Oh what a beautiful morning

 This morning I went out to fill the bird feeders, a daily chore now that they have returned to the side yard in force, and saw all these popping up. The last few weeks since I have been back from the east coast have really been a little too pleasant, if that is possible. I guess what I mean is "Where is Winter this year?" With the lack of moisture and cold everything is coming out about a month early it seems. The tulips are up, the daffodils are sprouting through the leaf blanket I put on them and the entire perennial bed is starting to green up.
IT'S TOO EARLY!!

 the other picture is of tulip bulbs that I had pulled out of a large terra cotta pot that I planted a rose in this year. Forgot them where I had tucked them under some santolina...looks like they overwintered just fine..and they may even be blooming soon.

Here is my "strange" pic of the day. I am a juicer as many of you know, and that makes a lot of compost material. I have started bagging up some of it for treats for Michelle's chickens, (added benefit: I get fresh eggs) and the rest I have been just piling the pulp as well as kitchen scraps in this wine barrel in the side yard. I did this last year also because there was no sense putting it into the tumbler as it was frozen and I don't add water in the winter anyway. Last year in the beginning of April I pulled the majority of the then semi-composted scraps out of the barrel and put it in the tumbler and I planted 1 tomato plant in a wall o water and guess what came up....ready....2 pumpkin plants, 1 funny squash of some sort but very edible and a few onions. So obviously this is a strange winter way to compost, but....works for me....

ps, this may not work for you if you have varmints or dogs that can get near it......

my favorite crab apple getting ready for her spring debut......malus "Prairefire"

another beauty, Weeping Forsythia Tree.....still not sturdy enough to support itself, but it is getting there.....will post another picture when she puts on her spring dress...

 

ReUse

Men - what are they thinking sometimes ??? 

This little piece of history was on its way to the DUMP. I know.....some of you out there are probably thinking, "well yes.....that is exactly where it should be going." But there are A LOT of us out there that see the potential in old pieces like this one and know just where to find it a new home. And where might that be you ask? Just stop by the nursery anytime and we will gladly show you and also the first display that Lucia used it for, it is up for an award at www.kellogggarden.com

Lucia's first display with the re purposed piece

 

Some favorites.....

I am in a "tree kinda way" right now. I've been crossing my "T's" and dotting my "I's" in final preparation for the huge shipment of trees that arrive next week. All the orders are put in, all the specifications have been gone over, the tree lines tightened up and ready, IT'S SHOW TIME!

I thought it would be fun to highlight a few of my favorites that will be coming from the growers next week.. Anyone that has ever driven by my house in the spring knows that I LOVE CRAB APPLES! No other tree in our valley will give you such a show. Beautiful blossoms for weeks in Spring, gorgeous foliage all summer, and amazing arrays of Fall color. This one below is one of my favorites. I can not resist its vibrant pink-red flowers surrounded by deep dark purple foliage! The rich red fruits, orange-red fall color, and interesting bark provides all-season appeal. Outstanding disease resistance makes this "easy care" crab apple a jewel in the landscape! Plant with confidence. It's super hardy for our cold temps and it will out perform most trees in your landscape. Enjoy!! and oh yes, I have ordered plenty of them!!! 

Royal Raindrops® Crabapple Malus
Height: 20'
Spread: 15'
Zone: 4

Tomorrow, more color for your garden.........

Photos by: J. Frank Schmidt & Son

ACRE, more than enough room

Beautiful wine glass adornments from Canada

(Forgot to post this one up, but just as well because now some of these artists work is already finding its way into the shops, and your homes )

Just finished up the ACRE show here in Orlando today. I am a huge Etsy Fan (thank you goes to Sara & Jaime for that little addiction) so when the I realized this show would be going on in Orlando while I was in Jacksonville visiting the kids, it seemed kind of a "feed two birds with one seed" type of trip. I talked my traveling buddy Melissa (Every Bloomin Thing Nursery - Susanville) to fly out and join me and she readily agreed. The only time she had ever been to Florida was the short trip last year before we left for Atlanta so we had some sites to see!

SolMate socks from Vermont and North Carolina, all recycled materials COTTON

Good Fortune Soap, lovely young woman from Tennessee ~ Jennifer Jack, found her passion and is making it happen

hand blown glass hearts from Luke Adams, Massachusetts

The ACRE show was put on in combination with the Orlando Gift Show, and the Orlando Cash & Carry show.....but ACRE was our pull. The American Craft Retailers are a group of artists that have a huge presence on ETSY as well as through the Wholesaleers Craft Association. Enough of the acronyms, why did we want to go....It is HOMEMADE, MADE IN USA, artistic and original...all of the things we search for for the shops. So even though we leave for the big gift show in Las Vegas next week, I wanted you to see a few of the things that will find their way into the store in the next week or so.

Viva Las Vegas

Take 6 women and throw them in a Lincoln Navigator, travel 7 hours south, and turn them loose on the Las Vegas Gift Show and what do you get? Lots and lots of goodies coming into both stores. We got books, scarves and purses galore, oodles of sparkly goodness for next Christmas (yes, you have to buy for the holiday season in January or you won't get what you want) and a wealth of wonderfulness for Spring too! We even made some time for junk'in and exploring. It was a great brainstorming, fun filled week!

Now I am back home, after a month of traveling, and it is time to settle into my own garden, get some areas raked up, and start planning for the new rose and veggie gardens. With the weather we have this week it is the perfect time to be outside, enjoy the chill and the sunshine and get some things done. See you in the big garden soon!

outside Goldfield, pit stop to check out the artwork

and.....we even got to meet Rick! (Rick's Restorations in Vegas)