Starting at 4pm EST on 3/26/13, enter to win a fabulous prize pack in our Spring into the Season giveaway! Contest runs until 4/2/13 at 4pm EST and entrants can participate several times a day by sharing the contest with friends, liking us on facebook or following us on Pinterest!
As the warmer weather approaches, delicious picnic fare will be on the menu. To get you in the mood, partake in our traditional fried chicken recipe today!
For the seasoned flour:
Toss together chicken pieces, black pepper, salt, paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, white pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl to coat. Stir in buttermilk until chicken is coated. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Combine flour, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, white pepper, and onion powder in a large shallow dish. Remove chicken from the buttermilk and dredge each piece in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess and transfer to a plate. Heat oil in a large Skillet to 350 degrees . Add all the chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken from the oil and transfer to a cooling rack set over a paper towel lined baking sheet. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
This delicious recipe provided by Chef Stef!
Promenade Entry in the PHS Flower Show
Presented by the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, the Philadelphia Flower Show is a major event for both flower aficionados and vendors/presenters alike. From extravagant floral displays to amazing structural and architectural offerings, the show did not disappoint.
Alice
This year’s theme, “Brilliant”, revolved around the British culture – from beautiful English garden vignettes to a decadent Stash Tea-sponsored PHS tea party.
Garden tea settings, in fact, were a recurring theme throughout the show floor, including this lovely lady and her absolutely “mad” friends!
Traditional floral displays and entries were aplenty, along with a vast marketplace full of everything else – jewelry, pottery, botanical skincare and of course, flowers.
Conversely, for the edgier attendee, the grittier London of the 19th century was on display through the dark, somber, somewhat foreboding and wildly popular “Jack” exhibit, based on the times of the famed killer. According to one volunteer, it was “the most requested exhibit” by attendees.
Beatles’ display area
For those with less of a penchant for drama, but a love of British invasion music, the Yellow Submarine, bedecked in floral finery, made a visit to the Beatles display area.
This element of the theme carried through to the hourly displays on the centerpiece of the show, a huge replica of the top of Big Ben. The tower featured a screen on each side, visible from nearly any vantage point throughout the exhibit floor. Despite its large stature, the fanciful hands span erratically out of control, with the exception of the hourly presentations, which featured music of the 60s and 80s on stylized British backdrops. The whole show’s lighting responded to the hourly clockshows and dimmed to draw attention to the prominent fixture.
Big Ben, the show’s focal point
To see the actual Big Ben show…
An exhibit showcasing a Jane Austen quote and garden
More subdued displays of miniatures and challenges could be seen throughout the show, with nods to everything from pop culture to literature. Here, you can see a well-known Jane Austen quote…
This whole area featured smaller displays including a wedding gown of flowers and some really well-done “Abbey Road” window boxes.
For those men who were lucky enough to snag a wife (but not too excited about a flower show), PHS again provided their “Mancave” area, this year themed as a backyard complete with barbecue food and astroturf.
Of course, delectable Brit-themed treats were on the menu, as well as traditional Philly fare. Attendees could also visit many specialty booths for everything from a trip to Ireland to Cirque du Soleil’s “Totem”.
The seminars were informative and well attended. Subject matter ranged from traditional gardening concepts like composting, to culinary showcases with pan-seared scallops.
Christine submitted this fascinator picture of herself
Also popular this year was the option to make a number of crafts including a floral fascinator headpiece. Men and women alike were seen throughout the Pennsylvania Convention Center donning bold, colorful headbands and posing for pictures.
Of the displays, my favorite were those that gave a glimpse into my ultimate escapes, like this wonderful greenhouse, or an adorable log cabin complete with woodland surrounding and a tin roof. I also loved the traditional gardenscapes with beautiful statues and masonry.
Foliar Dressform
I found the creative topiaries delightful and something just about anyone could incorporate into a special nook in your garden. Using every imaginable item, including a female dressform as pictured, lovely living sculptures emerged.
Living walls were also a popular theme, with small kitchen-sized fixtures and fully-fitted outdoor edifices on display. Whether an herb garden for personal use, or a living, green eco-space outdoors, these walls and topiaries add gracefulness, movement and color to any area.
If you are a well-traveled garden guru or an amateur balcony bloomer, you can find something to love at a flower show, and the Philadelphia Flower Show in particular. Learn something new, get inspired, get out of your comfort zone. You may just find yourself charting new courses, with Union Jack waving you on. Be BRILLIANT!
Goodnight, Philadelphia!
I am pleased to announce a new segment on our blog – Retailer Spotlight! We will be working with our retailers to give their expertise on various areas of interest to you, our readers. We hope you enjoy our first on deer and rabbit preventative planning and gardening. Start from scratch planning your garden to limit deer and rabbit damage!
