Cakes & Ale, in Decatur, is owned by Chef Billy Allin. Come meet him at the show!

“The Good Things in Life” —that’s what Cakes & Ale means to chef/owner Billy Allin.  And yum, yum, yum…. the food at Cakes & Ale is good indeed.

This wonderful Decatur restaurant whips up its meals from scratch everyday, using the best and freshest vegetables in season from local stores.  Their freshly-milled grains are artisan-produced; the meats and non-endangered fish species are humanely raised.  In short, dining at Cakes & Ale means better taste and more nourishment for you and your family.

What’s cooking right now, in the winter of 2009?  Chef Billy shops at this time of year for lettuces, trout, and radishes.

Today’s menu—just to give you an example, as the delicious offerings change frequently–includes entrees like these:

• trout stuffed with bay, lemon, garlic and croutons;
• roasted pork loin with rye bread stuffing, creamed Brussels sprouts, and apples;
• spicy Italian sausage and slow-cooked cabbage on polenta;
• and more.  Are you hungry yet?

I am!  Join me to hear Chef Billy talk about “Cooking from the Garden” on Sun., Feb. 1, at 12 noon on the Home Depot Stage.   Bring your appetite!

cheers,

Lynn

P.S.–don’t forget to look for me at the show.  I’ll be blogging live each day inside the Galleria.  On Wed., Jan. 28, I’ll be there around 5 P.M.

Lynn Coulter, "Master Blogger" for the 2009 Southeastern Flower Show

As promised, here’s another preview of a 2009 Georgia Gold Medal winner, as chosen by the good folks at the State Botanical Garden in Athens.

Amsonia 'Arkansas Bluestar'

This is Amsonia hubrichtti, ‘Arkansas Bluestar,’ and it’s a terrific perennial for Southern gardens.  In the spring, it produces mounds of billowy, willow-like foliage topped by star-shaped blue blossoms.  In summer, the foliage is light green.  What you’re seeing here is the golden-yellow color that you’ll get in fall.   Even in the winter, the plants are long-lasting and attractive.  Don’t worry if you plant this one and it looks a bit scraggly at first.  It grows fuller and more beautiful after the first year or so.

Give this bluestar full sun to partial shade and average, well-drained soil.  You won’t have to give it much care, and the deer won’t eat it up!
For more about Georgia Gold Medal winning plants, please visit Georgia Gold Medal Plants

cheers,

Lynn

blue Summer Snapdragon angelonia brightens any garden spot

Did you know that North Georgia was once the site of a gold rush?  You can’t make a fortune in the mines there anymore, but you can strike gold in your own backyard when you use the 2009 Georgia Gold Medal winners in your garden.

Gold Medal winners are plants that have won the approval of the State Botanical Garden (SBG) in Athens, GA.  They’re recommended for Southern landscapoes because they’re easy to grow and attractive in more than one season.  Here’s what Connie Cottingham, of the SBG,  told me about them:

“Recent rains have given gardeners new hope – is this the year we’ve been waiting for, the year we can celebrate and plant instead of doing our best to just keep our plants alive?  We’ve matured lately, realizing we cannot waste water. However, using common sense with water doesn’t mean we cannot have beautiful gardens. I like the concept of creating most of the garden so that it needs very little supplemental water once established, yet allowing ourselves a few indulgences that take more water and attention. Proper plant location, planting, and mulching conserve resources in the garden, reducing the need of water, chemicals, and maintenance time.

Plant choices are also key in conserving resources in the garden. The Georgia Gold Medal program can help homeowners in these plant choices. Every year for sixteen years, a committee comprised of horticulture professionals, county Extension agents and UGA faculty has chosen the annual Georgia Gold Medal winners:  easy to find, easy-care plants, many with multi-seasonal interest that are proven performers in our state. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens is headquarters for the Georgia Gold Medal Program, coordinating plant nominations and publicity.

With sixteen years of named winners and several categories of plants named each year, homeowners can find a large selection of beautiful plants to use when designing their landscapes.”

The 2009 Georgia Gold Medal winners are:

• Angelonia angustifolia – Summer Snapdragon, Angelonia
• Perennial: Amsonia hubrichtii – Arkansas Bluestar, Arkansas Amsonia
• Vine: Clematis armandii – Armand Clematis
• Shrub: Osmanthus fragrans – Fragrant Tea Olive
• Tree: Cercis canadensis ‘Covey’ PP #10328 – Lavender Twist Redbud

These plants are real beauties—take a look at this Angelonia.  Then check my blog again later today.  I’ll have more Gold Medal winner photos to share with you!

cheers,

Lynn

Chef John Wilson, I am soooo ready to meet you!  You’ll want to meet John, too–and you can, on Sat., Jan. 31, at the Southeastern Flower Show.

John, you see, is an extraordinary chef and the owner of Culinary Vacations, a company that specializes in fabulous, food-filled getaways.  When you book a trip with John, you experience the best cooking a region has to offer, whether it’s in the U.S. or Europe.   Each of his delightfully planned outings includes cooking classes and lodging at a wonderful inn or hotel.  His classes are followed by a complete meal served with wine, and he presents you with printed recipes to take home, so you can recreate each delicious dish from the comfort of your own kitchen.

On Saturday, look for Chef John at 12 P.M. on the Home Depot Stage.  He’ll tell you about “Cooking from the Garden.”

