Today the week closes on a happy note! We delivered flowers for Tyler & Sarah's wedding this morning and then I returned at 2:30 for the wedding. Sarah's family lives in the most beautiful place- an authentic log home in a picturesque setting out in the country. Ironically, as soon as the wedding started, a small plane began flying over head. It would have been fine if it had just flown on by, but, instead, it circled overhead repeatedly! Then, to top it off, an ambulance siren started and lasted long enough, as it made its way to the mountain, to drown out Seth as he read from the bible. Both of these annoying sounds were going on at the same time! What's the chances of that happening during a beautiful wedding taking place in a quiet(?) little country setting????
The setting was just perfect in all its fall splendor, with fodder shocks, pumpkins, gourds, mums colorful leaves, bales of straw, and quilts everywhere. The ceremony took place in the front yard in the sunshine and the reception was in the back under the shade of the trees on the creek bank. The temperature in the back yard felt 20 degrees cooler. There was a kettle sitting over an open fire in a pit on the creek bank that lent a country aroma to the air.
The wedding event gave me a warm, fuzzy, cozy feeling. It made me wish I could provide such a homey atmsophere at my house and I wish my daughters' weddings could be that special. I think I am more of a log home person than a 1914 built house kind of person. I love the country and primitives and gourds and pumpkins! I want to live at the Farris's house!!!!! I wonder if they would take me in......?????
Maybe they'll read this blog and invite me back....
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Asters vs. Mums
I have been asked a thousand times "Are these hardy mums?" or "Will these mums come back next year?"
If you buy your mums early in the season and plant them in the ground right away, they will have time to grow roots before the killing frost comes. So this makes for a better chance for the mum to survive winter. If the mum survives, then the next growing season, pinch the tips pf the growing shoots off repeatedly until July4. After that, leave them alone and they will bloom in the fall. Regular fertilizing is also quite helpful throughout the growing season until they set flower buds, then lay off the fertilizer.
The next best way to get "hardy mums" is to plant asters instead of chrysanthemums! Asters are extremely hardy, since they are a native prairie wildflower and have survived the elements for centuries. The blooms are daisy-like and closely resemble a mum. The only hitch is that color is limited to purple and pink to reddish hues. Yellow daisy-like flowers for fall can be aquired by planting Heliopsis or Helianthus, which are perennial sunflowers. I know that you can pinch aster plants just like mum plants to delay flowering and to make the plants stay shorter. I'll have to get back to you later on whether or not heliopsis can be treated the same way.
Asters can be purchased at garden centers with large perennial inventories in the spring like Wilson's in Frankfort. Or you can mail order them.
In closing, I can tell you there is nothing any easier to grow than asters!!!
If you buy your mums early in the season and plant them in the ground right away, they will have time to grow roots before the killing frost comes. So this makes for a better chance for the mum to survive winter. If the mum survives, then the next growing season, pinch the tips pf the growing shoots off repeatedly until July4. After that, leave them alone and they will bloom in the fall. Regular fertilizing is also quite helpful throughout the growing season until they set flower buds, then lay off the fertilizer.
The next best way to get "hardy mums" is to plant asters instead of chrysanthemums! Asters are extremely hardy, since they are a native prairie wildflower and have survived the elements for centuries. The blooms are daisy-like and closely resemble a mum. The only hitch is that color is limited to purple and pink to reddish hues. Yellow daisy-like flowers for fall can be aquired by planting Heliopsis or Helianthus, which are perennial sunflowers. I know that you can pinch aster plants just like mum plants to delay flowering and to make the plants stay shorter. I'll have to get back to you later on whether or not heliopsis can be treated the same way.
Asters can be purchased at garden centers with large perennial inventories in the spring like Wilson's in Frankfort. Or you can mail order them.
In closing, I can tell you there is nothing any easier to grow than asters!!!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Mums have been completely unpredictable this year! Who knows when any of them will bloom?? The consistently high temps above 90 degrees in August & September threw the mums completely off schedule and we still can't figure out when the mid & late season plants will bloom. Just keep on watering them and hope for the best! Looking on the bright side, we may have mums just bursting into bloom at Thanksgiving!
Pansies will live all winter! Plant them now. Enjoy them now and EARLY in spring!!!
Stop pruning your shrubs now- wait until after a killing frost. Pruning promotes growth and new growth will be frost bitten, leaving ugly brown foliage on your plants. After a killing frost, plants go dormant, so they will not grow if they are pruned after a killing frost. We usually have killing frost near the end of October.
Pumpkins make cute holders of flower arrangements. Call me & I'll make you an adorable arrangement in a pumpkin.
Pansies will live all winter! Plant them now. Enjoy them now and EARLY in spring!!!
Stop pruning your shrubs now- wait until after a killing frost. Pruning promotes growth and new growth will be frost bitten, leaving ugly brown foliage on your plants. After a killing frost, plants go dormant, so they will not grow if they are pruned after a killing frost. We usually have killing frost near the end of October.
Pumpkins make cute holders of flower arrangements. Call me & I'll make you an adorable arrangement in a pumpkin.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Scarecrows and nice people
My feet & legs are really tired & sore, but I'm happy because our day today was a success! We got fifteen entries in the scarecrow contest. I am very pleased to have that number. I hope next year we have twice as many! Everybody had so much fun planning and building their scarecrows. And they were proud of themselves when they finished and they stood back and looked at what they created.
So many people made the festival a success. Estine and Joan on the Ravenna City Council, and Kim, the City Clerk, Joe of many hats, Penny, and Sandy & John.
My staff was great, all getting on board with my crazy ideas. Melanie is my rock, Meranda my partner in my adventures. I couldn't make it without them! And of course, Myra is always there for support and fantastic food! The 3 M's!
Next year we better get 100 pie size pumpkins! The kids were adorable painting their pumpkins.
It feels great to have done something to showcase our little village of Ravenna. It's a great place to live and to work. I'm proud of Ravenna.
So many people made the festival a success. Estine and Joan on the Ravenna City Council, and Kim, the City Clerk, Joe of many hats, Penny, and Sandy & John.
My staff was great, all getting on board with my crazy ideas. Melanie is my rock, Meranda my partner in my adventures. I couldn't make it without them! And of course, Myra is always there for support and fantastic food! The 3 M's!
Next year we better get 100 pie size pumpkins! The kids were adorable painting their pumpkins.
It feels great to have done something to showcase our little village of Ravenna. It's a great place to live and to work. I'm proud of Ravenna.
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