Tickle the Roots

As a not-yet-visited member of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, I decided I should check it out.  So I registered for a class on planting indoor seeds and dragged my mom along.  This was one of the more informative and pleasurable classes I have taken.  I am inspired so look forward to lovely flower photos and veggie discussion in future posts.

First, if you have never been to the local botanical gardens, definitely put it on your list of things to do. The green houses and plants are absolutely beautiful and the staff is unbelievably friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Joe, our master gardener and teacher, distributed handouts on how to plant indoors, tips for success and even resources for seeds.  The planting was hands on and we all left with at least 4 starter plants.  He even held a raffle for some carpenter lights, soil kits, and hyacinths.  He did this in two hours, which he filled with laughter.  You could tell this man loved to garden.

Some of the tips included adding hydrogen peroxide to your watering, sweeping new growth with feathers and watering from the bottom. The best term though had to be "tickle the roots".  It really just means to separate the roots when you purchase new growths, but I love the term and will be using it in other ways :-).

Check out my handiwork:

Mom and I will be visiting the nursery to get soiless   soil, carpenter lights, shelving, seeds, new gloves, and so on and so and so on.

If you plan on taking such a class, remember two ancillary items:  1 - ask your mom to come and if you are lucky she will make you an incredible dinner before you go (thanks mom!) and 2 - be careful with your soil when you bring it home or you will leave some on the counter, floor, car seat and sink.

Cannot wait to start tickling the roots (I cannot stop using the term).

Gardening Success

I am over the top excited! How exactly can you convey that in a blog?  I thought about holding down the exclamation point key but that still wouldn't do it.  I just received my personal certificate of appreciation and recognition from Buffalo in Bloom .  The mission of this organization is to promote gardening throughout the city of Buffalo.  And guess who was recognized?

When you go to the site you will see photos of the celebrated gardens for 2009.  Keep in mind there are about 2500 gardens presented so I am not fooling myself into thinking that I am THAT special. But I am thrilled!

You see my gardening has been quite the joke for my family and friends.  I cannot think of a more beautiful way to start every day then to walk past gorgeous flowers on your way to the garage or street.  Unfortunately my green thumb is a little more black and blue in color.  My gardening cycle usually starts with a trip to the nursery, a day of planting, an evening of satisfaction (celebrating with wine on the patio) and then the following week another trip to the nursery, a day of replacing the dead plants and an evening of relief.  By the middle of August, the cycle is more like a day of closing my eyes past the yard, making excusing for the weeds and contemplating next year with hope.  I have plenty of gardening equipment on the boulevard of broken dreams.

This past summer all that changed.  I came home to find a small poster on my front lawn stating that my garden was noted by Buffalo in Bloom.  Totally thought my neighbor or husband stole the sign from another yard and was playing a trick on me.  Then I went to the door and found the official paperwork. That placard is still on my lawn, even in the snow. I was inspired.

To Mayor Brown and the co-chairs of Kate Bukowski and Maureen O'Connell, I say thank you.  This recognition has only encouraged me to try even harder to make my little section of Buffalo more beautiful.  I will not let you down this year.  It will be bigger, better and in bloom longer!  Today I plan my garden for this spring, after of course I stop by the frame shop to get my certificate mounted.