This week’s guest article is provided by Mollie at GreenScapes in Upstate New York! Learn more about GreenScapes below the article.
Deer and rabbits can be quite the burden when it comes to gardens and landscapes. There is a long list of plants that they love to eat and this should be considered when choosing plants for your home. If you live in an area that has any kind of deer or rabbit population, especially along wooded areas, it is best to steer clear of plants that will surely be damaged.
While choosing plants that these critters will stay away from, you should also make sure that you are choosing plants that are suitable for your climate. For example, here in Central New York, the Hardiness Zone ranges from 4a to 5b. That means, depending where you live, you should choose plants that can tolerate low temperatures anywhere from -10º F to -30º F. (Learn more about zones here.) If the plant cannot withstand the winters in your area, there will not be anything for the deer and rabbits to eat anyway.
Once you learn what Zone you live in, then you can choose deer and rabbit resistant plants. However, no plant is 100% deer or rabbit proof; if they are hungry enough, especially in the winter months, they will eat just about anything. You can better your chances by choosing appropriate plants and taking measures to ensure that they stay away from your investments.
Once you have an idea of what plants you would like, talk with your landscape designer about how to lay them out. As long as your list includes deer and rabbit resistant plants, the layout possibilities are endless. The designer (feel free to contact us!) will help you determine which areas are best for the selected plants; usually larger ones behind smaller ones, clumps of similar plants, or even staggered rows of different colors and textures.
After your plantings are done, with your carefully selected plants, just remember that you can’t be too careful when it comes to the protection of your plants. Food shortages in winter force animals to feed on bark, twigs, flower buds, and foliage. Deer, rabbits, mice, and voles are the usual culprits. Even if you picked all the right plants, give them extra protection from deer and rabbits, especially during the winter months.
Taking preventative measures and researching appropriate plants when planning your gardens and landscapes will almost guarantee that your plants will not only survive, but thrive in their new homes. For the best advice and results, visit your local independent garden center for information from professionals.
Mollie said:
“We are celebrating over 30 years in the Landscape Business and 20 years in the Garden Center providing Central New York with the highest quality trees, shrubs, and Landscapes by people that care. Our plant material is hand selected for an unparalleled inventory. Our goal is to provide our customers with the strongest, healthiest, and most beautiful plant material. From a one gallon perennial to a 20 foot shade tree, we want the best for you.
We have the area’s largest selection of trees and shrubs for you to choose from. From the spectacular display of the spring flowering cherries and crabapples, to the autumn brilliance of a burning bush, we have it all. We pride ourselves on having the widest selection of species of every season. We carry an amazing assortment of annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, and specialty plants. From old time favorites, such as Impatiens and Marigolds, to the newest selections on the market. We also carry spirals, pompoms, and an array of weeping trees and evergreens.
Whether it is the front yard, backyard, around a patio or gazebo, or even around your pool; every home is different and every customer has different desires. Our customers are most important to us; we want to help you achieve your dream landscaping or gardening project.”
We want your home and garden to look more beautiful; that’s what matters to us.
Posted in Customer Feedback, Deer & Rabbit Repellent, Planning and Planting, Retailer Spotlight, Spring, Spring Gardening, Summer, Tips, Tricks and How-Tos, Winter, winter gardening, winter yard protection
Tagged deer and rabbit repellent, design, garden pests, planning, planting, preventative gardening, retailer, retailer spotlight, spotlight, what to plant
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but these red velvet whoopie pies are guaranteed to please the lady in your life too! Give a treat from the heart this Valentine’s Day. You’re stomach will thank you.
Reminder: You can download this recipe below!
Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Beat butter, oil, and sugar with an electric mixer until combined well, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla, and vinegar.
Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with the flour until combined.
Add the red food coloring and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Spoon 2 tablespoon mounds of batter 2-inches apart on lined baking sheets.
Bake, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through baking, until rounds are puffed and set, 8 to 10 minutes.
Slide parchment with rounds onto wire racks to cool completely.
Beat together cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and sugar until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread about 2 tablespoons
of filling on flat-side of half the rounds; top with remaining rounds, flat side down, to form whoopie pies.
This delicious recipe provided by Chef Stef!
Posted in Recipes
Tagged cake, chef stef, recipe, recipes, red velvet, red velvet cake, valentines day, whoopie pies
If you’ve been on the fence about starting a garden, or re-assessing the value of the hours you spend on the one you meticulously plan annually, we’d like to remind you of some key reasons to garden. In short, gardens are good for you. We’ll even skip the obvious one: growing your own food is healthier for your body since you know what was used to cultivate it, like our safe and effective products. Let’s look at some points you may not know…
In a 2011 study in the Journal of Health Psychology, researchers from Wageningen University and Research Center in the Netherlands put the stress-busting benefits of gardening to the test. Recreational gardeners were either assigned to work o
utdoors in their own plots or read indoors for a half-hour. The result? Gardening led to greater reductions in the stress hormone cortisol, often linked to weight gain. They also got a mood boost that the reading compatriots didn’t. Why? Maybe the joy of being close to nature, which we have long-since established is good for the soul. But either way, it’s obvious gardening is good for the body and mind. (And hey, why not read a book in your garden?)
