Longwood Gardens Visit

I spent the day at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA. This is the place to see dazzling displays that elevate the art of horticulture. I enjoy viewing their Christmas displays and want to return in the summer when the fountains will be running. I got lots of ideas for flowers. 

Have you visited Longwood Gardens?

 Beautiful displays!

Simple ornament anyone can make.

Fairytale Pumpkins

November is when we start to think about making those pumpkin recipes that we have been collecting. You can use almost any pumpkin for cooking. I like the Fairytale myself.

Fairytale pumpkins can be used in any pumpkin recipe.

Low in calories and high in fiber, pumpkins are a good source of beta-carotene which converts into vitamin A. 

Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, iron, and the B vitamins. 

How to prepare a Fairytale Pumpkin for cooking.

Preheat oven to 400°F

Cut large wedges of the pumpkin for baking.

Scrape seeds, rinse the pumpkin off and lay in baking dishes. It’s okay if they overlap. Put the seeds into a large bowl for roasting later.

Use a baking pan that has sides because water will come out of the pumpkin as it bakes. Cover pumpkin wedges tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a 400°F oven for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Pumpkin is done when a fork slides easily through the thick part.

Let the pumpkin cool so you can handle it. Line a colander with a tea towel. Use a large spoon and scrape the pumpkin out of the shell. Place it in the tea towel and let it drain. You can wrap the tea towel around the pumpkin and pick it up to squeeze. After you get most of the water out of the pumpkin move it to the large bowl of your food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. If the pumpkin is runny and looks like it still has water in it, place it back in the tea towel to drain more. Finished pumpkin should be thick and hold it’s shape. If you leave water it in your finished product will be too runny.

You can freeze your cooked pumpkin for later use.

Happy November,

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Growing Peonies

Peonies are easy to grow perennials. 

They produce flower blooms in late spring to early summer. Peonies are hardy to plant in USDA growing zones 2 through 8 and will remain in bloom for approximately one week, depending on the variety.

 Grows 2’ to 3’ tall and 3’ to 4’ wide.

They need well draining soil and sunshine. Generally summer drought resistant, Peonies like a consistent 1” of water weekly in the spring. Peonies may be fed with a 4-10-6 fertilizer in the fall and early spring.  In late fall, cut the stalks down to almost ground level and discard all felled cuttings. 

Failure to bloom can be due to rootstock crowns planted too deeply, too much shade, poor water drainage, an overcrowded planting site or a late spring killing frost. If the peony crown was planted too deeply, dig up the rootball, rework the soil and replant 1/2” higher than soil level. Otherwise, allow the peony foliage to grow and thrive for future year blooms. 

The blossoms are attractive in cut flower arrangements. They are rarely bothered with pests, with the exception of scales. Scales are controlled by removing affected plant material during the autumn and using a pesticide the next May or June. 

We have peonies available at Adams Fruit Market for your garden. 

Happy Planting!

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to visit. It is a refuge for migratory birds, primarily ducks and geese. The refuge includes more than 24,000 acres. Blackwater Refuge is one of the chief wintering areas for Canada geese using the Atlantic flyway. It provides protection, food and cover for wildlife through specific land and water management programs.

A daily permit is required for all visitors to the wildlife drive unless they possess a pass authorizing free entrance.

The wildlife drive and associated facilities are open daily dawn to dusk. Walking and biking along the wildlife drive is permitted. The careful observer will see a variety of plants and animals along the drive.

You can pick up a self guided eagle tour map and a wildlife drive map at the visitors center. 

Over 30 bald eagle nests can be found on Blackwater Refuge and some nests have a cameral on them. You can check this out at www.friendsofblackwater.org and watch the eagles. Blackwater Refuge is located at 2145 Key Wallace Drive, Cambridge, MD 21613. 

Each time I go I see something different. This is a great place to take children.

Blessings,

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Philadelphia Flower Show

I went to the British-themed 2013 Philadelphia Flower Show,  “Brilliant!” It was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center March 2-10.  It spotlighted British gardens, landscapes, and London.

The scent of Roses welcomed me at the Royal palace gates which led to the shows centerpiece: a sculptural, digitally enhanced rendition of Big Ben, featuring a light and sound show every hour.

Exhibitors brought in thousands of flowers, potted-up shrubs, and many trees. Contractors constructed displays with lumber, stone work, lighting, and effects, and plumbing for fountains and waterfalls. The displays were magnificent. They celebrated Britain’s amazing landscapes and cultural icons.

I explored Britain’s culture, from the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, sunny cottage gardens to foggy London streetscapes, and the music of the Beatles.

