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Get What You Want

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“Get what you want” – this phrase seems a tad selfish at times. However, when you have received those holiday dollars, what else is there to do, but put this into practice.

I make every effort to practice this when I can, particularly when it comes to my quality of life in the garden. While my daughters gift me with abundant LOVE and trinkets – I get what I want for me. Here are a few of my favorite self-gifted items that are essential when I garden.

Newly released book from Julie Thomson-Adolf that educates gardeners of all levels on how to start seeds, as well as the importance of seeds for the garden.

I can never resist a good gardening book – especially when I know the author. Earlier this year when the publishing date was revealed, I knew it would become a part of my library. An informative, colorful and beautifully  photographed book, Julie Thomson-Adolf  has reached every level of gardener.

While it is an easy read, the journey between this beautiful cover is inspirational. A great book to read between seed catalogs as we nest over the winter…and buy seeds, of course.

Stocking stuffer’s never made your hands feel so good.

Crabtree and Evelyn has the perfect collection of items for this gardener’s hands. Ever use hand scrub with pumice? The two types of pumice in this scrub really aid in deep cleaning. With a fresh herbal fragrance, the aloe and honey leave your hands feeling silky.  Although they had me at shea butter, the macadamia nut oil makes for the perfect combination. A repeat practice of seed starting over the winter is the perfect excuse to make my hands dirty, just so I can clean and moisturize them again.

A gift set for the gardener that yearns for more of a good thing.

Crabtree & Evelyn also has a terrific gift set called “Dig This”. What a treat to self this is. It includes a hand primer, Overnight Hand Therapy, Ultra Moisturising Hand Therapy and a cute pouch to out all of this goodness in. The hand care products by Crabtree and Evelyn have been at the top of my favorites list for years!!! My Dad gifted me with my first tube of Ultra Moisturising Hand Therapy and I love it!!

Botanical Interests always offers something that definitely speaks to getting what you want…even seeds.

As a garden communicator, I simply adore everything about Botanical Interests. This year I needed a tool to transplant my seedlings. I was instantly drawn to the English tool called a Widger. I know I should have stopped there, however the seed collections were enticing and who doesn;t need a Botanical Interests Desk calendar? My love affair with Botanical Interests continues into the next season of sowing seeds. Afterall, the object is to get what you want, right?

Elegant, sleek and multitasking , the Bella SmartWatch is the perfect self gift for any occasion.

If you know me, you know I love the Bella Beat products. This beautiful, yet functional watch serves as my SmartWatch. Minding my step count daily, my stress levels, and my sleep habits will be a tad easier with this arm candy. It even tells time ,imagine that??

My final perfect combination that helps protect me as I effectively tackle all of my pruning tasks.

Choosing the proper tools for any job is key. After work, I find peace in my garden. Particularly when I have my Corona pruner’s and a pair of Womanswork gloves.

One of the latest items in the Corona tool family, the ese pruner’s are just wonderful.

Corona introduced the Flex Dial with Comfort Gel grips branch and stem pruner’s. Let me tell you. I keep them nearby. You could say my Corona pruner’s are my comfort pruner’s. The comfort grip really makes a difference if you have wrist issues or lack hand strength. I can dial-up 8 different positions to reduce hand fatigue. A long overdue too for my tool bag.

Womanswork gloves with the essential mosquito arm covers are great …and I do not garden without them.

Last but not least, Women’s Work gloves are essential to any walk in the garde. With the attached mosquito guard mesh arm covers, these are in my tool bag, so I can garden even after a rain. Settling just above the elbow, cutting flowers for the home or simple deadheading without being eaten alive is wonderful. Get what you want from your garden at any time and not worry about being Mosquito dessert.

The Rolling Stones lyrics…

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime you find…You get what you need”

SO NOT TRUE!!!  You can get what you want, you just have to know what you want.

Nesting with my gifts to self…

Teri, Cottage In The Court

I was not paid to endorse any of the above mentioned products. I just seriously believe in them.

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Sharing Boxing Day Traditions at Christmas

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Sharing on Christmas Day is usually a given. After carefully shopping for friends and family, sharing a meal and hunkering down is usually a common practice. This year I decided to do something a little different and uniquely share with my community.

After making arrangements for my office using greenery from the garden gifted to me, the wheels in my head started turning. My garden club, Capitol Hill Garden Club, had a few bags left over from our Greens Party as well. I took advantage of this gift from the garden. When it comes to getting the public excited about gardening, I try to be creative. I quietly planned to share some Holiday joy with those who might miss out.

