hangers.

When I got to another booth right

next door the lady was selling a small box full of them along with other

crocheted items so I told Paula about them.

She of course bought the box.

She used some of them on presents she gave on Valentines Day

at our luncheon at Evi's we all attended.

I wish I crocheted more then circles!!!

I love this little crocheted basket!

A little something from Jones Drug store in Bridgeport,Ct.

2 tablets taken every 4 hrs until pain goes away....etc....etc.

sounds familiar.

Being a pharmacist Paula always looks for these kinds of boxes.

So much cuter taking pills from this kind of container

then what they give you now.

I'm sure back then they never gave it any thought.

The book I was telling you about that I bought was the

Youth's Companion. The graphics were so intriguing.

Paula bought the same book but just a little smaller.

What you see in the first few pictures above.

The nice man that sold us the book was telling us that they would print them

on a regular basis they would then have them bound

together to make a book. It has over 800 pages.

He was telling us while he was waiting for the show to open he read

some of the stories. He found it fun

to imagine the kids reading them back then in the 1800's.

No TV or internet or video games in those days.

We didn't dare tell him we wanted the book to tear the

pages out. We thought better of it after that.

After I read some of the stories....

but not all 800+ pages!!

Copies might be good too:))))

This thermometer in the shape of a key

was interesting though I think it long ago

stopped working.

Newport RI is marked on the top.

I have relatives there in one of those

castles along the bluffs:)

HaHa I wish!!!!!!

I have more buttons then I know

what to do with, but I had to have these. They had just the

right amount to grunge to them.

The beautiful etched bottles I bought from

Debra from Capers of the Vintage Vixens.

The galvanized metal

milk carrier was sweet too and I got asked about it throughout the show.

I think he kind of regretted selling it to me at the price he told me....

or at least his wife did.

This is the bag I bought from Debra too. This picture doesn't show the detail.

But this one does!!!! I love it!

Don't forget to see our hostess Kathleen

at Faded Charm and visit the other participants of WW.

I've missed doing White Wednesday the last couple of weeks.

Glad to have the opportunity to do one more!!!...

thank you for stopping by.

Carole