Gardens hold more than dirt and plants. They hold power. They heal.

Gardens foster community and relationships and awaken the senses while they provide hope and teach patience and fortitude.

Gardens contribute to our quality of life whether we're working in them or sitting back and taking them in.

Here we will dig deep and expose what all gardens hold, teach and reveal.

Give Yourself a Break

by Heather Ford-Helgeson

Well, I bit off more than I could chew this spring and summer. I had this grand plan to revamp my yard into a landscaped paradise along with raised vegetable gardens that would feed my family well into the winter (because I was also going to make myself a small root cellar of sorts).  Instead, I accomplished about 1/3 of what I wanted to do.  But, so what. Really. What did I expect? I have a toddler, my first one, and I am, like everyone else I know, packed to the gills with to-do lists, responsibilities and projects. Ultimately, I should be proud I got done the little bit I did and, ultimately, I need to give myself a break...and chances are, many of you out there need to do the same thing.

I am re-writing my to-do list, re-evaluating my responsibilities and I may chuck the projects until next year.  The most important thing to do is to enjoy my family and my life in general and if there are some things on my to-do list that I enjoy, I will do them.  If there are important things that really must get done, I will do them. If they are not truly necessary, they're going in the LATER DUDE, column.

The fact is, a lot of us think that once we get A, B, and C done, or once we have more money, or what have you, then and only then will we be happy. But chances are, once we get our to-dos done, there will be more to-dos and if we make more money, we'll have greater expenses eating that dough up. Therefore, if we put off happiness until our untils are met, what we're really doing is putting off happiness to a time that may never come.

Destinations are great, meeting a goal is fantastic, but if we're not happy in the process, what is the point? Being realistic about the expectations we put on ourselves, then, has everything to do with our self satisfaction. So, let's be honest when we make our lists of to-dos about what is realistic to accomplish. And, let's get help when we need to.  It's not so important that we do everything ourselves. If you can, hire someone to get some of those must-dos done and also look to friends, family, kids, whomever, to help as well. Anything that can wait, can wait. It's that simple.

I promise to lighten up and enjoy my life more.  I hope you do the same.

Have a lovely rest of September and take care of you and yours, and have fun!
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Website Comments

September 5th, 2011

Hello all and happy Labor Day!  I would imagine many of you are at the state fair and it could not be a more perfect day for it. I hope you are having a great time.

Today I am celebrating by working and then I am going to clean out my basement while my husband and our daughter play and enjoy their time together.  I love to organize and I love being with my family, so why not combine these two favorite activities?!

While working this morning, I've been tweaking our new website.  I would greatly appreciate it if, when you have a couple of minutes, you would check it out and let me know what you think by clicking on the Contact and Comments page.  Any input you can give would be great!

Thank you so much and have a lovely rest of the holiday and week.

Take care,
Heather
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Garden Lovers Check-it-out List for the MN State Fair

August 26th, 2011

There is so much to eat at the fair that it's hard to remember that there is also so much to learn there as well. The horticulture building at the Minnesota State Fair is a nature lover’s fun and education zone and I highly recommend you check it out while you are there.

Following is a list and dates of some things that sound interesting for the next six days. (Please see the State Fair Daily Schedule website for a full list of each day’s activities). I will post the final week’s schedule on Tuesday August 30th.

All educational classes mentioned are in the Agriculture Horticulture Building – Area C

Saturday, August 27th
  1. 1pm - Backyard Composting, the Easy Way: This class is taught by Larry Cipolla, a Hennepin Master Gardener and should help you get that compost bin going.
  2. 3pm – Growing Glorious gladiolus: The MN Gladiolus Society will be sharing all their know-how on growing these beautiful flowers.
  3. 4pm – Container Gardening: I can’t wait for this one! Container gardening is so much fun and the more you know, the more you can grow.

Sunday August 28th 
  1. 10a.m. - Low-maintenance Perennial Gardening: Even those of us who love to garden appreciate a low-maintenance one and hopefully Janet Pauley, a Goodhue Master Gardener, will have some great ideas.
  2. 1p.m. – Fall Garden Tips and Lasagna Gardening for Spring: This just sounds so interesting.

Monday August 29th
  1. 1p.m. – Starting Seeds Indoors: Plants add up quickly but seeds are inexpensive and knowing how to start them properly indoors is valuable, and cost effective, knowledge.
  2. 2p.m. – Basic Landscape Design Principles: Jim Calkins from the MN Nursery and Landscape Association should provide easy –to-follow design basics for your yard.
  3. The Flower Show entitled Minnesota Enjoys is available for viewing for most of the day but for 9am to noon when it is closed for judging.
  4. Noon to 6pm – Kids Flower Detective:  Children 12 and under get to show their smelling skills by identifying flowers from their scent. Super cool!

Tuesday, August 30th
  1. Noon – Pots for Christmas Cheer : Get some tips on creating festive holiday planters.
  2. 1pm – Ten Tips for Growing Terrific Tomatoes:  Master Gardener, Kathleen Wenzel is going to help all of us grow the tastiest tomatoes. 
  3. The flower show and kids flower detective shows mentioned above are going on today as well.

Wednesday, August 31st
  1. 10 am – Herbs- Growing, harvesting, and preserving: Shirley Mah Kooymen, a Hennepin county Master Gardener, leads this class.  I am most excited for the preserving part, as that is the area with which I have the most difficulty.
  2. 11 am – Pruning in the Home Landscape: Just plain smart class to take as pruning is an art best done with knowledge and know-how.
  3. 3pm to 6pm - Home Sown Gardeners will be volunteering at the MNLA gardens; come find us and let’s chat!
  4. 3pm – See How We Do It! Master Gardeners Tell All: This should be very very interesting!
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