Wonder what they are saying to each other?

In the past months I’ve had some pretty interesting birds stop by my bird feeder right outside my window.  It is a time consuming hobby to capture the wildlife with camera and I envy those who are able to capture the birds in their own natural environment.  If you are looking for something educational and yet fun to do this winter I’ve got just the event for you.   How about participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count!

My Flickr Share of Some Amazing Garden Friends

One bird I’m for sure looking forward to capture in my lens is the Robin mostly because it is a sign that spring is here!

Happy Bird Watching – Bren

Click Image for more information

As the tease to spring arrives and we endure temperatures in the low 60*’s  I can’t help but wonder how many cabin fever zone 5 gardeners made the mistake of getting out and doing some spring clean up in the landscaping?  It is only late February and even though I’m feeling that spring itch we must resist the temptation.  Spring landscape maintenance such as pruning can actually permanently damage your shrubs.

A few weeks ago I received a pair of much anticipated   Corona Dual Cut Bypass Pruners – BP 7100.   I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this tool because you know I do major gardening / landscape here in the BGgarden and I love how the red handle tools by Corona have the soft grip.  I’m a big fan of the bypass pruner BP and of course the hand tools that came out in Fall 2010 because of the soft grip. They maybe soft to  the touch but there is NOTHING cushy about the job they can do!  I’ve been looking forward to the new Dual Cuts because of the effortless ‘patented Power Zone’ they claim to have.  I’m a hard core gardener out here in what was once known as the Black Swamp of Ohio and I need a tool that won’t leave my hands aching.  Not to mention a tool that can preform well in my trendy landscape projects and just as well in  the heart of the woods to take down a wild torn bush.

When the shipment arrived in mid-January I didn’t even bother to open the new Dual Cut Bypass Pruners because I knew I would be tempted to use them.  Later that week I noticed some of my southern friends networking about their pruning adventures since they can officially start the task before I can up here in zone 5.    One of my Facebook garden connections shared how her hand was hurting her from pruning all day and asked if anyone had suggestions for a tool that could do the job painlessly.  YOU KNOW I jumped right on that comment because of my anticipation to prune.    I shared the video below with Brooke of Creative Country Moms Website It has been fun to watch Brooke’s garden grow on her adorable website and I invite you to stop over and leave her a comment.

My message to Brook of Creative Country Moms Web Garden

I’m totally anticipating sharing how my carpal tunnel is not acting up in spring 2011 thanks to my Corona Tool soft grip tool collection.

Brooke ‘s Message to BGgarden

You can imagine my surprise when Brooke shared this video with me shortly after I sent her my message.   This is truly an example of great garden networking.  Two garden girls sharing their honest thoughts and inspirations and making that growing connection.  Thank you Brooke for sharing this with me!~

I love your garden share Brooke and continue to look forward to watching your country garden grow in 2011.

I will be at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show next week and look forward to seeing you all at the Tweet-up. Corona Tools will be on hand as well so be sure to ask The dude in the RED SHIRT about the new tools for this spring.  YOU may just be taking a pair of them home with you.

If you can’t make it to the show I will be tweeting all week from Seattle so be sure to follow me on Twitter at BG_garden. I’ll be sure to share the tools and so much more that will rock your garden this spring / summer 2011.

Got a question or thoughts on tools in the garden?  I would love to hear from you so be sure to comment below. And until it is save to prune in your garden zone… resist!

Best of Show Netherland Dwarf

Ever have those days when you have a ‘billion’ things to do and when you finally sit down to start working on the project you have a ‘brain fart’ and you just can’t think?  I’ve had just that kind of a week!   Yesterday one of my chores included spending time harvesting in the greenhouse and preparing it for the week I will be absent.   I swept the bunny ‘barn’ that is my gateway to the greenhouse.    We have a rabbit show to participate in this weekend so I was happy to see a few of the ‘juniors’ from last year have got a fabulous coat  for that show. I can’t help but think it must be the lettuce and grass I’ve been growing for them to enjoy.

In the image above I share with you one of my fuzzy greenhouse friends.  There are days you will find this cute little cuddle critter hopping around in between my winter harvest in the greenhouse.   I’m a big fan of the Netherland Dwarf because they are small and they don’t eat much.  The fact that they don’t eat much means less pellets to purchase for them making them an inexpensive pet to enjoy. These little critters were first introduced to us for a 4H project 8 years ago.   Since then my little 4H’er has taken the project to the next level by breeding this variety, showing in national rabbit shows, participating in local rabbit associations all while continuing her 4H career.    The rabbit project has provided not only a wonderful experience for my child to learn responsibility but the fact that the animals are being raised as the center focus in my greenhouse project it has brought awareness to how rabbits can provide much more then cuddles.   The bunny poo that is cleaned from their cages is mixed into a designated raised bed.  It is mixed with the soil and used for growing veggies and blooms around the rabbitry.

Now you maybe thinking you don’t live on a farm and you don’t own a barn so these little critters are not for you.   The great thing about smaller breeds like the Netherland Dwarf is they take up little space and most breeders I know even keep them in their city home.   I even know a beautiful couple who have large 40 pound Californian’s that dwell in their home as a cat would.  The bunnies actually have their own litter box they use!  HOW COOL IS THAT?!

Important to Note :

• The Netherland Dwarf is only 2 lbs. as an adult
• The Netherland Dwarf eats under 2 oz. of food a day.
• They are wonderful pets if you remember to cuddle them!
• Their waste breaks down quickly for easy use.

Chris McLaughlin has a book coming out about raising rabbits and the benfits of using them in your garden.  I will keep you posted on my network when that book is done at the printers.

What are your thoughts about fuzzy friends in the garden?  Do you own a rabbit and have some tips you would like to share?  I would love to hear from you.

