Gardens Gifts are Blessings

12 Blessings – Gifts From the Garden

As the Holiday season is upon us, I find myself reflecting on the joys, and gifts that gardening has allowed me to experience.  So for the next 12 days, I am going to share these gifts, my memories, and truly appreciate the blessing I have received.

1) The Gift of  Community


Gardening allows us to reach out to the community.  Neighborhood gardens and allotments are becoming more common - A place where folks gather, chat, and grow food.  The experienced  gardeners share knowledge with the inexperienced. The food is gathered, and excesses are shared, not thrown away.  Community centers  and local churches are opening their kitchens so the neighborhood can have access to canning or freezing the food they grew, and a community is truly blessed.



Community is also experienced in my own front yard. Neighbors wave, or walk over to talk. It doesn't matter if I get out there for some weed pulling at dawn or at sunset, I will most likely spend a few minutes catching up on the neighbors’ child’s soccer game, hearing about a planned vacation, or sharing a glass of ice tea.  The garden is a good excuse to spend time with busy folks who find a little time to share.  Such a Blessing.


A backyard garden is difficult for sharing, because not too many neighbors will just open the garden gate and stroll around the garden.  So I've had ‘Open Garden’ events to invite friends and neighbors over for an afternoon.  I serve finger foods, and have cold drinks available, and this casual gathering is fun.  Community groups like area garden clubs, or Plant Societies, organize tours each summer.  I love to go other gardens and glean ideas and meet other gardeners in the process. Gardeners are really great people, and are willing to share what they know, and perhaps, get a treasured cutting from ‘Aunt Sue’s garden’, along with it’s history.  These garden gems are a Blessing.

Blessing No. 1 – the gift of community.  So simple, and such a Blessing!
Share with us your ‘community’ and the Blessing you have received. 

Holiday Blooms–Holiday Color

Local Garden Center Has the Holiday Blooms

And the Holiday Spirit

Had a lovely evening at Knollwood Garden Center last evening.  As third generation of this Scott family owned business, John, Rob, and Carey hosted a Ladies Night Out.  Featured was jazz guitarist, Danny Voris who played holiday music for the crowd.  And did we have a crowd.  Food, and wine vendors were on hand to let us taste their products, and then there were the Holiday blooms. 

Cyclamens, Gloxinia, Christmas Cactus, and Poinsettias were everywhere. Holiday blooms that were displayed across three greenhouses.

Many Poinsettias are Grown by Knollwood

Knollwood Offered a Nice Buffet

Craft Jewelry makers, and specialty cupcake vendors were offering that something special for the gift giver or a holiday party. 

Double Bloom

Eye-Catching 

Poinsettias of Many Colors and Shades

This Cortez really picks up the Orange 

Of course, the Christmas Trees and decorations were crazy good. 

Any style desired – from Country to Contemporary – spruce up your holiday decorations with a new featured item.  Oh, what fun…..HoHoHo...

Woodland Accessories

This display features a ‘Lemon Cypress’, center-back  (smells yummy, by the way!).  Many colors of Christmas Cactus were available, from the red, pink, and even a peachy one.  So pretty!

Porch Pot 

This Porch Pot has birch logs, Magnolia stems, balsam, and cedar boughs, and a huge pinecone.

Water features in the garden or even in the front hallway (yes, indoors) offer a little ambiance to the holiday decorations.


Houseplant baskets and bowls are a great way to bring Holiday blooms into the room.  These incorporated Wandering Jew with Rex Begonia, Ferns, Ivy, Maiden Hair Fern, and little Creeping thyme.
 





I am not familiar with this plant – Medinnilla, magnitica.  Pamphlet indicated it has these pendulous blooms 3 – 5 months a year.  Wow.  Foliage was a nice dark green, and the blooms were huge.I may go back for this one.

Pentas gives this arrangement color

Bird feeders and accessories are always a great holiday gift. 

This triple color poinsettia was my purchase at the Ladies Night Out at Knollwood Garden Center.  It is stunning, and according to John, an owner, he only got three of these in ---- I feel so special!

If the holiday bug has not bitten you yet, visit a garden center or conservatory for a Bloom filled boost.  I sure did. Came home Humming Jingle Bells!   Knollwood has not compensated me for this article,  I just really enjoyed the Holiday Blooms.
 
What kind of Holiday blooms do you seek this time of year?