another great resource

Due to the bit of winter we received overnight, I was able to spend a few hours today at work perusing the periodicals for inspiration. I found a couple new gardening magazines and noticed several of the featured products came from Gardener's Supply. When I checked my email, my mom had in fact forwarded me an e-newsletter from the same company. Low and behold, not only do they have amazing products, they have an interactive kitchen garden planner that utilizes the principles of square foot gardening in raised beds. They have 8 preplanned gardens, but you have the ability to edit-click and drag from 47 different plant options to tailor your own dream garden. You can e-mail, save, and print your plans. What could be easier? Graph paper, vegetable encyclopedias, farmer's almanac, and months of planning or a few drags and clicks. While you are there take a few minutes to check out their raised beds and other products. www.gardeners.com-
definitely worth bookmarking.

ebb and flow...sort of

So much to my dismay, when I came home today I realized in the daylight that the massive storm we had last night had destroyed by beloved work in progress-my backyard. The three Formosa azaleas that I had containerized with the hopes of getting in the ground this spring are now one. A beautiful prostrate Yew that I had envisioned as a sort of pre-historic ground cover is gone. The area near the creek that my neighbor claimed had only ever flooded once in his 25 years has now flooded twice. On the bright side, the Anise and Cleyera that I planted last spring as a hedge weathered the rapids, though I had to re-mulch and add some additional compost to their bases. When life hands you lemons, it's up to you to make the lemonade. I put the remaining azalea in the ground, and added a clump river birch. I hope to add another birch to the other side for symmetry. I will also add two more Formosas when they become available in the spring. The good thing about being a Gemini is I can be really bummed one minute and up to my eyes in mud digging in the next.

inspiration in magazine form

I love it when I pick up a magazine and it does so much to inspire and motivate me! Urban Farm (Sustainable City Living) is a new magazine out by Hobby Farms. In their Spring 2010 issue which just hit newsstands, they tackle everything from vermiculture and compost to greywater and square foot gardening. Not to mention they even tackle raising and harvesting chickens in an urban/suburban setting-something that my husband and I would love to do! So if you are searching for inspiration while it's still cold out, check out your local Lowe's or Barnes & Noble...it's well worth the $4.99! If you'd rather not spend the cash, check out their page on Facebook: Urban Farm Magazine.

reflection and resolution

So first let me apologize for my infrequent blogging as 2009 sure left with a bang for me. It is January 1st so it's time to plan ahead and mildly look back. With the number of personal landscape projects dwindling and the economy and time of year limiting interest in my design business, I am planning how this next year will flow. Lighting. I am going to learn how to enhance landscaping through the use of low voltage landscape lighting. Building. I am going to build an outdoor counter for my husband's grill area (more like assembly vs building but you have to start somewhere). Then I'm going to wait and see where 2010 takes me. A year full of learning, blogging, and pursuing my passion would surely be a good year.