With more than 180 vendors in the Marketplace, it was easy to find that special something.  I purchased a hat and an apron. Booths are open during Show hours. 

Proceeds from the show benefit the year-round community greening programs of PHS, including PHS City Harvest, the innovative program that provides fresh produce for more than 1,000 families in need during the growing season.

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nations largest indoor flower show, which blooms every March at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The show features the country’s premier landscape designers and florists, who turn 10 acres of the Convention Center into a floral fantasy world with beautiful plants and cutting-edge designs.

I had a “Brilliant” time!

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Women in Agriculture Conference

The 12th Annual Regional Women In Agriculture Conference was held February 25-26, 2013 at the Dover Downs Hotel in Dover, Delaware. This was the first time for me to attend this event. 

 Upon arrival I was greeted by friendly ladies and enjoyed a nice breakfast. 

Julie DeYoung, spokesperson for Perdue Farms spoke on “Putting the Family Back into Farming - A Case Study in Reshaping the Image of Modern Agriculture”. She was joined by a panel of three farmers.

 Dover Downs served a great lunch probably the best I ever had at a conference. The hardest part was choosing which dessert to try. I went with the cheesecake and a slice of chocolate cake. 

There was several workshops to sit in during the day to learn about risk management.

The second day, Dover Downs served us a nice hot breakfast to get us going. More workshops were available to attend. Adams Fruit Market is committed to food safety so without question I chose the Food Safety GAPs workshop. Meredith Melendez from Rutgers, spoke on farm food safety. 

I also attended the workshop titled Attracting Songbirds given by Brent Marsh. He was an entertaining speaker and talked a lot about insects. He said if we want to attract song birds then we need insects for them to eat. I won the book Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy. I can’t wait to read it.

Closing remarks was given by Ed Kee, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture. He talked about the Changing Times of Agriculture. 

This conference was a relaxed learning experience with keynote speakers, formal presentations and the opportunity to network with other farm women like myself.

Hats off to the planning committee for a great job!  I had a wonderful time and I am looking forward to next year’s conference.

Blessings,

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Beach Day and Healthy Eating

I had a free day so my husband and I want to Assateague State Park. It is just a little drive past Ocean City, MD. 

Wow the day was very windy and foggy.

 I love this time of year because it is peaceful but it was too windy to walk the beach.

We did see one horse up close and he was nice to let me take his picture.

From a distance we saw about six more horses.

Inside the visitors center we watch a movie about the horses living at the park.

I enjoyed the day and we ate at a local restaruant on the way home.

Assateague is a nice park to spend the day hopefully next time it will not be as windy.

Since this is Adams Fruit Market’s blog let me share some reasons to eat fruit...

• Apples help your body develop resistance against infections.
• Bananas are great for athletes because they give you energy.
• Blueberries protect your heart.
• Cherries help calm your nervous system.
• Grapes relax your blood vessels.
• Kiwi increases bone mass.
• Mangos protect against several kinds of cancer.
• Oranges help maintain great skin and vision.
• Peaches are rich in potassium, fluoride, and iron.
• Pineapples help fight arthritis.
• Strawberries can potentially fight against cancer and aging.
• Watermelon helps control your heart rate.

Fruit is a great snack to take to the beach.

Have a great day and eat fruit,

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Snow Day

I was hostess to three children on Saturday. After several hours of indoor play we motored to our favorite ice cream creamery to indulged in some cold treats. The weather was very cold outside but ice cream is always good.

 When we arrived back to my house the kids wanted to play outside. The first adventure was knocking off all the icicles they could reach and pretending to be walruses. I think everyone has done this as a kid. They had lots of fun pulling each other around in the sled and sledging down all the hills that still had snow on them.

 Before long it was time to go back in the house to get warm. I put the wet coats and mittens by the wood stove to dry off. 

After dinner we noticed that it had began to snow again. By this time all three started to jump up and down happily yelling that it was a blizzard and they was going to be snow bound at my house for days! I was relieved when their parents came and the little snow bunnies could go home. And the house was quiet again until the next time. 

Soon Saturdays will be spent tending to the plants in the greenhouses.

I like working in the greenhouses. It is so relaxing just me, the plants and the warm sunshine. It gives me lots of time to think but I will always cherish those Saturday snow days spent with the kids. Building memories. Isn’t that what it is all about.

Blessings,

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Delaware Plant Expo

I attended the Delaware Horticulture Industry Expo this week. The speakers were excellent! 

