Made any resolutions for 2009?  My list includes the usual (eat less and exercise more), but I’m also thinking green this time around. When it comes to my next year’s garden, I resolve to:

1. keep my indeterminate tomatoes staked as they grow, instead of waiting until they start to fall over.
2. weed more often, so the cat doesn’t get lost in the bushy stuff.
3. plant only ONE zucchini this year, so I won’t have to run out at night and leave bags of those prolific little veggies on my neighbor’s porch, just to get rid of them
4. not rush the season by transplanting before the soil is dependably warm (nursery owners love me, because invariably a late cold snap kills my tender plants, and I have to buy more and start all over).
   
5. plant a row for the hungry.
   
6. replace my half-dead blueberry bushes and read up on where I went wrong with the first ones.
7. start a strawberry bed.
8. use more organic controls and less chemicals and sprays.
9. plant a border along the split-rail fence with lots of butterfly-friendly flowers
10. reduce our water usage by turning some of our grassy yard into flower beds (hubby should like that because it means less mowing).

And…..well, let’s face it.  I’ll be lucky if I can stick to these, so I’d better stop.

As we count down the hours to midnight, I wish you a very happy and green New Year!

blessings,

Lynn

P.S.—Enjoy these beautiful photos contributed by Kersten of Athens Select.  For more info on Athens Select plants, which are heat and drought tolerant, look for my post dated 12/29/08 or visit www.AthensSelect.com.  Remember, you can click on most of the images on my blog to enlarge them.

We admit, we’re a little nosy here at the 2009 flower show.  What are you passionate about?

C’mon, you can tell us.  After all, the theme for the show is Passion:  How Do You Bloom?, and there’s no wrong answer to the question.

Passion is for…

• Flowers
• Gardening
• Life well-lived
• Garden parties
• Sharing with friends and family
• Simple pleasures
• Healthy food
• Environmental stewardship
• Nature
• Fun

As you might guess from the photos I posted above, I’m crazy-passionate about wildflowers.  I saw the dwarf crested iris and yellow trilliums on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, and I’ve wanted to go back ever since.  Spring would be a great time, when the rhododendrons are blooming.   But even if I don’t make it back to the mountains this year, I know the flower show will be filled with blooms, shrubs, trees, and every kind of garden and landscape feature you can image.

Remember, you can win a beautiful 2009 gardening calendar, absolutely free, by telling us what you’re passionate about.  Just send us a comment.   Don’t feel like writing?  That’s okay, too.  A picture is worth a 1,000 words, so you can send us an image of your favorite flower, garden party, houseplant, fruit, veggie, or…you get the idea.  We’ll pick the three best entries received by Jan. 21, and send those lucky gardeners a calendar.

green blessings!

Lynn

Lately I’ve been getting a new garden catalog in the mail almost every day. Today brought a packet of info from the Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia in Athens. Ooo la la….the gardeners there have given their thumbs-up to some stunning new plants for 2009. Known as the Athens Select 2008-2009 Plant Collection, these flowers and foliage varieties are recommended for our region thanks to their high tolerance for heat and humidity.  The plants were selected by Dr. Allan Armitage of UGA–a popular gardening speaker who will appear at the flower show on Saturday, Jan. 31.  Look for him at 3 P.M. on the Home Depot Stage (Don’t worry.  We’ll give you a map of the stages and gardens when you arrive.)

Here’s a sample of  what you’ll find in the Collection:

• Coleus ‘Gold Brocade,’ which features gold leaves with deep maroon variegation
• Coleus ‘Mariposa,’ a coleus with large, dark crimson leaves edged in deep pink.
• Verbena ‘Homestead Carpet Red,’ a cousin to ‘Homestead Purple,’ this vibrant red verbena has a trailing habit

Want to know more about other sizzling hot varieties for sultry Southern gardens?  Come to the flower show!

green blessings,

Lynn

It’s dreary and rainy here today, pretty typical weather for December in Atlanta, so I decided to dig out some photos from last summer.  I was looking for some colorful reminders that spring is coming, and I found these pictures.