I’ll be honest:  I’m sure the chef can teach me a lot about cooking.  But I’d rather just get out of the kitchen and take one of his relaxing vacation packages.  Rescue me, John, from slaving over my hot stove!

cheers,

Lynn

Okay, you don’t really need music to watch flowers.  Orchids, tulips, roses, and cherry blossoms are entertainment enough by themselves.

But why settle for just a visual feast when you can have it all at the flower show?  We want your ears to be as excited as your eyes.

We’ve already told you about our stellar musical line-up for opening day, and now we want to let you know about the artists for Thursday, Jan. 29.

Starting at 10:15 A.M., you’ll stroll through the gardens and exhibits as Charlotte Dewberry plays piano, followed by Ezekiel Kennedy.  At 12:15, the Inman Middle School Jazz Band will knock your socks off with their lively performance.  By that afternoon, you’ll be listening to Linda Fraser on the piano and singer Cliff deMarks on jazz keyboard.

George Skaroulis closes out the day on the piano from 6:15 to 8 P.M.   (You can hear a preview of performances by George Skaroulis and Cliff deMarks by clicking on the red text, above.)

Don’t miss these wonderful artists!

Cheers,

Lynn

George Skaroulis, pianist

Have you bought your tickets yet for the flower show? Hurry–there’s still time to get a discount if you purchase by Tues., Jan. 27. Just visit the flower show home page (you’ll find a link on the blog), or drop by a conveniently located ticket outlet. You can find tickets at:

• Andy’s Nursery
  • Ashe-Simpson Garden Center
  • Bates Ace Hardware
  • Boxwoods Garden & Gifts
  • Eagle Eye Bookstore
  • Foxgloves & Ivy
  • Habersham Gardens
  • Hastings Garden Center
  • Jocks and Jills, in the Cobb Galleria
  • Stoney River
  • Or the Lush Life Garden Center

Advance purchase tickets are just $12/adult. After Jan. 27, adult prices are $16. Seniors age 65 and over get in for $12 at the door only.

Plan to visit the show after work? Save by coming between 4 and 8 P.M. on Wed. through Friday only, for a $10 Twilight ticket.

Kids save even more. Grades 1 – 8 get in for $6 per child, while grades 9 though graduate school are just $8 with ID. Kindergarteners and younger are free!

And don’t forget–if you’re a PTA member, you can get $2 off your ticket–and children 8th grade and under get in free–all day on Sunday, Feb. 1.

Get those tickets soon, and I’ll see you at the show!
Lynn

Gardening appeals to so many different senses, doesn’t it?  There’s the visual beauty, of course, and the fragrance of a citrus tree in bloom or vanilla-scented heliotrope.   Fuzzy plants like Lamb’s Ear invite touch, and there are countless fruits and vegetables to savor.

But at this year’s flower show, we want to give your ears a special treat, too.  We’re proud to present acclaimed pianist Takana Miyamoto on opening day, Jan. 28. Takana will perform as you stroll the show from 10 A.M. to 2:15 P.M.

Pianist Takana Miyamoto opens the show.

From 2:15 to 4 P.M., listen for the “jazz soirees” of Mary Jo Strickland, and from 4:15 to 5 P.M., the music of Michael Fauss.

Starting at 5:45, the Atlanta Opera takes center stage with “Passionate for Puccini.”

Passionate for the opera? We're passionate about gardening, too!

Remember, this year’s show is all about passion:  for exquisite flowers and floral arrangements, delicious foods, exciting speakers, popular authors, and, to top it all off, great music.

I hope to see you there!

cheers,

Lynn

author, Gardening with Heirloom Seeds

P.S.—I’ll be blogging LIVE from the show every day.  Join me on Wed., Jan. 28 at 5 P.M.

Flower show fans, check out our brand-new page on Facebook:

Flower Show on Facebook

If you use LinkedIn, join us at LinkedIn Flower Show

Cheers!
Lynn

Kids love Joyce Revoir's stories and crafts. Look for her at the flower show!

Everybody loves a good story, and stories that revolve around gardens–our shared passion here at the SE flower show–are a winning combination!

That’s why you’ll want to bring your little ones to see Joyce Revoir, children’s book illustrator and creator of an award-winning video for kids.  She’ll be at the show on the weekend of Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

Joye has been spinning stories since her own two girls were small.  Now this storyteller/artist from Newnan, Georgia will be available to sign copies of her Read-Along DVD and Sing-Along CD, “Little Garden Stories, ” which was created especially for ages 2 to 8.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, look for Joyce in the books booth from 10 to 11:30 A.M.   She’ll be back on Sunday, Feb. 1, from 2 to 3:30 P.M., in the Children’s Center, where she and her daughter Gillian will lead a FREE craft-time for kids.  Don’t miss this fun activity!

Stories and gardens really do go together. After all, when you’re in a garden, you always live happily ever after!

cheers,

Lynn
www.LynnCoulter.com

author of Gardening with Heirloom Seeds

"Little Garden Stories," Joyce's award-winning DVD/CD for kids

P.S.–be sure to stop by and say hello to me on Wed., Jan. 28.  I’ll be blogging LIVE on the opening day of the flower show  at 5 P.M.

Gillian, Joyce's daughter, will lead a craft project at the show