In a very literal sense, community gardens are a place to gather and work together to achieve the common goals of beauty, health and sustainability. But even for the backyard gardener enjoys a heightened sense of community spirit thanks to his or her plot of soil. Gardeners interact via seed 
exchanges, online forums, Twitter groups and chats and more. The sharing of information is unprecedented in hobbies and other similar activities. In fact, gardening is one of the few activities that has its own category on Pinterest, for good reason. Gardening is a year-round activity – full of planning, plotting and planting. Gardeners – by default – remain in contact and building their relationships even when the ground is cold and trees are barren. Want to make a new friend? Grow a garden.
OK, OK, the evidence is anecdotal, but there is enough to cause speculation. Aside from studies conducted by university professors, a recent online study 
confirmed that the “whys” are simple really: gardeners are active, have lower stress, remain mobile longer and are eating health, home grown foods.
But just to drive the point home, in the online study, among adults over 50, those who answered “yes” to the question, “Do you garden?”, scored higher on overall life satisfaction, physical activity, energy levels and general health, and also reported they ate more vegetables because of their gardening activity. They also planned further into the future and reported their health as very good or excellent.
So why are you still sitting here? Pick up a pitchfork, grab some seeds, do some research. Live better and more beautifully in your garden.
Posted in Tips
Tagged community, community gardens, cortisol, gardening, health, living longer, longer living, reasons to garden
Heat up cold winter nights with this chicken and white bean chili recipe that is sure to warm the soul!
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, and chili powder. Cook (stirring frequently) until the chicken is cooked through (about 8 minutes). Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the Red Pepper Flakes and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with cheese, chopped parsley and sour cream, to taste.
This delicious recipe provided by Chef Stef!
Posted in Recipes
Tagged chef stef, chicken and white bean chili, chili, cold day recipes, recipe, white bean chili
Bren Haas:
Courtesy BGGarden.com
(of www.bggarden.com) knows a little something about plants. She works year-round on keeping her garden growing in her Ohio greenhouse, and has used several of our products with great success. A vocal fan of our Wasp & Hornet Killer, Bren has also been having great success on her war with aphids using our Garden Insect Killer. Our earth-friendly Garden Insect Killer has proven to be a better and simpler aphid killer than the methods she has tried in the past.
In her own words:
I like to stay natural / chemical free in the greenhouse ESPECIALLY in the winter months. Who wants to be cooped up in a 10′x12′ structure breathing in chemicals? We also have fish being raised in the greenhouse along with a small bunny barn that is attached to the greenhouse.
In the past I have used soap water solutions. This process has worked but it is alot of work because I really didn’t see anything happening to the aphids until I used the remedy for a few days and apply at least 3 times a day. The really cool thing about the Liquid Fence Insect Killer is it smells nice as well as gets rid of the aphids in the first application. #winning !
In our opinion, the best way to really prove to yourself that it works? Try it. Our products really do work. Ask Bren! You can find her on her web site, or on twitter.
Bren uses Garden Insect Killer in her Ohio greenhouse, year-round!
A family favorite for generations the world-over, early versions of rice pudding recipes can be found from Asia to Scandinavia, Latin America to the isles of Great Britain. This delicious recipe is simple and relatively fool-proof, so curl up with a bowl tonight!
In a deep heavy pot add rice and milk. Simmer on low for about an hour and a half, stirring every 5- 6 minutes. When the pudding has thickened, turn off and add 2 beaten egg yolks and vanilla. Allow it to stand for about ½ an hour; transfer to serving bowl(s) or storage container. Sprinkle with cinnamon, to taste.
This delicious recipe provided by Chef Stef!
Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized
Tagged chef stef, dessert, pudding, recipes. rice pudding
Courtesy StarTribune.com
Read full article at the Star Tribune web site
Jeanne Thatcher went to college intending to become an art teacher. But teaching jobs were scarce the year she graduated, so she ended up becoming a medical lab technician instead.
All that artistic training hasn’t gone to waste, however. As a gardener, Thatcher taps into her knowledge of shape, texture, light and color to create a blooming landscape as carefully composed as painter Claude Monet’s famed garden in Giverny, France.
“I have a huge attraction to flowers,” Thatcher said. “I like splashes of color everywhere, and I’m inspired by Monet and Impressionism. I’ve been in his garden. It’s always in my mind. I don’t have lily pads, but I have the color like he has. Just different flowers for a different climate.”
