Hello Again!

So it's been some time since the Philadelphia Flower Show, I apologize.


Warmer temperatures are finally here in the Northeast and I'm back ready to chat about garden and patio ideas. I often start projects that I've never done before, but I always enjoy a challenge. I'm a smart person and I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty! I grew up in a very small town, happy wearing denim and T-shirts but I love the high fashion of Fifth Avenue and a day at the spa. I like to compare myself and my husband to Green Acres, only he's the city boy and I'm the country girl. I love both worlds and I'm fortunate to have both in my life.


Needless to say, I don't always know which flowers should be planted where but I'm not afraid to try! So let's get some conversation going to help each other with those projects we attempt to do on our own.


I'll go first - I planted some Dahlias on my back deck. They haven't been blooming since I planted them which is about two months. They get sun but not a full day's sun; also, they're planted in a pot with Petunias. Can anyone tell me why they're not blooming? I wanted to have a mix of deep purple and bright yellow but I only have flower pots full of Petunias. Beautiful as they are, but not exactly what I wanted.



I've attached a few pictures from the show, they're beautiful no matter how old they are. It was a fantastic show!

2011 Philadelphia Flower Show

I've been waiting for the Philadelphia International Flower Show this year; so many of my friends have gone in the past and I've heard it's spectacular but, I just never had the chance to go. Now that I'm living in the city I can walk to the show and I can go as often as I like.

I never realized just how big an event this is. This year's theme is Springtime in Paris, I'm sure it will be breathtaking.
There are 150 free gardening presentations held throughout the week, as well as dozens of educational displays that explore the newest gardening trends. Over 180 vendors selling garden furniture, one-of-a-kind plant containers, hand-crafted jewelry, specialty foods, cut flowers, unique plants and garden tools, and tons more. On Thursday, March 10th there will be a Live Broadcast at the Show, QVC hosts Jonathan Redford and Antonella Nester will be on site hosting a live show from 1 pm - 2 pm and 8 pm - 9 pm.

I plan to take my time browsing and taking lots of pictures. I'd like to buy a nice floor plant for our new place here in the city and maybe some ideas for our terrace. I'd like to sit in on a few of the educational presentations and learn a few things about flower arranging or maybe I'll find out what vertical gardening is? There are so many different lectures I'll have to decide which ones are for me.

I'll post again after I've been to the show and I'll tell you all about it.

Island Chimes to City Lights

I love the Caribbean Islands and have been fortunate enough to convince my husband into vacationing there the past several years. The first island we visited was St. John, USVI; since then we've been to several different islands in the Caribbean, this last holiday we went to the small island of Virgin Gorda, BVI. We spent nine peaceful nights on this remote island where our villa was so deep in the mountains we had no television and hardly any cell phone service. At first I was a little worried what we would do without the conveniences we were so used to having but, the days went by so easy it turned out being one of our favorite vacations.

As we drove up to our villa, I was surprised to see the beautiful way the owners incorporated a nine foot Contrabass wind chime into the landscape. You can see from my picture how beautiful it looks hanging under the deck that leads to the upstairs bedroom. I found it interesting to see how even a large wind chime, such as this one, can be used in the right application. Initially, I was afraid it would be loud and might keep us awake at nights but this wasn't the case at all. As the tropical breeze blew, it gently moved the tubes, making soothing low tones that blended softly with the wind. When the winds would pick up and the rains fell, the soft sounds of the chime danced with each drop. It was really great.

Since my last post, we moved into a condo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It's been exciting looking for the perfect place in the perfect neighborhood. Do we buy or should we rent? Now that we found our perfect place, I'm busy trying furnish it with the perfect furniture! It's been fun but I must admit, a little overwhelming. I never knew how difficult it is to pick fabrics, colors and designs - I have a new respect for Interior Decorators. Thankfully, I'm lucky enough to have a close friend who is an Interior Decorator. She volunteered her skills, so I spent a day with her in Manhattan shopping fabrics. Who would have thought there were so many different shades of the same color? I was exhausted.

My new place has a nice small terrace, it's different than our home in the Poconos but I'm happy to have outdoor space no matter what the size. Not only is there a big difference in size but we also have to remember the fact that we have neighbors right next door. I can still have the gentle sound of a wind chime by keeping the tones light. I might try the exotic Sovereign Emperor Chime or the Night Glow Capiz Shell Chime both are softer and quieter. I'll have to browse the wind chimes at WindChimesGarden.com to find the perfect one.

The temperatures outside in Philly are still a little cool to sit outside but it's not too soon to start thinking about what I'm going to put on my terrace. The Philadelphia International Flower Show is March 6 - 13 and I can't wait to go, Spring will be here before you know it - it's time to prepare!

Cooler Nights Ahead

It’s already the last month of the summer and the long daylight are hastening to an end. My son will be going back to college in less than a week, the leaves have started to drop from the trees and the nights are getting a little cooler. I can’t believe how fast summer has passed.

I love August weather and the cooler nights, it’s been nice to be able to get outside again. The humidity was stifling the last couple weeks here in the Pocono Mountains. I always say spring is my favorite season because, for me, it brings promise of new beginnings. Everything is fresh, hopefully the snow has all melted and flowers are starting to bloom, but August and the months that follow are beautiful in their own way.

Invite some friends over and light a fire in the fire pit, burn some candles and enjoy a great times late into the night. The Fall Season brings some awesome stargazing; September brings the last day of summer and the first day of fall. The precise date and time when the September equinox arrives this year is September 22, 2010 at 11:09 pm EDT. An equinox happens each year at two specific moments in time, when there is a location on the Earth's equator where the centre of the Sun can be observed to be vertically overhead, occurring around March 20/21 and September 22/23 each year.

