Author Archives: Laurie

The Next Big Chore

Posted on by Laurie

I managed to get our roses bushes pruned a few weeks ago, which was a little early for pruning, but I wanted to get the yard spruced up for a wedding. Now the next big chore is pruning the rest of our shrubs: hydrangeas*, crape myrtles, several varieties of spirea, viburnums, sand cherries, beauty berries, boxwoods, mugo pines, cedars and junipers. No wonder that it seems like a lot to do! 

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This is a hydrangea grandiflora paniculata which blooms best with severe blooming in the spring. It is definitely worth the work!

* Note, spring-blooming hydrangeas should be pruned after blooming. Those that bloom in summer and autumn should be pruned in spring.

Time for More Basil

Posted on by Laurie

Back in early October, we had unseasonably cold weather.  So I snipped about a dozen branches from the basil plants in my garden and put them into water, hoping to extend their usable life by a few weeks. To my surprise they rooted and thrived in my kitchen. (I was surprised because I have never had luck keeping potted basil plants inside.) To my even greater surprise, I was able to keep them going for six months … well at least one of them. Because I used their leaves all winter, I am down to the last stem on my last branch. They were incredibly easy to keep going. I just changed the water and washed out the jars about once a week. What a wonderful, unexpected run of fresh basil. It is still too early to put new plants into the ground, as basil is not very cold hardy. However, I can start a few pots and just bring them in when the temperatures are about to dip too low. Yay! No need to be without this wonderful herb!

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Have a lovely weekend!

The First Garden Flowers of Spring

Posted on by Laurie

Oh, joy! Two little Pickwick Crocuses popped their heads up today – the first flowers of the season to come up in my garden. Though they are just wee little things, it is a wonderful sign because once blooms start appearing more will soon follow!

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Have a lovely day!

We’re Trying to Make Spring Arrive

Posted on by Laurie

We’ve potted up several flats of pansies and violas, trying to make it feel like Spring!

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A Hard Winter’s Effect

Posted on by Laurie

Despite keeping it covered for the winter, our beautiful fountain is showing damage from the extreme weather this year. I am trying to convince myself to consider it “added charm,” yet I hate to see some of our lions heads crumbling. Oh, what to do? I guess, just wait for spring. Once the fountain is running and splendor has returned to the garden,  the old beasts will seem more at ease.

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Gold Strike

Posted on by Laurie

Laurie's avatarMorning Star Weddings

We had another beautiful wedding yesterday. It was sunny and 75 degrees out – perfect for a garden wedding, despite still officially being winter. (This morning it is 32 degrees, so we got lucky – again!) The bride and groom chose yellow, white, gray and black as their colors – which was an elegant, yet sunny and cheerful theme. I didn’t have a moment to take pictures yesterday, but here is a photo that I took this morning of one of the gorgeous Gold Strike roses that we used for the arrangements. Have a lovely day!

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Sunrise On High

Posted on by Laurie

It was a beautiful sunrise this morning. So during breakfast, I took a minute to dash to the top of our fire escape to grab a few photos. This was one of my favorites. I hope that you are having a lovely day!

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