Like most of you who are reading this blog entry written by me (a.k.a : Midwest garden girly) we have the privilege of being connected to the ‘garden world’ in more ways then we have hours in the day.  At our convenience  we find ourselves connected to social networking sites that allow us to stay up to date with the current news for the topics we really want to know more about.  For me this day in Autumn it is the latest cooking, gardening, photography, and Holiday trends.    Not only are we able to stay connected to our favorite magazine publications we are able to stay connected to the authors who are able to capture the topics by the flick of  the wrist.   Even with all this technology  at my fingertips I still find myself wondering ‘what to do’ with the heaping piles of my favorite magazine publications that keep rolling in via snail mail.

There is something about flipping through my favorite garden magazines in the dead of winter.  Stacks of my favorite magazines I just can’t part with are featured in the image above.

One of my favorite Authors recently asked on Facebook : “why do we need magazine subscriptions when  most of the publications are online?’ I don’t remember anyone on her friends list  replying with an ‘answer’ I didn’t already know but I had to add that if you subscribe to the publications like Better Homes & Garden and Southern Living they have extra notes at the bottom of some of their key articles that provide MORE on their websites.   It is kind of like being a part of a ‘special club’ when you subscribe to these publications.

Some of my favorite publications that I have been ‘hoarding’ for the past 10 years would include Midwest Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living,  and PC World.   I know…. weird seeing a PC tech magazine with the cozy reads.

This Sunday as I sort through the heaping pile of magazines that some how went from basket to coffee table to two additional piles on the floor next to my cozy reading chair in the master bedroom.  It is time to do some house cleaning before I can’t find a path to my wing backed chair.    I’ve decided to sort through and move all the Spring / Summer editions from the past year to the office storage.  That’s Right – I have a nice tote bin just waiting for those prize reads to be used as references in the years to come.

In my reading basket I have kept the Autumn and Winter reads from a few of my favorite publications.   One of my favorite articles from October 2009 in Midwest Living Magazine was titled ‘The Call of Fall” by Diana Dickinson.  The images are pleasing to the eye and show the end of the gardening season.  I guess what captivates me to this article is I can honestly say ‘I’m not done… this is only the beginning for the BGgarden’.  I love the vignettes  featured in this article and guess what?  You can read more about it at Midwest Living Fall Garden Color.

Next on the MUST keep list is an article by Jane Austin McKeon in Better Homes and Garden.  Pg. 132 shot of ‘scraps’ that were heading to the compost pile caught my eye.  LOVE THE COLOR featured in this photography by Marty Baldwin.  I wonder if Marty is any relation to one of my favorite authors Debra Lee Baldwin who wrote Succulents Container Gardening? This article not only features some fun photography it also touches base with a practice I’ve been doing for years – composting.    What I like about the article is it combines the Green world with some basic formulas to achieve ‘Black Gold’.   I feel like I’m leaking some top secret information when I share with you the little side note at the bottom of the article ‘ Go ONLINE FOR more information on composting at  ” BHG.com” .

And what would the Autumn and Winter months be like for me without Southern Living Magazine?  On those negative degree white out days I don’t know what I would do without a cozy copy of Southern Living Magazine featuring those year round green gardens.   Not to mention, the (excuse me if you will…. )  Bible of the Christmas Season : Southern Livings yearly Christmas with Southern Living! Christmas in my home would not be complete without a copy of this OxMoor Publication.  Believe me, I will share more about this book the closer we get to December 25.    In my pile to hoard you will find December 2006, October 2009 and the recent edition of the Southern Living Magazine.   I’m loving the article in the HOME Idea,Inspirations & Project section (page 54)  -  3 Ways to set a Pretty  Table.   That table setting by Elizabeth Demos of Savannah, Georgia is to die for!  I’m a big fan of using white dinnerware during the Holiday Season as well.  What better way to pretty up the table then to let the food provide the color.   Once again there is a side note : MORE Holiday Centerpiece Ideas / SouthernLiving.com/ Thanksgiving. I hope I won’t get in trouble for sharing those little side notes from the magazines with you.

Now that I’ve stored those treasures from the past in the office I can safely walk to my cozy reading chair and enjoy my picks for this Sunday in November.    I hope you will leave a comment to what you think about my Inspire – Magazine Review’.  Would you stop back to see what I’ve got open on my coffee table?  After all, isn’t that what blogging is all about?  I hope to hear from you!

I was ecstatic to find during my daily visit over to my Facebook site at the BGgarden.com to find that I had hit 1,000 friends. The BGgarden Facebook page is where I share what is going on in my life of gardening following the same shares here on my blog. Now I know that it’s only a number but this is quit an event for me. My social media sites at Facebook and Twitter are like a Garden Club to me. There is nothing more exciting to click over after sharing a piece of my garden life online to find someone (possibly from another country) has left a comment. What a wonderful way to be inspired and to educate people about gardening in general. I can’t think of anything more rewarding then sharing life!

Tomorrow I will pull a couple of ‘friends’ who commented and they will receive a BGgarden 8″x10″ art print and some of my favorite saved seeds.

I hope you will stop by BGgarden on Facebook and join in the party. THANK YOU for being a part of my Garden Network! – Bren

The best part of the morning is waking up to the scent of fresh coffee brewing. I’ve been spoiled recently because my husband has taken over the brewing process most mornings. I think he just maybe having fun with the little bean grinder.

What are your favorites in the morning?