While many gardeners limit their palette to a few favorite hues, Thatcher likes — and uses — all colors, relying on her understanding of color theory to combine them in pleasing ways. “I never really had a plan,” she said. “I know that certain colors work well with each other — but I don’t think about it a lot.”
‘Old-fashioned’
Garden trends come and go, but Thatcher sticks to what she finds beautiful. “My neighbor says it’s an old-fashioned Grandma’s garden,” she said. “That’s what I would call it — a little of everything. A lot of people don’t have traditional gardens anymore. I like that mine is different.”
Thatcher started gardening in her Austin, Minn., back yard about 15 years ago, when her three children, now in their 20s, were old enough to require less-than-constant care. “When I had little kids, I didn’t have time,” she said.
She started small, then gradually expanded, eventually taking over almost the entire back yard.
“It kept getting bigger. I wanted to get rid of all the grass, but my husband said, no, we need a place for the dog,” she said with a laugh.
Over the years, Thatcher has made hardscape enhancements, including a curved garden path, a water feature and a few garden sculptures, but not too many. “I want the flowers to be the emphasis,” she said. Her garden is about 90 percent perennials, including colorful hardy species such as bee balm and coneflowers. She uses annuals, such as petunias, which thrive in her full-sun garden, to define and accent. “I love a border, and I want one that’s low,” she said.
She doesn’t hesitate to dig up a plant and move it if she thinks it will fine-tune the aesthetics of her landscape. “I move things a lot. I’m never afraid to move,” she said. “I do it in the early morning or at night, so it’s not such a shock to their system.”
Her garden is now so picturesque that it’s become a go-to destination for special occasions. “We’ve had engagement photos and graduation parties back here,” she said. Last year, she opened up her landscape to the community as part of the Spruce Up Austin tour. “People said it’s such a surprise — you don’t know it’s back here,” she said.
Over the years, Thatcher has learned how to make the most of her soil, which is clay. “I have to amend it a lot. I’m on an incline, so that creates erosion. Every year, I add more dirt and peat moss.”
Still her soil remains too heavy and damp to sustain every plant on her wish list, including blanketflower, a bright-colored perennial in the sunflower family that failed to thrive in her growing conditions. “It grows in the desert, but my garden is too wet,” she said.
Critter control
Soil isn’t her biggest challenge; critters are. “We live along the creek, so a lot of rodents come; they want to get cool,” she said. While they’re cooling off, they tunnel under her garden, damaging plants at the root. “You can feel your feet sink into the tunnels,” she said. “The plants get droopy and sick.”
To deter rodents, she uses garden stakes that vibrate and beep. “The gophers don’t like them.”
As for the hungry deer that jump the fence and munch the tops off her lilies, Liquid Fence has become her go-to defense.
Then there are the slugs. Thatcher battles them with beer, pouring a little into the bottoms of cut-up plastic cups that she sets near plants she wants to protect. “The slugs fall in and drown,” she said.
As for stronger measures, Thatcher mostly avoids them. “If I use a lot of pesticides, the butterflies and bees don’t want to come,” she said. “One year, I had 150 monarchs. They were migrating and stopped in my garden. I want ’em to keep coming.”
Her garden also attracts a lot of birds: “cardinals, finches … even an eagle who hangs out … owls in the trees at night, and lots of nests with babies.”
Their presence makes up for the visitors she’d rather live without, such as the Japanese beetles that ravage her roses.
When Thatcher gets annoyed at creature-caused destruction, she reminds herself what someone once told her at a garden store: a garden that attracts wildlife is a healthy garden. “That’s one way of looking at it,” she said. “If I was an insect, I’d hang out here. I have a big enough garden that I can share a little with nature.”
With so many flowering plants, the garden produces enough blooms to stock a florist’s shop, but Thatcher has resisted making it a cutting garden. “I like to keep them out here,” she said of her flowers. “But I have started cutting a little.”
Last year, she made some bouquets for friends. “I should bring them into my home more,” she said. “Just like the garden, I’m changing and evolving.”
She’s also dabbling in other artistic pursuits, including creating her own garden art. “I have a stained-glass studio in the house. That’s my winter thing. Now that I don’t have little kids, I want to get more into artwork. When you have a family, it’s so time-consuming.”
But gardening is still her favorite form of artistic expression. “I like the spiritual part,” she said. “You can relax and be thankful. Gardening can be so frustrating, but the reward is so awesome. It reminds you of how blessed we are, surrounded by such beauty.”
Kim Palmer • 612-673-4784
Posted in User Spotlight
Tagged media, news, star tribune, success stories, user spotlight
It's Jeff Lowenfels, Creator of Learn more about Jeff, |
