Turned on to Tropicals!

This week I had the opportunity to attend CENTS (Central Enviromental Nursery Trade Show)in Columbus,Ohio. Ohio State University offers classes to those of us in the nursery trade to keep our Certifications updated during this show. I attended 2 classes offered by Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery. He was a great speaker and boy does he knows stuff! His class was titled: 'Big, Bold and Bodacious' and I now have several new must haves for my garden next year!! My favorite is Colocasia gigantea 'Thailand Giant"



It gets to 9' tall with leaves that get 5'long x 4' wide, I think it belongs on my patio! Another was Colocasia 'Coffee Cups' the large cupped leaves capture rainwater causing them to tip and spill the water out then fill back up again repeating the process like an Oriental fountain. How neat is that?



The tropicals that Mr. Avent showed us were just awesome and made me open my eyes to a lot of posibilities for new containers. They are more work-winter storage and lots of watering. I think I can handle it! Anyways, go check out their site and look at all the goodies they are offering!

Laura

Accent Table Redo

Several years ago I this small table at a garage sale for 50 cents! Of course, it had a dark wood finish and was showing it's age but no nicks or dings so I scooped it up! I appoligize but I have no before pics, I was in such a hurry to get some paint on it I forgot!!! Sorry! I painted it a creamy white and antiqued it with a paris pink glaze. Some areas I added more glaze and other areas less, I like the look it created!
Then I painted some shabby roses on the top and ta da! It is one of my favorite things I have ever painted!

I am going to link to my first linky party (yea!! I am getting brave!)



Have a great day!
Laura

Apothecary Jars

Wanted to show what I made thanks to an awesome blog Shanty2Chic Her instructions for this project are here Go check them out!

Thanks, Laura

I love Blogs!

I love blogs, I really do! I love looking at all the pictures, I love hearing what other people are up to and I enjoy catching up with friends! Whether it is a sewing tutorial or a junking revamp or just looking how other people decorate their homes there is so much to look at! So, why do I have such a problem having my own blog? I think it is because I 'think' into what I want to say too much. I am always worried that I won't be interesting enough or will say something wrong, I need to get over that and just type like I am talking with my best friend! Right? Since I have had this revelation I am going to try this again! I am not going to limit it to just gardening like I had planned but just be me and what ever is going on in my life at the time! Wish me luck, I will need some!

Thanks, Laura

I am back, trying again!

I am so sorry it has been so long since last post!! I have tried really, this is harder to think of things to talk about than I thought it would be!!! I am not giving up though!

Well, things are finally looking like spring here, some of the trees are budding, the weeping pussy willow is blooming and looks lovely! Watching the robins chase each other always makes me smile, it means spring is really here even if the temps dont show it! My daughter is graduating from high school in May and I need to get the yard looking great for her party! You would think that because I work at a Garden Center/Nursery this would be easy but I always have a hard time deciding what I want to put in my own yard. I have no trouble doing this for others but when it comes to something I will have to take care of and look at for years I freeze! I think today I will sit down with my graph paper and some pics and decide what is going where. I have a 6' 'Stellar Pink" Dogwood that I brought home the other day I need to get planted too. But where?

See why I couldn't pass it up?

All the perennials are popping up in the greenhouses at work too, boy are they tempting!! I want at least 3 of everything!! Wish I had the room for all of them.

Well, until next time- go get some dirt under your fingernails, I know I will!!

Laura

It is so Cold!!

Well, it is here, the cold that is! Right now it is -5 with a windchill of -19 Brrrrr!! Even the dog doesn't want to go out! I have been drooling over seed catalogs and Studying for my ONLA Certified Nursery Tech test I have to take in a couple of weeks. Not sure if any of it is sticking in this brain of mine but I am gonna give it a try. Wish me luck! I am gonna enjoy seeing all the plants at CENTS though, it may get me through till spring.


I have been trying to come up with some new display ideas for the garden center I work at, not an easy thing when you are cold and all you see is snow!! Any new ideas out there? Well, I will leave you with a pic of one of my favorite hydrangeas:

This is Hydrangea macrophylla 'Pia' I love the color!

Take care and stay warm!

Laura

Snow Storm ON it's Way!

Yep, another snow storm is on it's way. Weather man is saying 6-10" by tomorrow afternoon- We will see! To me that means it is that much longer before I see green grass. Yuk, I love the look of snow but I want spring.

I have been keeping busy with digital scrapbooking. I googled it the other morning and found a ton of info on it. Boy it it fun! So far my favorite site is: www.shabbyprincess.com/ They have so much it kinda spins your head! But it sure is fun.

With all this snow I have been thinking about things I want to plant this year so I have more winter interest. I am thinking Ilex Sparkleberry. I love the idea of this shrub covered in snow or ice and the red berries showing through.

or maybe Callicarpa Early Amethyst :

Or maybe both! We will have to see!

Have a great day!

Laura