Magical Garden Tour

Acio potting shed! In honor of Harry Potter's birthday, we are taking a magical garden tour of a home in Buffalo, NY.  If you've been on the Buffalo garden tour, this is the gem of the tour.  This muggle was in heaven seeing all of the attention to detail and whimiscal touches.  With a Harry Potter-themed potting shed and artistic accents throughout the garden, see this enchanting space HERE.

I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good...

Free Little Seed Libraries

Most of us have heard of Free Little Libraries, we even have one in front of our city's fitness center. A great twist on this concept is the Free Little Seed Library.  Based on the concept of Free Little Libraries, you can take seeds and drop off seeds. What a wonderful idea, especially one located in a community garden. Gardening enthusiasts always like to share their bounty and what a clever way to try something new.  Below are some pictures of free seed libraries and a video tutorial on making one at home.  The website littlefreelibrary.org has a listing of different free libraries, where you can find one in your community, purchasing libraries, and registering your library (*note- this is for books, not seeds, but the libraries they sell can easily be used for seed swapping).

Learn more at Seattle Urban Farm Company

Located in Arlington, VA

Learn more HERE

Learn more about this one in Duluth

This gentleman shows how he created one at home with clear and easy directions.

Check out the free seed library in Kent (once the library is open to the public).

"Now in its fourth year, the Kent seed library has grown to include 1,700 packets of seeds spanning 25 different kinds of plants and even more variety within those plant families. Novice and experienced gardeners can take up to 20 packets of seeds, donated by community members, for free and without a library card, and can return dried seeds from the resulting crops in the fall."- Record-Courier article dated April 4, 2019

Learn more HERE

There are also many online seed swapping sites and groups on Facebook.  

Happy seed swapping!

Free Virtual Garden Tours

Since actual tours are not permitted at this time, enjoy several beautiful virtual garden tours.  Start in France and end up in Portland.  Bon voyage!

 Claude Monet's garden, Giverny, France

Take the tour HERE

Waddesdon Manor, Waddeson, England

Take the tour HERE

Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, US

Take the tour HERE

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Papaikou, Hawaii

Take the tour HERE

Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon

Take the tour HERE

Happy touring!

How to Attract Toads to the Garden

I think there's something cute about toads. They seem like inquistive visitors to the garden and they are very beneficial as well.  This article explains a little background on toads and why you should encourage them taking up residence in your garden.

Read it HERE

Since toads need little hiding places, why not give them one with some style?  These toad abodes are handmade from artisans on Etsy.

Refining Fire Pottery (Cleveland artist)

$18 + $11.90 shipping

Refining Fire Pottery (Cleveland Artist)

$16 + $12.15 shipping

Refining Fire Pottery (Cleveland artist)

$22.00 + $13.65 shipping

Falkner Studio 

$42 + free shipping

Dawn Davare Designs

$35 + free shipping

Hop to it and invite toads into your garden!

Books that Celebrate Earth Day

"After returning to America after twenty years in Great Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his homeland by hiking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. With his signature wit, humor, and eye for the absurd, he explores the history of the trail, remarks on its beauty, and advocates for its conservation."- Review by BookRiot.com

Purchase on Amazon

"Second Nature is a memoir cum philosophical meditation on gardening. As Pollen wrestles with his unruly Connecticut land patch, he ponders the moral imperatives of compost, the absurdity of America’s obsession with the perfect lawn, and the disconnect between the garden of his suburban childhood imagination and the reality of the natural world. Also be sure to check out Pollen’s The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore’s Dilemma"- Review by BookRiot.com

Purchase on Amazon

"This book, HERE: Poems for the Planet, contains many beautiful, generous poems and ideas for action. It is my heartfelt hope that they will inspire readers who ask themselves, 'But what can I do?' to see that there is a way forward―learning to share the earth and its resources, while taking care of it together." ―His Holiness The Dalai Lama 

Purchase on Amazon

"When writer and navigator Tristan Gooley journeys outside, he sees a natural world filled with clues. The roots of a tree indicate the sun’s direction; the Big Dipper tells the time; a passing butterfly hints at the weather; a sand dune reveals prevailing wind; the scent of cinnamon suggests altitude; a budding flower points south. To help you understand nature as he does, Gooley shares more than 850 tips for forecasting, tracking, and more, gathered from decades spent walking the landscape around his home and around the world. Whether you’re walking in the country or city, along a coastline, or by night, this is the ultimate resource on what the land, sun, moon, stars, plants, animals, and clouds can reveal—if you only know how to look!"- Review on Amazon

Purchase on Amazon

Happy Reading!

TLC Through Gardening

Jolene Hansen's article on the therapeutic benefits of gardening highlights why gardening is so important during stressful periods. Many studies have been conducted on the effects that garden settings have on an individual and how we can all benefit from spending time in a garden.  Aside from the simple aspect of being surrounded by the beauty of nature, gardens can help in the following ways:

• Decrease in depression.  Time spent tending and visiting a garden lowers the stress hormone cortisol.
• Eases the symptoms of Alzheimer's, dementia, and a reduction in prescription medications.
• Community gardens foster a sense of self-esteem, team building, social interaction, problem solving and coping skills.
• Post-surgery patients who were able to view nature through their room windows had faster recoveries and required less pain medication.

Read Jolene Hansen's article Therapeutic Benefits of Gardening HERE.

What are some simple ways to bring a little garden therapy into your life?

• Care for a plant. There is something special about tending to a living plant and watching it grow and thrive.
• Go outside.  Spending some time in the sunlight and fresh air not only gives you some vitamin D, but the sights and sounds of nature are relaxing.  
• Make a flower press.  Instructions can be found HERE.  Use the pressed, dried flowers to make cards to send cheer to a friend.
• Plant a fragant garden.  Plants that engage the sense of smell can be calming.  Lavender, rosemary, and lemon balm are just a few of the many wonderful smelling herbs to try.
• Share your bounty.  There's something kind and generous in sharing the fruits of your labor.  An overabundance of vegetables and fruits can be donated to a local food bank or be a pleasant surprise for a neighbor. 

Take care of one another and be well!