​​I LOVE Toads.  I have always loved toads.  My first memory of a toad encounter was as a toddler, I of course reached over to pick up this unique never before seen creature and it promptly peed on me.  I giggled.  My mother explained, as she gently put the toad back on the ground, when toads are scared they pee on the intruder as a mechanism to ward off the enemy.  Keep in mind I was around 4 years old and I kept thinking about that all day – “How Cool IS that – PEE on someone that scares you!” Now, I knew enough even at that young age, that I should NOT DO that!  BUT, the concept kept me delighted ALL day and for several days afterward.

​I was introduced to starting seeds many winters ago by both my maternal grandfather and my mother.  Several decades later, I can only remember one season that I did not start seeds, but the magic of the season still came upon me.
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Starting seeds never grows old for me.  Every time a seedling emerges above the soil surface I am filled with joy.  I introduced the seed starting practice to my children which was met with not as much joy and sometimes frustration as the household was taken over by all the seedlings until it was safe to bring them outside.  Frequently the baby plants had grown to young adulthood before they could be moved out – much to their chagrin.  Now, to my surprise, all my adult children engage in plant propagation in some manner.  I am looking forward with great anticipation to introduce my first granddaughter to this annual endeavor as soon as we can play in the dirt together. ​

​Here's our next installment of Kids in the Garden! Did you know that you can compost with worms? It's called Vermicomposting and Master Gardener Volunteer Cheryl is here to teach you how she cares for her super composting worms. Her worms take food waste and newspaper and turn it into a super nutritious amendment for her garden soil.

I recently read On Flowers by Amy Merrick.

Amy Merrick is a rare and special kind of artist who uses flowers to help us see the familiar in a completely new way. Her gift is to revel in the unexpected—like a sunny spring arrangement housed in a paper coffee cup—and to overturn preconceptions, whether she’s transforming a bouquet of supermarket carnations into a breathtaking centerpiece or elevating wild and weedy blooms foraged from city sidewalks. She uses the beauty that is waiting to be discovered all around us—in leaves, branches, seedpods, a fallen blossom—to tell a story of time and place.
 
Merrick begins On Flowers with a primer containing all her hard-won secrets on the art of flower arranging, from selecting materials to mastering pleasing proportions. Then she brings readers along on her journey, with observations on flowers in New York City and at her family’s summer home in rural New Hampshire, working on a flower farm off the coast of Washington State, and studying ikebana in a jewel-box flower shop in Kyoto. We learn how to send flowers like a florist, and how to arrange them like a farm girl. We discover the poignancy in humble wildflowers, and also celebrate the luxury of fragrant blousy blooms. Collected here is an anthology of floral inspiration, a love letter to nature by an exceptional, accidental florist.

Amy shares bouquet ideas. She helps you pick out the perfect vessel to display your bouquet. She encourages you to get creative with what kind of plants and flowers to add to your bouquet.

Amy is full of positive energy and this read will have you smiling.

Take a break, sit in the garden, pour some ice tea and enjoy paging this delightful book.

UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Roseann Meixelsperger provides information on Hummingbirds. 

Have you ever wondered the meaning of a flower?

The History of Flower Meanings
The symbolic language of flowers has been recognized for centuries in many countries throughout Europe and Asia. They even play a large role in William Shakespeare’s works. Mythologies, folklore, sonnets, and plays of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Chinese are peppered with flower and plant symbolism—and for good reason. Nearly every sentiment imaginable can be expressed with flowers. The orange blossom, for instance, means chastity, purity, and loveliness, while the red chrysanthemum means “I love you.”

The Posy Book, authored by Teresa H. Sabankaya, is a modern book sharing the language of flowers.
When you are out in your garden creating a bouquet for your loved one, send a special message by adding what your flowers mean in the bouquet you created.

Inspired by the Victorian-era language of flowers, this new language of flowers dictionary is a compilation of many historical references on the language of flowers, with additional modern meanings for newly hybridized flowers.


Inspired by the Victorian-era language of flowers, a posy is a small, round bouquet of flowers, herbs, and plants meant to convey a message, such as dahlias for gratitude, sunflowers for adoration, or thyme for bravery. These floral poems have become Teresa Sabankaya's signature. Brides want them for their weddings, but a posy is a lovely gift any time of year, and one that readers can easily put together from their garden or with blooms from their local florist. In The Posy Book, Sabankaya shares step-by-step instructions, floral recipes for more than 20 posies, and ideas for seasonal variations. A modern floral dictionary, with 12 original paintings by celebrated illustrator Maryjo Koch, will help readers craft their own posies filled with personal meaning.

Vegetables Love Flowers
Author: Lisa Mason Ziegler

Fight garden pests and increase your yields the natural way with this tried and true technique!

Planting vegetables and flowers together is one of the oldest ways to create a healthy, bountiful garden, but there's more to the method than you might think. Vegetables Love Flowers will walk you through the ins and outs of companion planting, from how it works to which plants go together and how to grow the best garden for your climate. 

With the right information and some careful planning, you can help your plants thrive--and beautify your garden in the process.


I recently won Vegetables Love Flowers. It is full of basic gardening tips and fantastic photography.