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Gardening: What Is A Tulip?
tu·lip noun \ˈtü-ləp, ˈtyü-\ : a large, bright flower that is shaped like a cup and that grows in the spring : any of a genus (Tulipa) of Eurasian bulbous herbs of the lily family that have linear or broadly lanceolate leaves and are widely grown for their showy flowers; also : the flower or bulb of a tulip “Any of almost 4,000 varieties of about 100 species of cultivated bulbous herbaceous plants making up the genus Tulipa in the lily family, native to Eurasia. Among the most popular of all garden flowers, the tulip produces two or three thick, bluish-green leaves clustered at the base of the plant. The usually solitary inverted…
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Entranceway Design: Bamboo As a Structural Element in Vero
On a recent trip to Vero Beach, FL we stopped into Gloria Estefan’s hotel and restaurant, Costa de Este on the beach. Although the day was cool and overcast the staff at the pool bar was welcoming and gracious, the drinks and view were delicious. The restaurant was not yet open for dinner but the architecture of the entranceway caught my eye and I had to take a few pictures. I love how the circles in the concrete wall provide just enough light through but still offer guests protection from the parking area. The bamboo clusters are perfectly placed and thinned to again let the light through but still create…
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Cocktail Recipe: The Garden Party Sipper {#GardenPartyChat}
Tonight’s An Appealing Plan #GardenPartyChat on Twitter {Wednesday 8P EST} topic will be Celebrating Fourth Of July. Seems pretty straight forward right? Problem is turns out we all have our own version of what this means. {Join us on twitter here} As a proper host, I of course would like to offer my guests a beverage to sip on during the chat. So here is the Suggested Sip of the Week recipe, with alcohol and non-alcoholic versions. Not a fan of Grapefruit or Basil…other suggestions might be: Thyme Tangerine Fizz or Provence Lavender Cocktail. The Garden Party Sipper Juice of 1/4 Fresh Juicy Grapefruit 2 1/2 Ounces of Bombay Sapphire Gin 1 Tablespoon…
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Garden Inspired Reading
GROW COOK EAT Grow Cook Eat will inspire people who already buy fresh, seasonal, local, organic food to grow the food they love to eat. For those who already have experience getting their hands dirty in the garden, this handbook will help them refine their gardening skills and cultivate gourmet quality food. The book also gives readers easy-to-follow planting and growing information, specific instructions for harvesting all the edible parts of the plant, advice on storing food in a way that maximizes flavor, basic preparation techniques, and recipes. The recipes at the end of each guide help readers explore the foods they grow and demonstrate how to use unusual foods,…
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Tangerine Thyme Cocktail Recipe
If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again. At least that was the theme for this Spring Herb inspired cocktail. Luckily we were heading to a friends’ home for the Cinco/Derby weekend and I would have a few people to play with me. Taste testing versions #1 & #2 till we agreed #3 was the ideal version of a beverage I had never before made but had agreed to use as my contribution to the newly formed Sunday Supper Movement. A group of bloggers committed to bringing the family and friends back to the table for the Sunday meal. I had something close to a recipe in…
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My Fantasty Land – Epcot 2012 Flower & Garden Show
Not usually a “Disney” girl Epcot has won me over. It is my grown-up fantasy world where life is good. The plants and grounds are perfectly manicured. The food and wine are perfectly placed and always tasty {ok the escargot in France were not my favorite. But no one is perfect right?} This visit I timed my trip to be able to see HGTV’s Sabrina Soto give her presentation. She was very real and refreshing. She gave tips on how to get involved with the station and programing as well as answered all types of questions about design and her shows. …
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Sunday Morning Container Gardening on ABC Action News
This past Sunday I was luck enough to be invited to the set of the Tampa Bay ABC Action News to discuss container gardening. Check out the video by clicking on the picture to the left. Of course I was worried about getting soil all over the clean red carpet, but I managed to keep it under control and didn’t make too much of a mess after all. WHY CONTAINER GARDENING? There are many reasons to start gardening in containers: Bad soil or poor soil Portability Vines or aggressive plants can be controlled with containers rather than planting in the ground Change seasonally or to match a theme Use on…
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EcoFest 2012. Be there and be GREEN!
EcoFest 2012 is a community event organized by Learning Gate Community School to celebrate the many businesses, organizations, and individuals in the Tampa Bay area dedicated to the principles of sustainability – Ecology, Equity and Economy. EcoFest 2012 will be held on April 14, 2012 on the school grounds in Lutz, Florida. The event will be open to the public from 9:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. Admission to the event is free. There will be live music, workshops, demonstrations, informational booths, green living products and services. Some local artists, green businesses, environmental organizations, alternative health practitioners, renewable energy specialists, organic farms and gardens with produce. All vendors must…
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Give Me A “S”, Give Me A “U”
My shipment of Succulents arrived today. Project time! Some for window boxes, some for patio gardens, and a spa waiting area! Tomorrow will be busy for sure! Happy Day! kf. Did you enjoy this post? Did it inspire you? Then be sure to share the love by sharing this post AND sign up below to receive weekly updates to your inbox.
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SPRING Entranceways!! We love you!!
Spring. For a small word it brings an enormous amount of memories and positive energy to the air and to the humans for that matter. It means we can head outside, play in the grass, hear the birds chirping, see the sun again, switch out our closets, cook with local fresh herbs and vegetables, make fresh salads from our gardens. This is also the time to update the containers greeting visitors at your front door. YES, you need to pull out the poinsettia and browning mini-pine tree. Spring containers are fun! They look great. Smell great and welcome the season as much as your guests. {Use groupings of planters in various sizes for an…
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Teenage Greens
Mother Nature never ever ceases to amaze me. My little mixed lettuce seeds were just micro greens less than 12 days ago…. ….and now they are filling the pot as teenage leaves. Beautiful shades of greens and purples. I water daily and stare at them trying to calculate just how much they have grown since yesterday {occasionally it is multiple times a day, but who can blame me}. The process is so rewarding I wonder why everyone doesn’t grow from seed. Happy Growing ~ kf. Did you enjoy this post? Did it inspire you? Then be sure to share the love by sharing this post AND sign up below to receive…
