My battle with social media.

My niece Anna and I play a game where we ask, “Would you rather?” type questions. My dilemma with social media, i.e.: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., reminds me of that game and comes down to this: Would you rather be famous? Or do what you love?

I have learned, as a business owner, that social media can become a beast. One that needs to be fed…constantly. The problem with that is I am a very small business with only 3 employees (me, myself, and I). Any time spent on social media is time spent away from bookkeeping, marketing, office work, not to mention actual gardening. Do I want to pursue “likes” in the hope, one day, of getting products to sponsor me? Do I really want to be an influencer? The short answer is no. That might be fine for some, but I have found the deeper I get into social media the more all-consuming it becomes. I had one fellow gardener confess “I am addicted to this.” And she’s good at it with lots of engaged followers but how? She is a small business owner like me and has limited time so how can she keep her business going AND the beast fed? She has hired a company to run her social media platforms. That company will engage with followers, like and comment. This bothers me.

In an age where things are so often not what they seem I yearn for authentic. I want to be real. (For a look at an authentic post click here) Do we present ourselves as real while someone else is behind the curtain pulling the strings? Is that honest? If someone takes time to comment on one of my posts, shouldn’t I be the one replying? And honestly, I would rather have my hands in the dirt then glued to my phone.

I will probably never be an influencer. That’s okay – I’ll be a gardener.

Got grass?

No, I am not talking about cannabis, although with dispensaries on every corner it seems like it would be easy enough to get. I am referring to ornamental grasses. To me they are the stars of the fall garden. They are very low maintenance and bring excitement and movement to the garden during a time when many plants are fading out. With different growth habits, sizes and colors, there is an ornamental grass for any garden. Maiden grass (Miscanthus) features plumes that are typically silvery, or pink-tinged. Some Miscanthus can grow to be over 6 feet tall. These are especially good in a privacy border. Of course, there are also dwarf varieties, like ‘Little Kitten’, and ‘Adagio’. Switchgrass (Panicum) tends to be more upright and features dangling seed heads which are beautiful when backlit by the autumn sun. Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis) ‘Karl Foerster’ is a tried-and-true performer with a narrow upright habit; it is also one of the first grasses to green up in the spring. This is important as many grasses are considered “warm season” and need the heat of summer before they really perform. Little Bluestem (Schyzachyrium) is a wonderful columnar native grass; I especially like ‘Standing Ovation’ – it’s blue-green blades turn a lovely wine red in fall.
 
Most ornamental grasses require full sun but there are a few that can tolerate some shade. If your garden is sun-challenged try planting northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa) or sedges (Carex).
 
If you want a grass that makes you feel better this fall skip the dispensary and head to your local nursery.

Spotted Lanternfly

                            Spotted Lanternfly

Sounds like something a character out of a Dr. Seuss book might bring home as a pet, right?

Problem is, it is not fictional or friendly.

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), is neither a fly nor a moth but rather an invasive planthoppper that is native to Asia.

It was first discovered in Pennsylvania in September 2014. It has since been reported in Delaware and New York and recently in Connecticut. The adults and immatures of this species damage host plants by feeding on sap from stems, leaves, and the trunks of trees. Sap from the wounds where feeding has taken place can cause sooty mold and also attract bees, wasps and other insects that are attracted to the sugary sap. One of the favorite hosts for Spotted Lanternfly is Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) although it has been found on over 70 species of plants.

While the Spotted Lanternfly has not yet been spotted in Massachusetts it poses a significant threat to our state’s landscape. For more information, including identification, visit the UMass Center for Agriculture website. Report any suspicious findings to the Massachusetts Department Of Agricultural Resources via the Invasive Pest Reporting Form.

Meet the Crew.

I am the proud founder and owner of The Captured Garden but the success of the company depends on more than just me. I only have two hands and would never be able to handle all the clients that come my way.

Thankfully, I have a wonderful crew of women that make me look good.

Let me introduce them:

The Woman in the Bank

The other day I was at the bank. Sitting in the manager’s office waiting for some paperwork to be signed. There wasn’t much to do so I spent the time just watching people. One woman in particular grabbed my attention.

She was older and slightly hunched over but came through the doorway with such a sense of purpose. She marched up to the teller to conduct her business. After a few pleasantries I heard her ask about the teller. If it was her first time at the branch? Was she a floater? To which the teller replied yes.  This woman then went on to say that she had been to just about all the branches and, “This branch is the best. The people here are so friendly and they really know what they are doing.”

Her compliments went on and on. I couldn’t help but smile as she lavished praise on this particular location.

As this woman left she passed a man at the ATM machine who was wearing an athletic jersey of some kind with a big W on the back. She walked by him she said “Does that W stand for Wonderful?” He smiled and said, “Yes.”  She left the building, got into her car and drove off.

I was still waiting for my documents so I reflected on what I had seen.

This woman, with her kind and encouraging  words, had just made the day better for two people. Three, if you include me.

The Bible says we should “encourage one another and build each other up”. (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  That’s exactly what she had done.  Our society is so quick to criticize and tear down; I contend we would all be a little happier if we followed the example of the woman in the bank.  I am determined to try and do so.

I never did get her name, but as she left whistling, I wished I had.