Busy Busy Busy

Anyone remember the late Terry Thomas' famous line, "Busy Busy Busy"?  I always loved that line because it was a tongue-in-cheek joke of our modern busy lives.  And speaking of busy, I've a couple of more things going on in the area for the Christmas season.

Quite by accident, I found a classmate of my daughter, Laura Birr Brown, on Facebook.  Laura is the talented daughter of the talented Jan Birr.  If you remember back quite a few years, Jan was a great influence upon the newly formed Galva Arts Council.  Anyway, back to the story:

Laura married Jim, who is one of the owners of Distinctive Gardens, Inc. in Dixon IL.  Until today, I had never heard of DGI.  Now that I have, I must get there!  Check out the web site - it looks lovely.  http://www.distinctivegardensinc.com/

For those of you who don't mind last minute plans, DGI has a free "Holiday Decorating" class tomorrow, Saturday November 20 at 10 AM at 2010 Cowell Pk., Dixon.   The class teaches how to make "charming holiday decorations with plants found in your yard. Evergreen pots, hanging baskets, and window boxes creatively designed will be detailed. Great for the do-it-yourselfer."

Otherwise, they are open Monday through Saturday - 9 am to 6 pm - March through December.  Sundays - 11 am to 3 pm April to June and November and December. 

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Hoerr Nursery, 8020 N. Shade Tree Dr., Peoria IL  http://www.hoerrnursery.com/
Holiday Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am - 6pm - Sat: 8:00am - 5:00pm - Closed on Sundays
Hoerr's is having  two days of workshops (Call to reserve a seat):

Saturday, Nov 20:
Christmas Curb Appeal :: 11am
Light posts, porch containers, window and mailboxes, oh my what a difference a little holiday cheer makes. Quick, classic and fresh ideas on creating some serious curb appeal for you and your guests.
Entertaining Guests :: 12pm
Join us for easy, affordable ways to add beauty and festivity to any occasion, from simple swags to stylish centerpieces and wreaths, fragrant accents, and seasonal surprises.
The Center of Attention :: 1pm
Bring your dinner party to life with a handmade centerpiece. We’ll supply everything, including the container, fresh greens, seasonal accents and plenty of inspiration. $39 includes all materials.

Saturday, Dec 4
Christmas Curb Appeal :: 11am
Light posts, window boxes, mailboxes, oh my what a difference a little holiday cheer makes. Quick, classic and fresh ideas on creating some serious curb appeal for you and your guests.
Tiny Tots with their Eyes All Aglow :: 12pm
A great chance for you to shop (or sit) uninterrupted! Kids can enjoy story telling (for all ages!) with our guest speaker, mingle with the Big Man himself, get a picture together, and create a seasonal surprise with
Hoerr’s elves. $10 includes all materials.
Why the Wreath Seals the Deal :: 1pm
When they see the fresh, over sized wreath on the front door, they’ll wonder what holiday magic lies just inside. We’ll provide everything you need to create one of your very own. $39 includes all materials.

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Yesterday I visited Green View Nursery, 2700 W. Cedar Hills Drive, Dunlap, IL 61525 - Phone: (309) 243-7761 - http://www.greenview.com/

Celebrating the Season Events

Photos with Santa - Saturday, December 4th - 11am to 2pm
Take a picture with Santa! Green View will be doing photographs. Bring your kids, grandkids, or pet. Priceless photo for only a suggested $5 donation to a local animal shelter.
Make & Take Event - Holiday Centerpieces* Saturday, December 11th - 10am
Our in-house designers will help you create a centerpiece that will add the perfect touch to your home. *Participants of this event must purchase materials used to make their centerpieces.
(Call to reserve your seat for the Make & Take, by Wednesday, December 8th)

Creative Holiday Seminars

Saturday, November 20th, 10am "Wreaths, Swags & Garlands"
How to use fresh or artificial greens around your home.
Saturday, November 27th, 10am "The Grand Entrance"
Welcome your guests with an entryway that compliments your home.
Saturday, December 4th, 10am "Holiday Sparkle"
How using reflective items can make all your decorating shine.