September 23rd is also the date of the Harvest Moon, the full moon for the month. Most people will notice the full moon as it rises in the East around sunset. Historically, in the mid-Northern latitudes the bright full moon at this time of year allowed farmers extra time in their fields to gather their harvest.

So, I’m looking forward to getting outside and enjoying the cooler nights ahead. Relaxing on my patio during the day, sans the humidity or enjoying the evening by the firepit and the glow of a lantern.

Beautiful Day!

The morning started out a little chilly but by noon the sun was bright and I was able to get out and enjoy the outdoors. I think I'll be safe to put out my plants I repotted last week as I don't think our temperatures will be dropping down to freezing temps again. At least I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I dusted off my patio furniture and my next project will be planting my outdoor flower boxes. I'm not sure what I'm going to plant this year, I like to go with different color schemes every year. It seems late but our weather has been so unpredictable with temperatures dropping into the 30's at night I thought it was too early. I'm not sure what color scheme I want to go with this summer, I've done just about every color combo there is. I suppose I'll decide when I'm at the nursery and see that perfect flower and add from there. As I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, I really don't have a green thumb so the less maintenance the better. This along with picking the proper plant for the amount of sun I get on my patio makes a difficult selection.

Now that the nights are warmer I've put my fire bowl on my deck and invited some friends for drinks and good times. I can't wait to get the season started. Take some time to check out my site www.WindChimesGarden.com for many beautiful accents for your patio and garden. Create that perfect atsmosphere to gather with friends and family to relax and enjoy each other's company.

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Just last week I was enjoying 80° and sunshine on my patio, tonight it’s a cold 45° and raining outside. We’ve had some crazy weather but I’m not going to let that get me down. My yard is looking great, the trees finally have their leaves and I know warmer weather is right around the corner. She’s just teasing us.

Since I was forced back inside for a few days I decided to make the best of my time and repot some of my indoor plants that were begging for more room to grow. A good friend of mine told me long ago, the best time to repot houseplants is in the spring, before the new summer growth. So I turned on some Van Morrison, put down some newspaper to catch the dirt and got started.

To remove the plant, I turn the pot over and tug the pot up and away from the root ball gently pulling it out from the pot. Do not yank a plant out of its pot by the stem. You should then prepare the root ball by gently loosening the ball with your fingers. Be careful not to cause damage to the root. Look for dead or rotted roots and cut them away from the healthy root ball.

The general rule of thumb is to only repot a plant up one size pot, (ex. 4” pot to 6” pot not 4” to 8”). Place the plant in the pot, keeping the depth of the newly potted plant the same as it was in the original pot. Make sure not to plant it too deep. Gently press the soil down around the root ball as your filling it with dirt and tap the pot to help the dirt settle. Water thoroughly until water seeps from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, and if needed, add more soil to the top.

Now I’m ready for the weekend. The Local Weatherman is calling for sunny and 70°. My fresh, repotted plants will be a great accent piece on my patio. I need to dust off my patio furniture, put out my garden lanterns and invite some friends over – I’m looking forward to the warmer temperatures again when I can get outside. Enjoy your home and garden!





May 12, 2010 – Welcome to Our World Austin Joseph, Happy Healthy Life!

Let’s Play in the Dirt!

April's birthstone is diamond, which symbolizes innocence. Personally, I like it because it sparkles!!
Its birth flower is the daisy and sweet pea.

The derivation of the name (Latin Aprilis) is uncertain; the traditional etymology is from the Latin Aperire, "to open", in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open”.

It’s April and time to get your hands dirty! I love my flowerpots overflowing on my patio with colorful flowers every year; first with the bright daffodil blooms in spring right through to the deep rich tones of the hardy autumn mum. Even though I get lucky with my plants more times than not, I’ll be the first to admit I do not have a green thumb.
That being said, I have been known to take my best friend or my sister-in-law hostage to help with the planting of my flowerpots. Normally it’s my friend, only because my sister-in-law lives a few hundred miles away. I have no problem digging in the dirt as I grew up a ‘Tom Boy’ with farms all around me. Though, the difference these days is I no longer bite my nails, in fact I have them manicured every other week so my only request is that I wear gloves - I can’t ruin my manicure! Truth is, even though I grew up in a small town with small town farms literally surrounding my house, I never took the time to learn about plants or gardening. My mom had a garden but I never paid any attention to what she was doing. I don’t know which plants are best in direct sunlight vs. shade, how far will they spread, and so on. So I learn these things from my friends, I read articles on the Internet and it’s always a smart idea to ask advise at your local greenhouse - they’re usually happy to make suggestions.
While bringing your flowerpots onto your patio why not bring out all of your outdoor furniture and prepare your deck for those relaxing times with your family, entertaining friends or for all those relaxing times alone. With an attractive fire pit you can sit comfortably for hours after the sun goes down. The season is just beginning for many enjoyable nights on your patio or garden, the warmth of a firepit is the perfect gathering spot to relax with your favorite book or drink; perhaps you’d rather have your closest friends over for a get together. No matter what your preference, the glow of a fire pit and the warmth that emanates is always inviting. Strategically place a few tabletop firepots or lanterns and light up your garden and patio for your guests to gather and mingle. All your friends will be talking about the wonderful time they had at your party!

A tip for gardeners:
Remember: most annuals do not tolerate frost, and transplants will do better if planted into soil that has a bit of time to warm up after the cold winter. Hardy perennials can be planted quite early in the spring, especially if they have been acclimated to the outdoor temperatures at a nursery.