Christmas Eve I started my mission by washing and wrapping over 30 miniature vases that I no longer wanted. Tying each with a bow, I boxed them up. I was then ready for the next part of my exercise in sharing. In my opinion, the best gifts are not purchased. They are created, by hand and finished off with love. A supurb gift is one that comes from nature. I chose two nice sized containers that sat gathering dust. Next I found two chunks of oasis in my studio and began my elfish adventure.

BOXING DAY FUN FACT 

A little sharing about the history of boxing day which was celebrated on the day after Christmas in the UK.  This tradition started around 1833. It was a day where people gave back or shared their Christmas excess. Holiday food, goods and gifts were shared with those less fortunate. In some instances money was collected by the local Churches and given to the needy. Usually the well-to-do citizens gathered trinkets, money and left over food, boxed it up and gave it to their servants, their poor relatives, as well as to the slaves.

CHRISTMAS ON THE PLANTATION 

Usually on many plantations, the only time the slaves had off was at Christmas – MAYBE. If the plantation owner was considered nice he allowed a slave to pick a yule log. As long as the yule log burned, the slaves had those days off. I can only imagine that there was a lot of praying going on for the log to burn as long as possible. On some plantations, owners allowed a feast to be prepared specifically for the slaves. Sharing the finer meats, vegetables, wine and downtime, this celebration could last for a day or a few days. Each plantation was different. Why Christmas MAYBE?  If you were not in the good favor of the plantation owner, there was no Christmas or downtime.

Christmas was also a time for romance on the plantation. Quite a few marriges took place between plantations. It was a time when slaves were allowed to go from plantation to plantation to visit. When courting a potential spouse, a yearly visit was quite special to many.

Some slaves began a celebraton known as Jonkonnu. Creating makeshift costumes with uniquey designed masks, the celebration went from home to home. Dancing to music made with makeshift items, they were gifted with whatever was on hand to share. The women made quilts and repaired clothing during this downtime on the plantation. Songs of hope (including cryptic messages) were commonly called Spirituals. It has been documented that many slave revolts happened at Christmas.

A NON TRADITIONAL DAY OF SHARING

I wanted to give back in a uique way to my community. There will always be someone who might not have a gift to give. Usually there is someone who might feel forgotten during the holiday season. I chose to make a little bit of difference in my own way. I chose the Forestville Health & Rehabilitation Center as the place to be the recipient of some horticultural holiday cheer. The decision to deliver my festive creations on Christmas Day and not Boxing Day, was intentional.

What better place to share a festive arrangement or two of live evergreens. I also presented the box of wrapped miniature vases for those who might not have a gift to bring to a loved one. The staff could also brighten someone’s day with a small bouqet or simple stem as needed. The Greeter’s name was Arlene. We had a warm and informative conversation about the facility.

One thing rattled me, as we chatted. When I gave her the box of wrapped vases, she told me I had to distribute them to whoever I wanted to have them. Crushed, I sadly stated “I dont know anyone here”. I sat up all night choosing vases, wrapping them individually, tying the perfect bow with the intention of making a difference. Arlene could sense my sadness and said she woud give them to the Director of Activities. As I began to breathe again, I thought to myself, I will keep giving back so I will not have to say those words again.

As gardeners, we usually have an abundance of something. A few blooms or an armload of bodaciousness, how often do we think to share? Not just at Christmas time, but throughout the year the garden can be shared. You never know the impact of the unexpected “share”.

Creating the arrangements on Christmas eve, singing and reminiscing about my blessings was not intentional. I was excited about the thought of sharing unexpected joy. My mission going forward is to to get to know more about my community, engage others in the art of gardening and share.

Thank You Arlene for making this Christmas extra Special for me!!!

Are you familar with the underserved in your community? Will you consider sharing your garden gifts in the next season? You could make a new friend who will light up and smile after being gifted with unexpected horticultural bliss from the garden.

I did use a box to carry the arrangements. However what I shared could not be contained in a box.

Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day!!!

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We Grow More Than Collards…

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I love collards, kale, and a mixture of both. In the pot with some chicken or vegetable broth – that is simply good eating tome. However, as an African-American woman, garden writer, and spender of ridiculous amounts of money on all things horticultural, I am having a hard time finding a representation of me amidst the perennials and annuals. What’s up with that?

So I thought I would share an article I wrote on Medium.

View at Medium.com

Enjoy and add some candied sweets (yams) on my plate with those collards!!

It’s a rainy evening at the Cottage In The Court – Teri

View at Medium.com

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Mindful Gardening…

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Mindful gardening requires one to consider not just a physical act, but a mental exercise. To approach mindfulness in any situation, one must consider the intention or purpose of why. The intention of disturbing soil to create an area with what we might consider beautiful is usually done with a specific purpose in mind. This mindful intention can help us create the garden of our dreams.

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist was just the book I needed to read while in the midst of home improvement and not being able to tend to my garden due to the ‘busyness’ of the year.