When You Wish Upon A Star

It’s the time of the year for me to offer some Christmas gift ideas for your favorite gardener.

Many nurseries & garden centers have fresh greens: Wreaths, garlands/roping, trees & grave blankets. Kewanee’s Lamb family Dew Fresh Market on Tenney Street. Galvan Diane Nelson’s Prairie Country Gardens. Many of the big box stores & florists have live Christmas cactus, centerpieces & fresh flowers.

Others have gift certificates available: Kewanee’s Sheila & Jeff Johnson at Sunnyfield Greenhouse & Nursery may be called at 309-852-5172. Sheffield’s Ruth Draper & Martha Owyer at Red Barn Nursery 815-454-2294.

Cost for mail order greens start at about $50 for wreaths, about $12 a ft. for garlands & trees start at $50.

Garden tools are available locally from Galva’s Mary & Jack Hathaway’s True Valu. Good quality is necessary for experienced gardeners. Many of the new tools are ergonomically designed. Catalogs & big box stores also carry a variety.

Garden lighting, for functionality or decorative, has become a big item recently. Solar is great for ease or no electrical source. One catalog has solar outdoor Christmas lights & solar candy canes & ornaments.

Clothing for the gardener may be gloves, aprons, & hats.

Bird and animal supplies are at most of the above stores & decorative ware stores. If your selection is for outdoors, make sure it’s weather proof. Houses, feeders, baths, heating elements, & food come in a wide range of uses and prices.

Recovery from garden labors might include a spa, message, thermal, manicure, yoga or pedicure gift certificate. Oils or candles for aroma therapy. A membership at an exercise facility to keep fit during the winter.

Ornamentals may include seasonal things such as Christmas lights, bird feed ornaments, gazing balls, statues, & structures.

The unusual could be a picnic basket, small blanket, napkins & a gift certificate from the Galva Food Center IGA grocery store & a customized box of candy & fresh coffee from Bishop Hill’s Colony Store. Weather centers, weather vanes, & temperature monitors.

Here are some specific ideas:

1. A garden basket with a bottle of wine, garden gloves, gift certificate for a manicure, & some lavender scented hand lotion.


2. A bird feeder, bag of sunflower seeds, a bird identification book & a pair of binoculars.


3. A fresh pine wreath, spool of ribbon, a few Cardinal bird ornaments, & boughs of red berries.


4. A small “Northern Pine” tree, lightly spray with hairspray & dust with glitter. Wrap the pot with a Christmas dish towel, tie with a ribbon & add a gift certificate.


5. A centerpiece made from pine & boxwood, a large red candle, ribbon & berries is especially nice for someone who no longer puts up a tree.


6. A garden pot packed with a coffee cup, a bag of spice-flavored coffee, & a bag of candy canes. Perhaps tuck in a favorite CD of Christmas songs or the soothing sounds of nature.

No matter where you live, check out your neighborhood selections. It’s a chance to make the local merchant, your gift recipient, and you’re shopping a nice Christmas experience.

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Hungry?

This Monday, the USDA reported, "15% of U.S. households lacked enough money to feed themselves at some point last year.  In addition, 608 million of these households (with as many as 1 million children) had ongoing financial problems that forced them to miss meals regularly."

 In the on-going desire to political correctness, the report termed it "food insecure homes".  I found "food insecure home" a trivialization of the fact some people go to bed hungry because they don't have food.   
Data reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "42.4 million are getting food stamps - a 17% gain over last year.  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program jumped by 17.5%.  Congress is debating funding of the food subsidy programs."

Once I got over my aggravation on so many points in this report, I realized I had two options:

1. Write my representatives in Congress and make my wishes clear.
2. Plan to locally help those who are not able to feed their self or their family.

Both options require knowing the entire story. 

