Flower Show Season
It’s that time of year again. We winter weary gardeners can get a tease of spring and scratch the gardening itch with great area Flower Shows.
I am fortunate to be speaking at the Connecticut Flower Show on February 22.
I will have two talks: “Beauty and the Bees” which will discuss better ways of designing with pollinators in mind, and “Power Couples” where I will share some of my favorite perennial parings for gardens and containers.
I am also thrilled to be returning to the Philadelphia International Flower Show and will be speaking on perennials on March 7th.
Both of these shows are great and definitely bucket list worthy trips. If you are able to attend either, or both, I highly recommend it!
The Good Witch
One of my all-time favorite plants for the late winter/early spring garden is witch hazel (Hamamelis).
This is an easy going, low-maintenance shrub or small tree that is at home in any garden. The best part about witch hazel is that between January and March it covers itself with beautiful, dainty four-petaled strap-shaped flowers. I have planted one in the back garden where I can see it from every window. On those days when I feel that winter will just not end I glance outside and see the branches covered in yellow; I have hope.
Forget forsythia, as a harbinger of spring, witch hazel cannot be beat.
Read More»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:
Read More»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.
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