You might recognize the yellow and black butterflies as Tiger Swallowtails , the state butterfly for Georgia.  The glowing-orange flowers are Tithonias, planted from seeds I found at a hardware store.  I didn’t pay attention to the variety I was buying, but I’ll be more careful next time.  These plants grew over 6 feet tall!  The blossoms were pretty and drew lots of winged visitors to my yard, but the stems were so tall and lanky, the Tithonias eventually fell over and became something of an eyesore.  But I will definitely plant a shorter variety next season.  They’re great for coaxing butterflies to stop by.

Want more ideas for drawing winged creatures to your garden? Don’t miss speaker Karen Garland, from the Environmental Education division of the Georgia Conservancy, when she talks about “Butterflies & Butterfly Gardening” at 3:30 pm on Thursday, Jan. 29, at the flower show.

green blessings,

Lynn
www.LynnCoulter.com

Peace on Earth

Merry Christmas!

We are so excited about what next month will bring:  the launch of the 2009 Southeastern Flower Show on January 28.   We’re passionate about the gardens and ideas we’re going to share with you, as speakers lecture on everything from African violets to oak trees, and experts tell you how to find the freshest produce at farmers’ markets; practice organic gardening; keep your lawn healthy; grow fabulous roses; prune bonsai plants; and much, much more.

There’s lots of excitement and fun ahead.  But for today, we wish you the peace and joy of this special season.

Green blessings to you and yours,

Lynn Coulter, your “Master Blogger” for the Southeastern Flower Show

” ‘Twas the night before Christmas,

And all through the house

And to all a good night.

Not a creature was stirring,

Not even a ……..”

Okay, this isn’t a mouse. It’s Cornbread, one of the little cats that likes to hang around my garden–possibly because I keep out a bowl of kitty chow for my furry neighborhood visitors.  He’s pictured here on a recent afternoon, enjoying a snooze on my porch.

Since my version of this old Christmas poem (originally written by Clement Clarke Moore) isn’t really much of a gift to you, let me try again. Today is Christmas Eve, and some of us will have to dash out, not through the snow, but through the traffic, to find a last minute gardening gift. So how about some suggestions? Consider:

a canvas garden tote, its pockets stuffed with assorted small hand tools or seed packets.

a pair of ergonomic garden gloves that fit snugly at the wrist, to keep out garden debris. Look for the washable kind.

a beautiful gardening book.

an indoor/outdoor weather station.   If that’s too pricey, a simple rain gauge and indoor/outdoor thermometer.

a bird feeder, complete with a bag of sunflower seeds, or a hummingbird feeder made of colorful glass.

tickets to the upcoming Southeastern Flower Show, which are available online now.

I can’t shimmy down your chimney tonight, but if I could, I’d also bring you the gift of time for 2009: more time to nurture your garden, to spend enjoying the beauty that’s all around us, and to be with your friends and family.

Merry Christmas, and green blessings!

Lynn

Have you checked your mailbox lately? Mine is starting to fill up with new seed catalogs, and yesterday, I got one from Tomato Growers Supply Company, a mail order business that will celebrate 25 years in 2009.

Tomato Growers, as you’d guess, specializes in tomatoes, and there are some delicious new varieties coming onto the market. I like ‘Bella Rosa,’ a VFFNA hybrid that is said to be both heat tolerant and resistant to tomato spotted wilt virus. The fruits are large with bright red flesh. ‘Shilling Giant’ also looks great. It bears huge, heart-shaped fruits with a meaty texture, fine for making into rich tomato sauce. Check out the catalog at Tomato Growers Supply Company.

I can’t wait to hear Jenny Levison, owner of Souper Jenny, when she speaks at the flower show next Jan. 30 about “Cooking from the Garden.” Laurie Grizzle, owner of the Mustard Seed Cafe, will also discuss cooking from your garden on Jan. 29. I want to ask them both about their recommendations for the best varieties to grow for making homemade sauces and soups.

No catalogs in your mailbox yet? Be patient. They start arriving around this time of year. Meanwhile, enjoy this picture, which comes from a book published in the mid-1500s. Seems artists have been fascinated by the beauty of humble tomatoes for centuries!

From a garden book published circa 1640

green blessings,
Lynn
www.LynnCoulter.com

An inviting path through the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis

Remember those bottle trees you used to see in yards all around the South?  They were actually dead trees that creative gardeners decorated by sticking empty colored bottles onto the bare branches.  Gardening author and radio personality Felder Rushing still has a couple in his front yard in Mississippi.  Click here to see what I’m talking about: Felder Rushing

Now, I happen to like those old-timey bottle trees, although some folks turn up their noses at the notion of having a few indigo-colored Milk of Magnesia jars or green ginger ale bottles hanging outside the window.  I’m a native Southerner, and I appreciate color, so those kind of garden accessories work for me.

