Monthly Archives: March 2011

My good friend Marilyn recently sent me a link to a story that appeared in last Sunday’s New York Times.  It talks about the flowers now lost, extinct, gone from the island of Manhattan.  Pictures of those flowers are featured in the link.  All the loss is due to human activity.  This opinion piece reinforces how precious and fragile our environment is and how important it is to nurture and cultivate every patch of earth we can. 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/25/opinion/20110326-opart.html?scp=3&sq=city%20flowers&st=cse#1

Okay, all you gardeners!  
Here’s a great opportunity to get the information and inspiration you need to plant your most successful flower garden ever!
We’re talking window boxes, container gardens, patio and roof decks, street-side tree gardens and more!
Come and play in the dirt on Saturday, April 30th, from 10am to 1pm at the First Church of Boston, 66 Marlborough Street in Boston.   Cost is just $25!

Get great advice and practical gardening tips from five horticultural experts and one dedicated amateur (that’s me)!  
Featured presenters are:
* Ellen Abdow, Owner, Perennial Gardens
* Steve Baxter, Grounds Superintendent, 1000 Southern Artery Senior Housing
* Heather Heimarck, Director, Landscape Institute, Boston Architectural College
* Frank Re, Owner, ReCreations – Gardens Brought to Life
* Tom Smarr, former Superintendent of Horticulture, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

This is going to be great!!!  Plus, there are fantastic door prizes, handy handouts and more.

There are just 80 seats so sign up today and bring your friends and neighbors!!
   http://citygardenideas.eventbrite.com

Hello all! 
If you find yourself walking along Newbury Street in the next few days and weeks, stop in front of the Marc Jacobs store and look down.  An optimistic gardener has planted perky, yellow daffodils and white hyacinths around a sturdy tree.  What a bright and fragile touch of spring!  No fence, no border protects these flowers from the dogs and humans passing by.  I stood and watched for a minute or so.  It was great to see people notice the flowers and smile.. and move a bit away to give the little patch some room to be.  Spring is nearly here.  Just a few hours away…. Ahhhh.

Take my advice… Read this blog and then get to the New England Flower Show before it ends on Sunday, March 20th!  And bring a notebook.   You’ll want to keep track of all the beautiful plants you want in your city garden! This year’s show is just filled with delights – flowing ivy, vibrant Japanese maples, pops of flower color everywhere; earthy, fragrant smells that inspire deep, soul-cleansing breaths.  Can you tell I liked this show? 

One of the first gardens you see upon entering the Seaport World Trade Center Hall is a lush garden with trees and flowers and shrubs but look up… there’s a tree house with gorgeous window boxes with ivy spilling down and a small patio tucked under the house.  So playful and inviting.  
To the right is a beautiful stone patio with container gardens overflowing with hydrangeas and more.  Continue through the show and you’ll find delights at every turn. 

Find the rain boots with the daffodils, the flower cupcakes, the planter made of horseshoe crabs, the towering container garden fit for Versailles.  This show is worth the trip and worth the price of admission.  If you go, please share your favorite garden or sight!   Enjoy!

I’m so excited!  The long awaited and much anticipated Boston Flower Show starts this week for five glorious days – March 16 – 20 – at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.   Can’t wait to see bright, beautiful flowers planted firmly in the dirt!  This year’s show should be a particularly good one for city gardeners – container gardens are the focus!

The Show website says,
“Container gardening has exploded out of the humble window box to become the the hottest way to add vibrancy, warmth, and drama to any size space  – a sunny welcome on a city terrace, a gourmet harvest in a suburban side yard,  or a fresh focal point for a mature landscape.  This year’s show will focus on this popular trend by mixing examples of the endless creative possibilities of containers into all of its gardens and special displays.”

The section featuring the Container Garden Invitational will surely be a place I spend a lot of time!
Tickets are: $20 for Adults, $17 for Seniors (over 65) and $10 for children (6-17). 
BTW: I’m heading to the Flower Show Preview Party on Tuesday, March 15th.  It’s a benefit for the City of Boston Parks Department.  A great crew of people doing wonderful work.  I’ll blog on Wednesday with my comments and some photographs to whet your gardening appetite.  For more info on the Flower Show, go to www.TheBostonFlowerShow.com.

Hey all you city gardeners!  Here’s something for your to-do list.
In the next few weeks, focus on trying on and buying new gardening gloves.
If you’re anything like me, last year’s gloves are dirty and raggedy.  If this rings true, it’s time to invest in new gloves.  And like new shoes, you should really spend some time trying on gloves so you have a hard working and comfortable pair to spend the season with…
Here are 5 characteristics of Good Gloves:
1. A good fit is key.  Gloves should fit well on the hand, being snug enough to feel like a comfortable second skin but not so tight that blood flow is constricted.
2. A good glove extends beyond the wrist.  For me, it’s unnerving when dirt gets inside a glove and you spend time taking off the glove, shaking it out, and then putting it back on and hoping for the best.   I’ve found that gloves that extend beyond the wrist – not to the elbow or anything extreme – with some kind of elastic or stretchy materials that fits snugly at the wrist and a bit beyond work best for me. 
3. Gloves made of tough, lightweight, water resistent materials are best.  I avoid gloves made of cotton or terry cloth.  Too flimsy and they feel awful when they get wet.  I like the resilience of leather and canvas but both can be awfully heavy on the hands. Need to try on many pairs to see what works best for you.
4. Get gloves with non-skid palms and fingers.  When you are gripping that trowel or hoe and digging through spidery tree roots and weeds, you want to have a tight hold on the tool.  Non-skid padding is a must.
5. Get gloves that are easy to clean, or at least claim to be.  Remember, gloves are meant to get dirty but most can’t be easily laundered.  Read the label and find gloves that dry quickly or can be dusted off or hosed off and placed on a fence picket or other vertical spike to dry.  
If you have a favorite brand of gloves or other tips, please share.  I’d love to hear from you.  And I did find this good article on gardening gloves at the Helpful Gardener.  It’s worth the read.  http://www.helpfulgardener.com/tips/03/gardening-gloves.html