1. Exactly what is being debated:  funding?  methods?  how to determine eligibility?  amount?  stop the programs?  This one will require some digging.
2. Helping locally is, in part, easier: 
1. Donate to the Lions Club's Thanksgiving basket project.
2. Donate to the Salvation Army Christmas fund or a homeless shelter.
3. Donate to the local Food Pantry (food, paper products, money).
4. Send a grocery store gift card anonymously to someone who is struggling to feed their family.
5. Ask around, at your church for example, if there is someone who needs help.
6. Not only young families with children, but, the elderly often have trouble having enough money to buy food when other high dollar items take all their monthly income. 

Then, there's the little judgemental issues that can make giving to the needy more difficult.  How do you feel about giving to folks who:

1.  Don't spend their dollars wisely which leads to repeatedly getting in financial dire straits?

Although I'm not suggesting you (or anyone) should follow my way, I'll put it out there as an option:

1. If someone or a family is hungry when they go to bed because there is no food, then the why of it isn't my first immediate concern.
2. Am I enabling?  I'm not set on this earth to withhold food from the hungry while they learn. 
3. I either give through a responsible philanthropic organization or anonymously.  
4. If I give anonymously, I usually give a gift certificate at a grocery or if the needs are broader than just food, I may give a Chamber of Commerce city-wide spending card.  
5. I figure I'm responsible for my own motives and charity.  I'm not responsible for "making" others responsible.  It would "feel better" if they were, but, sometimes they aren't.
6. If my gift is grossly abused, I don't need to give to that person next year - there is always someone needing help; that list will not go away.

This Thanksgiving and Christmas while we're cooking the bounty from our gardens and income, I hope you will consider feeding the hungry this winter.  Especially, those who fall through the cracks of food assistance programs or even those too proud to admit they go hungry. 

I've found I'm always Blessed when I help another in need and give thanks "But there for the Grace of God go I."  

    

Bitter Medicine

Male bittersweet vine at about 5 yrs. old near a walnut tree sapling.

Not long after we bought this place, I purchased two bittersweet plants (a male & a female) from the Henry County Soil & Water Conservation District (HCSWCD).


I planted one near an old fence and one of our zillion walnut saplings.  The other I planted on the front picket fence.  The picket fence location thought was it would be pretty spreading over the fence and laying over on the unmowed portion that is viewed from the road.  Dang those best laid plans - again.


Climbing Bittersweet aka American Bittersweet Celastrus scandens is from the Staff-Tree Family.  Other names you may hear are climbing bittersweet, false bittersweet, climbing orange-root, fever-twig, fever-twitch, staff-vine, and jacob’s-ladder

Fruit and flowers are on the female plant.

Bittersweet has a really beautiful benefit:  In the fall the berries (actually fleshy seeds) are beautiful in decorations.  The fruits are yellow-orange and open to expose the scarlet berry-like interior.   By then, most of the leaves have fallen off and the stems remain  pliable to weave into arrangements and wreaths with ease.   It's a great winter food and cover for wildlife.  It is sometimes used for erosion control.

The flowers are small and green - not really much to call attention to the vine in the spring.  The leaves are 2-4 inches and a nice bright green.  It's a native plant.


A perennial, the twisting vine climbs from 20-50 feet.  Is considered poisonous but not toxic (apparently purging from both ends is a result.)  Native American Indians and in India, it is used as a herbal cure. 

This is the same (male) vine as the first one and the photo was taken this summer.  Note the vines twisting around the trunk.

This year I decided tough love was the only answer for the one on the picket fence.  We trimmed every vine down and out of the crab apple.  It loved the haircut and has rewarded us by becoming much more thick and really covering the crab apple. 

Tough love next spring will probably be cutting to the ground.  Perhaps, we can dig it all up and I can replant where it won't kill something valuable.  It will kill the crab apple because it becomes so dense it can't absorb the needed benefits of the sun and it strangles the trunk.  We'll see, although, I suspect it has resources that may make "tough love" more like army warfare. 

The seeds do not have high germination rate like the very invasive Asiatic  Bittersweet C. orbiculatus.  If you plant bittersweet, make sure you DO NOT get the orbiculatus.


