Archive for February 21, 2014

Lots and Lots of Snow

The bushes look sugar coated- lovely!

The bushes look sugar coated – lovely!

We have really had our share of the white stuff this year. There is nothing more exciting and beautiful than snow, especially when it starts falling on Christmas Eve. Everything looks as though it is dusted with sugar, and the world seems like a snow globe. Then it keeps falling, and falling, and soon enough you are smack dab in the middle of Siberia, or so it seems.

And all of a sudden it's a snowglobe!

And all of a sudden – Siberia!

Here’s some tips on dealing with those mountains of snow. We all hope we are nearing the end of it this season, but with another polar vortex on the way for next week, you never know!

My first tip is all about being ready – buy that snow shovel early in the season before the stores are sold out. Some of us are lucky enough to have a snow blower – if you are one of those, make sure it’s serviced, and have a supply of gasoline on hand. I’m old-school, so I’m out there with a shovel!

Do your best to shovel the snow all the way to the edge of the pavement to prevent the melting snow from refreezing on your drive.

Shovel the snow all the way off of the pavement to prevent the melting snow from refreezing on your drive.

My next tip is to prioritize your snow removal. We come and go through our garage, so I like to start with the driveway, then move on to the walkways. If you are really, really lucky (yeah, right!) the snow will be powder and you can simply broom it away. That doesn’t usually happen, so the shovel is next. If you can, use the shovel like a plow and push the snow from the center of the driveway to the edge. This will save lots of wear and tear on your arms, back, and legs. If it’s heavy snow you will have to pick up the snow shovel by shovel and throw it out beyond the edge of your drive. The more snow you can get over the edge the better, because as it melts you don’t want it running down your drive and refreezing!

Be cautious on decks- the snow can be very, very heavy!

Be cautious on decks- the snow can be very, very heavy!

The kind of shovel can also make a huge difference in how easy or hard it is to use. My favorite kind is plastic with a glossy surface. The snow will slide right off like Teflon! If yours is metal, or non shiny plastic, spray it with cooking spray and it will help a great deal. It’s amazing how the simplest things can make such a difference!

Also, be sure to clear the openings to the storm drains and access to fire hydrants. And if there has been an exceptionally deep snow, you will want to make sure that your deck is not unsafe from the extra weight of the snow.

Take it slow, stand up and stretch every once in a while, and when you’re done shoveling, don’t forget the aspirin. Best of all — Spring is right around the corner!

 

Roses, Roses, Roses – It’s Almost Valentine’s Day!

Everything you ever wanted to know about Roses-

Everything you ever wanted to know about Roses

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I thought this might be the perfect time to blog about roses — their meanings and how to dry them, in case anyone wants to preserve their bouquets! Years ago, I was asked to be a part of putting together a series of gardening books for Time-Life Books. My floral business was really centered all around roses, so I chose to work on the Rose book in the series. It was my first chance at being a contributor to a book in my chosen craft, and I was more than happy to help them out. These books have been out of print for a long time now, but the information is timeless. My specialty was drying the roses so that they looked fresh. I had it down to a science — usually drying 1000 stems at a time, every 2 to 3 weeks. Any thing that did not meet highest standard was turned into potpourri for sachets. When you are in a very small business you learn not to waste a single bit of anything! So, here are a few of my favorite drying techniques from the Roses book, and some fun facts on rose color:

First up: Choosing the right color rose to convey your sentiment.

The rose is always the flower most associated with being a gift of romance and love. And, why not? With its beauty and beautiful scent, who wouldn’t love to receive them?

Each color has a different meaning to convey your sentiment.

Each color has a different meaning to convey your sentiment.

This colors and meanings chart will help you choose the perfect bouquet of roses for your loved one. Rose color was used as a form of communication from ancient times through the Victorian period, all but lost to us now. Here is the meaning of each:

This is a heart shaped rose arrangement I made years ago with roses that I dried myself. The colors will stay intact for a long time!

This is a heart shaped rose arrangement I made years ago with apricot colored roses and statice that I dried myself. The colors will stay intact for a long time when carefully air-dried.

Next: Enjoy your roses! Lift them out of the container each day and trim an inch from the stem, replace the water with fresh. After a few days, when the roses are half opened, is the perfect time to preserve them. Any longer in the water will cause the roses to open too much, and the effect will not be quite as good.

To dry, simply bundle the roses in small bunches of eight or ten stems at the most, and hang upside down in a room with dim light, but good air circulation. Use a fan to help if you need to. The perfect temperature is around 70, and low humidity is a must. I like to use elastic bands to bundle them, because they will hold fast to the stems as they shrink slightly when drying. The drying

Save your rosepetals, (or any buds that haven't dried as beautifully as you might like) for sachets, or potpourri. These are pomanders, sachets & hatboxes filled with rosepetal potpourri which was some of my biggest sellers.

Save your rose petals, (or any buds that haven’t dried as beautifully as you might like) for sachets, or potpourri. These are rosebud pomanders, sachets & mini hatboxes filled with rose petal potpourri that I made for craft shows and shops. Terrific for gifts, too!

process will take 2-3 weeks, and then you will have your roses for years! I like to pull the outermost petals off to expose the more vibrantly colorful ones just inside making them appear fresh. The greenery will also hold its color for at least a year when dried this way. The rose color will intensify during the drying process, and sometimes even change completely as they dry — pinks become coral, orange becomes red, white becomes more creme. Hope you will try this!

Have a beautiful Valentine’s Day!

Easy way to start a rose bush from a rose stem.

Easy way to start a rose bush from a rose stem.

Update: I just saw this great way of rooting roses from stems. Simply insert the stem in a potato before planting at about 3 inches below top of soil. In about 2 months you will have a new rose bush! What a great way of recycling a Valentine’s Day bouquet!

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