Please check out the links below for more bunny information:

What better way to make your garden kid friendly then to get the kids in the garden and teach them how to sow some seeds of their own? Growing a garden gives children a chance to learn important life skills.  Kids can experience the joy that comes from caring for something while watching it grow first hand when they start their own garden.    Not to mention gardening is an excuse to let them play in the dirt freely!

In my family we used the 4H gardening project to get things started in our country garden.  I must admit that Mommy learned many new techniques on seed sowing and designing a garden from these books.  I highly recommend the 4H organization and suggest that anyone wanting to learn how to garden check out what the 4H organization have to offer in your area.   Even if you don’t decided to join a group you can easily obtain a copy of there gardening book.

Things to Remember When Gardening With Little Fingers

• Give them their own space to grow.  I would recommend plotting out an area in your garden where you can both garden together learning boundaries and space.  You will be surprised, in a few years your little fingers will be helping you in your garden with pleasure.
• Be sure that you provided your little gardener with some tools.  If they are too little to safely use metal tools there are plenty of plastic versions of the tools in the toy isle.
• Start your garden from seeds.  Your child will learn so much more watching the seed turn into a green plant and producing veggies or blooms!
• Praise your child for his / her hard work.   Nothing like sitting down to a meal and talking about the peas you are eating have come from your childs garden.  That is a feeling they will never forget.

Kid Friendly Seeds to Grow

Seeds that are super easy and best if sowed right in the ground:

1. Sunflowers
2. Nasturtiums
3. Bush Beans
4. Peas
5. Carrots
6. zinnia
7. morning glories

Seeds that are fun to start indoors before summer arrives:

1. Tomatoes
2. petunias
3. snapdragons
4. marigolds
5. lettuce
6. pumpkins

I would love to hear from you and how you get your children in the garden.  I hope you will leave a comment for me that will inspire others to get their tots in the garden.

It was a year ago this week I started to feel the power of social networking site Twitter.  A group of gardeners who I enjoyed ‘tweeting up’ with  met up on started sharing ideas about sowing some seeds.   I blogged about the experience as it happen in my entry at Join is for #SuperSowSunday . Below is a collage where I’ve  collected the cell phones shares I made during the seed season.  I love using Twitter photo shares as a real time blog.  In the collage below I share my collecting of the seeds, planting and growing them in the garden.   I tried  to hide them but that was not successful.  You could find seeds in my shoe closet and in my handbags.  Once I got those seeds growing they were all over the greenhouse and I had plenty to grow in the garden and raised beds.   Most of these seeds came from inspiration from gardeners who shared their love for sowing at #supersowsunday.    Now it is my turn to give back to everyone by hosting this years event.

Twitter Cell Phone Shares Make It Easy to Blog

Today I organized the weekly chat called #gardenchat.  It has been a wonderful learning experience collecting information and highlighting  a topic from the garden world each week.   The transcripts that I save from each chat have  100′s of  hits each week so I know someone is using the information I’ve collected.  #gardenchat has featured  garden celebrities like P.Allen Smith, leading plant providers like Costa Farms and Proven Winners as our guest host.  The high traffic on #gardenchat is OPEN FORUM like this past week we had over 200 garden twitter users share a thought about up coming garden season 2011.   Over 200 garden tweeters on one hashtag is truly a Cyber style garden party!

This Monday #gardenchat will be having the cast and crew from Growing A Greener World as our guest host.  You can submit questions for the crew to be answered during the event at GOOGLE DOCUMENT. The team has a fun hour of green updates and wonderful giveaways planned.

I’m a big fan of Joe Lamp’l and team and I’ve been following Joe on his blog for as long as I’ve been blogging. Though it has only been three short years in the past year I can honestly say I’ve learned so much from his shares that I’ve gone natural in my greenhouse,garden and green I grow in my home.   I talk about that all the time on my blog so I will spare you the details once again.  However, I would like to share with you my image from Shawna Coronado’s garden where Joe and the GGWTV team shot for one of their episodes this summer.  I had the privilege of being on location and seeing Joe in action.   I’m honored to now have them on #gardenchat to share the love of growing green  with you all.

Do you have a suggestion for an upcoming #gardenchat?  Let me know what you want to hear more about by commenting here.

You can imagine my surprise to find Joe’s book at the Cleveland Botanical Garden Bookstore.  Always a joy to find some of my favorite online authors in a city near me!   There are going to be giveaways at this chat so be sure to join in the chatter.

Surrounded by thoughts of sowing some seeds it is important for me to reflect on images from gardens past.   The sunflowers that artfully dance in the image above are from my 20o8 veggie & bloom garden.  The variety is the Lemon Queen by Burpee Seed and I’ve been growing these in my country garden for about four years now.    These are a must have in my garden because they are not only fun to dance with in the garden, they also make a wonderful addition to my cut bouquets.    This variety had been easy to find including in the basic Burpee Seed displays in most stores that carry any planting supplies.

The view of the Cardinal Climber Vine late in the summer.

Another must have in my veggie & bloom garden is the Cardinal Climber Vine because I love the way it blooms all summer long and grows comfortably up a trellis with my cucumbers.  When the cucumber is done for the summer the beautiful bloom on this tropical looking flower continues to attract butterflies.   It is an easy seed to start early but you can also sow it right into the soil in the garden.

I think the Nasturtium is on every gardeners must have list. I started growing these from seed over 12 years ago after being introduced to them by my sister in law who was a avid gardener.  This seed was introduced to my garden in late June and I had a striking border in my yard in the city by the end of August.    As I learned more about my garden I quickly became a fan of using the blooms in salads as well as enjoying the climbing variety in container plantings.

These were a few of my MUST HAVE seeds each year.  I hope you share with me on my post a few of your seeds that you must grow each year.