The name is aptly applied, as is so many native plant names.  It is beautifully sweet and bitterly deadly if planted near the wrong place.  

Crafting Mojo

Christmas 2008

If you have a creative flare, now is certainly the time to get your crafting mojo working.  (Is "mojo" really a word???) 

There are great projects for Christmas that most anyone can accomplish with a good pair of clippers and some pine branches.  If you shop in stores that have beautiful wreaths, you might be tempted to splurge on one, but, making your own takes these beautiful ideas and allows you to haveone at a fraction of the cost. 

Either from your own pines -or- purchase a bundle from a local retailer.  Shake off any insects and debris.  

Lay newspapers on your table to prevent sap from getting on things.  Use wire and wire cutters for outdoors.  Glue guns work for indoors.

For an outside wreath, I like to have one of those wire forms instead of the Styrofoam forms because they are sturdier in winter weather and wind.  Some use pre formed grape vine wreaths as a base.

For wreaths, cut the pine branches into no more than 8 inch lengths.  Tie these in one direction & to the form with wire.  Make sure the end product is full and all the wire is covered.  Shake it to make sure you have all the branches totally secured.  Add a small wire loop, at what will be the top as a hanger.  Now you're ready for the fun.

Decide the color theme for your decorations.  Lighter colors show best on the greens.

Weather warnings:  Many glass balls/ornaments have the outside painted and will get damaged in rain/snow.  If painted on the inside, they must be secured tightly to prevent breakage.  Fresh fruit will only last a few days before they start to rot.  Plaster berries and fruit will start to dissolve in moisture.   The die in velvet may run and stain house/trim paint.  Dried flowers, grasses, & grain work, but, may fall apart or get limp.  Anything heavy will eventually droop.

Some ideas: 

• Other evergreen foliage such as barberry, boxwood, and holly. 
• Using different kinds of pines add color variations:  fir, blue spruce, arborvitaes, cedar for example.  
• Natural pine cones, Canella berries, Juniper berries, lavender, Eucalyptus, & wheat.  
• Plastic ornaments, fruit, candy, leaves and berries.
• Outdoor twinkle LED lights if there is an outlet close.

Example #1:

• Wrap red and white striped wired ribbon lightly around the wreath.  Tie firmly to the wire frame.  Weave it in and out of the pine so as not to mash or bind up the pine branches.  Don't use so much that the greens are hidden.
• Tie a large full bow of the ribbon at the top securing with wire tied to the frame. 
• Wire sprays of artificial red berries and secure into the greens by tying into the frame.
• Wire plastic candy canes onto the frame (even though real candy canes are wrapped in plastic, moisture will soak in and they will start to melt.)
• Spray-on artificial snow gives it the winter look.  (Should be done outside or in the garage) 

Example #2:

• Hide twinkle lights in the greenery.  Make sure they are securely wrapped.  Using an outdoor extension cord in the same color as your house paint helps it not detract.
• Insert gold colored artificial leaves, using the wire method. 
• Attach a large full gold bow.

A photo of Christmas decorations at Hobby Lobby 

Example #3:

Lay 3/4 of your greens going in one direction, lay the other 1/4 in the opposite direction.  Wrap wire around the smallest spot where the two meet.  Make a loop on the back for hanging.  Add a ribbon over the wire.  Wire pine cones to hang from the bottom/larger portion.  Tuck in red berries or other red decorations.  Hang upright.

Examples are only limited by what you have, what you want, and how expansive you want the greens.  The wind and rain today remind me all winter decorations need to be really secure or they might end up mojoing into the next country.  The pre decorated wreaths pictured were from $50 to $400 - another reason to do your own mojoing!

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Found this while looking for wreath pictures:

Green View Nursery

 2700 W. Cedar Hills Dr., Dunlap, IL 61525

Phone: (309) 243-7761

http://www.greenview.com

Make & Take Event - Holiday Centerpieces*

Saturday, December 11th - 10am

Our in-house designers will help you create a centerpiece that will add the perfect touch to

your home. *Participants of this event must purchase materials used to make their centerpieces.