Today I snapped a photo of where I start my mornings on a sunny day. I always admired Paula Deen on the Food Network Channel when she would share a romantic morning meal on her Savannah Bedroom Deck with her adorable hubby Micheal. I was inspired to create a quiet sitting area off our bedroom deck once we moved to the country. On my small breakfast table out on the deck surrounded by garden there is no doubt you will find some type of container filled with blooms and a few of my favorite magazines. Wouldn’t you guess that Paula’s Cooking Magazine is one of my favorites in the image share above! I also have my cell phone close by just in case there is something I need to share with my peeps on Twitter.

My Favorite Magazine Picks this Summer Include

Southern Living * Cooking with Paula Deen * Better Homes and Garden * Midwest LIving

The Best part about magazines today are you can find all your favorites like the ones I listed above online!

Don’t forget the raspberry jam!

The berry season is upon us. I want to remind you all of how easy it is to make up your own berry jams. I like using products by Sure-Jell where you will find the directions in the box. If you are like me and short on time you may have to clean the berries and story them in the freezer until you have time to prepare them.

Rapberries and strawberries make up fabulous homemade jams.

If you enjoy easy recipes from the garden you will want to bookmark Garden to Kitchen™. I would love to hear suggestions from you as I change this site. We are adding more shares that will inspire you to get in the garden!

Thank you to Magmoment for nominating me for the Life Is Good Award. As part of this award, I answer the following questions that Mag has posed, create my own list of six questions and nominate six people for the award.

1. What is your favorite song and why? “You are my Sunshine” is the first song that comes to mind as being my favorite. I picked this song not only because it was the first thing that popped into my head but because it is a happy song!

2. How did you get involved in your work/business? I got involved with the arts as a child. My Father would take me to lessons at the Toledo Museum of Art before I attended school. I found myself drawing, painting, creating every day growing up. I guess I wouldn’t be ME if I was not involved with some form of art rather it be Painting, photography,creating clothing, gardening….. you name it!

3. What makes a day really special? I guess it is my age and some experiences I have been through but when asked ‘what makes a day special’ I would have to say ‘ to wake up!’

4. What do you do for exercise? Each day I enjoy a good yoga type stretch in the garden. When it is raining I struggle with doing at least 40 minutes on my elliptical machine. I would rather be in the garden!

5. What is one thing that you REALLY love to do? I know you are most likely guessing I am going to say my true passion is being in the garden but believe it or not I have other hobbies I enjoy as well. I love touring a fabulous art museum or enjoy the afternoon at one of my favorite wineries in Napa. My most favorite thing I enjoy to do is spending time with my family.

6. Give one art/writing tip to readers. This is a great question for me because I use to teach art a few years back. My number one tip is to remember that EVERYONE is an artist. Put your heart into your art and create. Don’t be afraid to express yourself in whatever media you decide to use.

MY NOMINATIONS: First of all I must nominate Glenda at Tootsie Time because she is my Greenhouse sister! My second nominee is Victoria over at 6Riddle for her fabulous photography of every day life.
My friend KAREN over at her Army of Four blog because I love reading about her pups is in Third of my picks! My girly Jen who I found while blogging over in Russia is on my nominee list. Stop by and see how JEN rocks it out in the fitness world and congratulate her on her new bundle of joy! I just love stopping by Becca’s Garden to see what she is sharing from her Southern yard. I would also like to nominate my favorite OHIO blogger in Hocking Hills!

If you want to participate please answer the following and nominate six bloggers as well. Paste the pretty badge into your blog, and have a mag day! (Nominees and the rest of you, feel free to comment here with your answers or on your blog.)

1. What is your favorite flower and why?
2. How did you get involved with gardening?
3. What makes a day really special?
4. What do you do for the birds who visit your garden?
5. What is one thing that you REALLY love to do?
6. Give one art/writing tip to readers.

Thanks again to Mag at Mag Moments who nominated me for this award. It was fun sharing a little piece of what I enjoy to do in the garden and out! -Bren

Did you think I would end the post without a photo? Leaving you with some of my favorite photos that remind me ‘it is a good life’

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When Britt Conley, Photographer and Author of The PhotoGardenBee website asked me to share a blog posting on her site while she was away for surgery I was totally honored.  Britts’ site is filled with fabulous garden shares that will leave you breathless, almost like being stung by a bee, only in a good way!
I wasn’t sure what to share on the PhotoGardenBee blog so I thought I would do what I share best.   A trip to a couple of my favorite garden centers would be the perfect share for my friend Britt.  If I lived closer to her  I would have gave her hand picked flowers from my garden to wish her a fast recovery.  In away, I did give flowers to wish her well. These are the kind that last forever ( photography).

A few of my favorite works by David Fishman

MORE ABOUT DAVID

Q&A

“What kind of nature or garden photography do you like?”

Lately I have been taking three different kinds of photos:  composing general garden shots, plant combinations and my favorite and most painstaking, Botanical portraits.  I hope to have a website to show all.  I have had several shows and have won awards.  I always lean towards the unusual and unique.

“Do you have a garden?”

Yes I do.  I have a perennial garden and spent much time acquiring rare plants, mostly woodland botanicals.  My base planting are hostas, they just look so good in the woodland.  I was told by a hosta nursery, (Naylor Creek), that more men like hostas than woman, go figure.   I also like different varieties of Trilliums, Paris, Cypripedium orchids, Arisaemas, hepaticas, ferns and other unusual perennials.  My favorite groundcover is Cornus canadensis, (Bunchberry).    I also love facebook because I am learning all about the different gardens throughout the country and different zones.   And the people are really awesome and speak the same language.  Like to meet them all someday.

It has been wonderful having David in my Garden Network of friends.   It is wonderful seeing the garden art world through his camera’s lens.  I hope you will look him up and perhaps encourage him to start sharing more of his work on the web.

This has been ” The Great and Powerful Haas” – as David likes to refer to me as ( with a Wiz of Oz spin!)  – Bren♥