Rain Gardens

Several months ago I posted about a little garden I saw at West Meade Middle School and was impressed at the care that was being given to educate students with hands-on ecology lessons. Today I got an email from Mekayle Houghton, the Program Director for Cumberland River Compact and she gave me a little more information about their Rain Gardens For Nashville website. Did you know that teachers can go to their website and download Lesson plans for grades K-12 to help them teach about rain gardens? They also have a Resource Guide that you can download for planning, designing, and maintaining a rain garden. Even if you aren't lucky enough to live in Nashville ;) you can still learn a lot about creating a rain garden from this site.

Container Gardening

I've been at the ANLA Clinic in Louisville, Kentucky this week talking plants and landscape management. I feel like all this plant info is starting to flow outta my head!

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A Giveaway That Will Get You Clucking!

Timber Press has recently released Free-Range Chicken Gardens. In this essential handbook, award-winning garden designer Jessi Bloom covers everything a gardener needs to know, including chicken-keeping basics, simple garden plans to get you started, tips on attractive fencing options, the best plants and plants to avoid, and step-by-step instructions for getting your chicken garden up and running.

They're planning a month- long giveaway from January 18—February 21 where entrants can win:

· $50 gift card for chicken feed or supplies from McMurray Hatchery

· One chicken coop plan from The Garden Coop (a $20 value)

· 1 lb. of organic chicken forage blend and seeds for chicken-friendly plants from Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply (a $20 value)

· A copy of Free-Range Chicken Garden

Readers can enter by submitting their email address on their contest page.

Winter Container Idea

Took this picture mid-January

'Edmee Gold' Lonicera, 'Scotch Broom' Cytisus scoparius,Heuchera, Ivy, pansies.

Westward Ho!

In about two weeks I'll be heading back to Seattle for the Northwest Flower and Garden Show so I've been perusing photos of my time there in July. Just thought I share a few of the beautiful plants I saw while I was there - like this orange tiger lily.
And garden paths leading through luscious plant growth .
Some plants I'd never seen.
And some that were down-right otherworldly.With entrenched colors unaltered by Seattle's seldom sun.
And a glimpse at some of the container gardens you'll see throughout my seminars while I'm there. Can't wait to see the exhibits at the show!!
This combo of Cordyline, Autumnalis Fuschia, and some other fuschia just about tempted me to stay in this temperate zone last summer.

Northwest Flower and Garden Show!

12:00 PM Thursday

The WOW! Factor
Principles of Creating Beautiful Container Gardens

Barbara Wise

10:00 AM Friday

Container Garden Compositions
Transform a Garden into a Symphony of Sensations

Barbara Wise

Photos are 2011 NWFGS winners - complements of The Garden Show

Tic Tac Toe

When I was growing up, Tic Tac Toe was the interactive game of choice for idling away a boring wait. I remember that I was always supposed to start with the 0 in the middle. This picture brought back that memory for some reason.

A Little Winter Beauty

Today I was walking into the Resident's Club at Westhaven and had to snap a picture of this awesome Rainbow Drooping Fetterbush (Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow'). This part sun groundcover shrub likes a moist ground and some room to spread out. I love using it in containers - here with Cryptomeria
but love it with red twig dogwood also.