Recently I read a book by Shauna Niequist Present Over Perfect – Leaving Behind Frantic For A Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living. Let’s face it, in today’s world mindfulness is not how most people think. Whether it is gardening or simple garden clean up, most consider this a task that just needs to be taken care of. From the leaf blower to the lawn mower most people simply take care of the task at hand. We just want to change the appearance, make it neat and find something fun to do. I found this book a great tool to step beyond this mindset and become an agent of change.

As a garden enthusiast, change is anticipated annually. The fresh green leaves evolve in Spring as nature readies us for the next season. An abundance of diverse beauty evolves in the harmony of each season.  As blooms exert their last gasp of energy at the end of a colorful cycle of bloom, we should not be saddened by this. A friend who has a “perfect ” yard stopped by as the season was changing. There was a casual mention that almost pierced my inner peace, the joy of my natural garden. “I guess when it was summer your garden was beautiful”, she said. At this point, I realized she was not embracing the moment in my garden. The garden was giving it’s best at this imperfectly beautiful time of the year.

I see the garden daily as it evolves from a simple mulch bed with bulbs rearing their heads to the heavens in the Spring. When summer comes, the garden is in full bloom.  I pause to notice spent blooms and seed heads forming. When autumn arrives with finches and colorfully evolving foliage, I still find my garden beautiful. With the gray winter days, the structure of the shrubs, trees and garden art, we should positively embrace our landscape evolving. In my mind, the garden is always beautiful.

Referencing Shauna Niequist’ book, we tend to move through life too quickly. Consider what we are enjoying and what we allow ourselves to enjoy. Do we garden to beautify our surroundings? Are we gardening to feed our souls or to keep up with our neighbors? This book provides tools that encourage us to slow down and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.

Part 1 of this book references a powerful quote -“Busyness is an illness of Spirit” Eugene Peterson. Shauna shares an experience that many of us are sure to identify with. No matter how accomplished she became, the more frantic she became. Her inner spirit and her body reacted negatively on many levels. Always having something to do or somewhere to be. In our minds, we feel as though we must check things off the list.

How can we change this to enjoy life or even our gardens more? We must learn the life-changing word -“NO”.Not always having something to do in the garden is a freeing experience. There are times the garden begs us to just sit and enjoy. To simply appreciate the present moment and not require perfection. A mindset that can be liberating for many. Realizing this before you begin to look at the garden as a chore is a beautifully empowering feeling.

At one point the author shares her experience of being a Candy Thrower. Quite honestly I can identify with this mindset. No matter how panicky those around me are, I will find something to break the tenseness of the moment. Allowing herself to become jaded decreased her ability to be a Candy Thrower. When best-laid plans dissipate in the garden, instead of whining about what I did wrong, I instead choose to throw a bit of Candy on the situation. There will be another growing season (prayerfully), another place to move that misplaced plant or give it away. It is not the end of the world.

While not a book specific to gardeners, this is a book that touched my creative inner spirit.  As we approach the holidays, perhaps this should be on the list for sharing.

Gardening Mindfully,

Teri

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Hope Reflected In The Garden

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The Oakleaf Hydrangea offers the gardener hope whether we get bloom or simple autumnal leaf color.

Hope. These days it is always on my mind. The anticipation of positive outcomes has kept me silent for most of the year, as I hoped for the best. Hope for things like making sure my parents house sold. Making sure I found help in resurrecting my garden – Thank you Freddy. Finding and keeping a good home improvement resource – Thank you Candy. Hoping that my garden travels were affordable, educational and fun – Thank you GWA. Keeping an eye on my unreachable garden as the seasons changed and beauty was captured briefly as I rushed off to work, traveled and connected with the public to grow my business.

Pink Camellia’s embrace the corners of the Cottage…

In the midst of this…I kept hope on my mind. Things will calm down, come together and a certain level of peace will return. The beauty of this word sometimes catches me off guard. I woke up this morning, threw back my curtains and could not believe my eyes.

The Exbury Azalea is one of the Spring blooms I look forward to. However it is November…

The Exbury Azalea “Northern Lights” was the beacon of hope I needed today. This is a spring blooming species that blooms prior to the leaves showing up. It is November and the blooms are nestled amidst the leaves. When things like this happen I know that anything is possible. and this makes me smile.

I am embracing a mindful existence while gardening, as well as in the words I share. To slow down and be “present” in my joy of gardening is a gift. I reflect on my journey, lessons learned and the anticipation of future experiences. A little something I figured out – to have hope is to…

Have Optomistic Perspectives Eternally

Is there hope in your garden? Is there an unexpected pleasure in your garden? Are you present in your garden? Make time to embrace the beauty that surrounds you.

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