But for those of you who want a little more class in your glass…let me introduce you, if you haven’t already heard of him, to Dale Chihuly.

Chihuly– he’s known just by his last name–is an extraordinary glass artist.  I wanted to share some pictures of his work that were made a year or so ago at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.  Thanks, Deb, for sending these in!

Mushrooms? Alien flowers? This pale green glasswork is another Chihuly garden adornment.

We’re looking for your pictures, too, of your garden or gardens you’ve visited and admired.  Just send them to me, Lynn Coulter, at inkycreek@gmail.com (this address isn’t a clickable link, but you can copy and paste it into your email message). We’ll post the best photos here.

For now, enjoy Chihuly’s spectacular “Glass in the Garden, ” and plan on visiting the 2009 Southeastern Flower Show for great ideas on using color, ornaments, and accessories in YOUR garden!

Floating onions? No! These are Chihuly glass orbs, floating in the Missouri Botanical Garden's pond.

cheers,

Lynn

www.LynnCoulter.com

Do your spirits need a lift in this cold and rather dreary season? Enjoy this picture of late summer flowers, sent in by Patti, a gardener who photographed them while on vacation at a Montana lodge last August.

colorful flowers overflow from barrels on the porch of a Montana lodge

Patti writes, “I couldn’t believe this lodge was able to keep so many beautiful flowers going during a drought, but the innkeepers told me that they practice xeriscaping.  One trick they use is to grow the most water-needy flowers in containers like this barrel, close to the doors of the lodge.  Then they can easily carry out any water they save from their showers or laundry.   They laughed when I asked how they grew flowers farther away.  They said that anything planted beyond the porch just has to make do with whatever rainfall it can get.  They aren’t toting buckets of water across their ranch!”

Thanks, Patti, for sharing the picture and the watering tip.    We’ll have lots more tips for gardeners at the upcoming flower show, especially when TV personality Joe Washington tells us “How You Can Be A Successful Gardener and Water Smart”.   Watch for his lecture on the demo stage on Friday, Jan. 30, at 3 P.M.

Remember:  leave us a comment and tell us how you bloom for a chance to win a free 2009 gardening calendar.  Pictures, like Patti’s, are welcome too!

cheers,

Lynn

www.LynnCoulter.com

Win a 2009 "Mustard Seeds" garden calendar!

Ho, ho, ho!  Christmas is coming, and I’ve got a gift for you gardeners out there. My publisher, B&H Books, has created an absolutely gorgeous calendar for 2009, packed with beautiful garden photos and growing tips. It also contains quotes and scripture from my new book, Mustard Seeds: Thoughts on the Nature of God and Faith. You can see the cover and some sample pages above.

As you know, the Southeastern Flower Show opens in Atlanta next Jan. 28 through Feb.1, and the theme is, How Do You Bloom?

To win a calendar, just leave a comment here to answer the question.  Maybe you “bloom” by growing exquisite orchids, heirloom tomatoes, or dwarf sunflowers.  Maybe you bloom by planting a row for the hungry, teaching Scouts about nature, or taking potted plants to shut-ins.  Some of us bloom by releasing ladybugs in the garden instead of using harsh chemicals, or by growing morning glories on the porch, or by creating butterfly gardens for our libraries and senior centers.  Others bloom when they visit botanical gardens across the country, or just lean over a neighbor’s fence to talk about dahlias or rutabagas.  We want to know how you bloom and what sparks your passion.

Here's a sample page from the calendar, complete with gardening tips.

On Jan. 21, 2009–one week before the flower show opens– I’ll pick the best three entries and contact those gardeners to ask for their mailing addresses.  (You don’t have to leave anything except your first name with your comment, and an email address so I can respond to you.)  I’ll drop a free calendar in the mail to each winner.

So remember: leave a comment and tell us, How do you bloom??

Yum...watermelons are featured for the month of July.

cheers,

–Lynn
Mustard Seeds is available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Lifeway Christian Stores, and bookstores.
www.LynnCoulter.com