10am "Wreaths, Swags & Garlands"

Saturday, November 20th

How to use fresh or artificial greens around your home.

Call to reserve your seat for the Make & Take, by Wednesday, December 8th

The G.A.R. and You

This is a photo of one my family's G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) metal.  Hard to believe it was only my grandparents' era where the Civil War was active.  My Great Grandpa came home injured and always walked with a limp from that injury.  Considering the conditions on the battle fields, the existing medical treatment, the internment camps - he was one of the fortunate ones. 

The G.A.R. was first organized in Decatur Illinois by and for Civil War veterans to stay in touch.  At one time, there was a G.A.R. post in every state and boasted a membership of almost 500,000. 

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Members of the G.A.R. were a patriotic group and over the years became more involved in the public life and welfare of all veterans.  They were the first veterans' organization to promote membership of blacks, they established "Memorial Day", and eventually established alliance with the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (which is still active.)

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At one time, they became involved in the Republican party and five of our Presidents were members of the G.A.R.  After the last original Civil War member died in 1956, the official G.A.R. organization was dissolved.

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Once I researched my family's membership, I began to realize there were memorials, public and private buildings, and cemeteries donated and dedicated by the G.A.R. 

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Today, we thank our veterans and pray for the families who have lost sons and daughters while serving our country and for veterans who returned injured and scarred.  Take a moment to reflect on all our veterans, throughout the history of this country, and what it means to your way of life today.  Thank God they cared enough to protect that way of life, our land and our way of government.

Fly your garden's flag with pride and thanksgiving today, it's through the sacrifice of our veterans that you have the honor.

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For more G.A.R. information, visit their museum and library site:    http://www.garmuslib.org/

Pink For Sissies?

When I was young (yea, I know), only girls wore pink.  It's so much nicer now that everyone embraces such a beautiful color for clothes, paint, and in the garden.

Pink can be soft, shocking, soothing, lively, bright, pale, an accent, or a neutral.  You get the picture - it can be everything!

A fruit tree blooming in the spring, with dark to light pink blossoms, can be one of the most welcome sights after a long hard winter.  My crab apple (above) simply glows on a warm spring day.  Even if you never have plans to use the fruit from your trees, one planted as an accent really puts a punch in the landscape.  There are the full sized (standards), dwarfs, weeping, non fruit bearing and those pruned to espaliers.

Daylilies have pink varieties that span the entire descriptive process.  They are an example of the color wheel's many varieties and combinations.  Pinks may have overtones of purple or orange.  It may lean towards red or white. 

Many flowers may have subtle or strong accents of other colors.  They can blend (as in rose and pale pink) or they can contrast (as in yellow and pink).  These accent colors can pull a grouping of different pinks together with other colors or they can bring in a color that enhances.  For instance, dark purple will make a pale pink more visible.

Annuals have many beautiful pink colors, such as:  Zinnias, inpatients, petunias, nasturtiums and the list is almost endless.

The color of surrounding leaves can make a pink stand out or add to the existing color theme.  The dark maroon leaves of the above crab apple provides a backdrop for the pink blossoms.  Dark green evergreen shrubs behind pink inpatients allows the inpatients to steal the show.

Nature is full of pink colors (vines, bushes, trees, annuals, perennials, bi annuals, spring flowering bulbs, wildflowers, and on).  For that matter, the setting sun often throws pinks on the surrounding clouds. 

Our neighbors to the West and the Southern Americas have always embraced pinks - paint on their stucco homes, clothes, furnishings and allowing vines of shocking pink on every available structure.  Although we Midwesterners may still tend to be more reserved about the use of the bright colors, the introduction of pink is a sure sign we're embracing nature's pink possibilities.  Nature has always embraced pink - we just needed to realize that beauty, too. 

"All gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so."

- Joseph Joubert, French essayist, 1754-1824