Saturday, January 25, 2014

January Dreaming


"Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream."      -  Josephine Nuese



Friday, January 24, 2014

Cabbage Hemp Salad



Some things are just too good not to share.  So I will deviate from the norm of plants, gardening and design to share a really yummy and healthy recipe with you: Cabbage Hemp SaladPopSugar shared it with me and I want to pass along the deliciousness! It's described as a detox salad which is all the rage right now.  Not sure what it's supposed to be detoxing but my family and I can't get enough of it.  Try this recipe and you will understand why. 
Known as a rule breaker in the garden world, I also break them in the kitchen.
I didn't have any Hemp oil so I subbed Grapeseed Oil:  Delish!
The first time I made this we had lemons, not limes and: It worked!  (but limes are better, I found the second time.) 
Besides the hemp seeds, I added some chia seeds into the mix as well.

Cabbage Hemp Salad

3 cups cabbage (mix of purple and green), finely shredded
1/4 cup red and yellow peppers, diced
1 1/2 avocados, diced with pit removed
3 tablespoons hemp oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup hemp seeds
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
 
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Massage and mix with your hands to tenderize the cabbage and cream the avocado, and serve.
     

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Pantone's Color of 2014 is...

Radiant Orchid!

Seriously, what is not to love about this? The color, Radiant Orchid is the perfect blend of purple, fuchsia and pink.  It is both easy to look at and also easy to grow with.  Pantone's declaration of the 2014 color of the year should not leave Radiant Orchid on the fashion runways of Paris- it fits just as well in the garden.  Radiant Orchid is a color that, according to Pantone, "Emanates great joy, love and health."

I will take that in all aspects of my life including my garden!  

from Better Homes and Gardens
1. An old standby that I remember from Grandmother's garden: Ageratum.  This plant pretty much nails Radiant Orchid down to the color code of 18-3224. (For those of you who need to match it exactly)
2. As the name implies, Phalaenopsis Orchid.
from Better Homes and Gardens
3. Chinese Astilbe- a shade loving perennial.
A garden designed by Natural Elegance Design in 2013 using shades of Radiant Orchid
4. Check out more plants to use in the garden from Houzz.

Lastly, check out the segment I did with Kara Sundlun and Scot Haney on WFSB-TV's Better Connecticut by clicking HERE.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Pile It On!

Worried that all of the snow this winter will hurt your garden? Don't!
The snow is a gardener's BFF- that's Best Friend Forever- when it comes to the cold winter months.  Snow acts like a thermal blanket, protecting the branches and especially the roots of your perennial plants.  The snow keeps the cold out and traps the thermal energy of the earth underneath.  Cold temps without snow is another story, but let's stay positive and think snow, snow, snow this winter!