Michael Bowell told us to think of our garden as a flower show niche incorporating height, depth and width into the design. He said to place the containers where we want them and if they look good empty then filled them with our favorite flower. This makes a lot of sense because they get heavy when filled. He showed us a picture of a large animal water pan filled with flowers and rocks. I want to copy this using seashells. 

Roy Diblik from Northwind Perennial Farm spoke two times. He encouraged us to use old plants in new ways. His slide presentation was excellent! He reminded us to use plants for weed suppression instead of mulch. 

During the breaks I chatted with the exhibitors and collected all the “free” stuff.  This expo gets me excited for spring and of course the lunch is great too.

My seeds arrived in the mail today. Like a kid I had to open the box right away. What kind of seeds do you plant? 

Blessings,

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Baked Goose, Seeds and Social Media

Hello Friends. I cooked a goose last night for dinner. I just added onion soup mix and cooked it slow. As you can see it turned out beautiful!

My husband made “goose salad” with the leftovers. He is the hunter in the family so I have learned how to cook wild game.

I use this cutter to cut the cabbage for cold slaw. It belonged to my grandmother. It does a good job so I don’t need to buy a newer one. Anyone else have one?

Today I sent in another seed order. I am almost done and soon it will be back in the greenhouses for me. I don’t really mind. I love working with plants. It is exciting in the beginning of the season, planning what to plant and how much. Last fall I brought some really cute planters and I can’t wait to fill them. 

Wednesday I attended a Social Media workshop. When I walked in the room, they asked if I was a speaker. Ha,ha maybe some day. I was able to learn some new things so it was worth the time plus the lunch was great.

Hope your day is good. 

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Peanut Butter Bark

Hello Friends,

It is almost Christmas and I am ready except for a little baking. Christmas is my favorite day. We have family and friends over and I will be cooking a fresh 30 pound turkey. The day starts early and gets a little crazy during the gift exchange. I love watching the kids of all ages hunt for the "pickle" hidden in the tree. The other night I hosted a Ladies party and it was interesting watching some determined ladies on their knees looking for the pickle.

                                    Hope your Christmas is great  and try to eat healthy.

But Christmas only comes once a year so it is ok to eat some yummies such as Peanut Butter Bark.

                                

This is a copycat recipe for Williams-Sonoma's popular white and dark chocolate peppermint bark. Very festive!  Sorry but the picture would not copy. I am using my new computer and still learning.

This recipe is a variation on that theme, and a nice change of pace. It's delicious and beautiful, as you can see above. However, you can also be creative in your presentation, and use cookie cutters or molds to create different shapes. Imagine the oohs and ahs of all your lucky recipients!

Since this is a beginner recipe, your kids can get involved in your holiday baking too. Preparation time is only 15 minutes!

Ingredients

• 2 packages (4 oz. each) Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar, broken into pieces

• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

• 1 tablespoon shortening

• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

Directions 

1. Cover cookie sheet or tray with wax paper.

2. Place chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolate is melted and smooth when stirred.

3. Immediately place peanut butter chips and shortening in second microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred; stir in peanuts.

4. Alternately spoon above mixtures onto prepared tray; swirl with knife for marbled effect. Gently tap tray on countertop to even out thickness of mixture. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in cool, dry place. About 1 pound candy.

* To toast almonds: Heat oven to 350°F. Spread almonds in thin layer in shallow baking pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown; cool.

Source: Hershey's Kitchens

Merry Christmas from all of us at Adams Fruit Market.

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

10 Ways To Think Outside The Gift Box

Hello everyone,

Hope you are enjoying this Christmas season as much as I am.  I love looking at all the lights each night, listening to holiday music and sitting in the glow of the Christmas tree.

I am hosting a Ladies party tomorrow evening so I spent today cleaning. Here is a picture of my tree. I think it is the prettiest one yet.

 It started out to be just red and white but the grandson likes green so I had to put green bulbs on it too.
 I ordered the last of the presents today but haven't wrapped any yet. I find they are easier to hid unwrapped.

 If you need some ideas on what to give others I found these 10 ways to think outside the proverbial gift box.

1. Give a handmade gift. Think crafts, cooking, art or bath scrubs. If you don’t have the time or talent yourself, shop local craft fairs for unique handmade gifts.
2. Give a service you can do yourself. Consider babysitting, car washing or yard work. Get creative with a cute little coupon you design and print yourself.
3. Gift services at a locally owned business. Perhaps a car tune-up, house cleaning or salon visit. Who wouldn’t love that!
4. Gift a class together. Art, fitness, and hobby classes are great choices. You’ll give the gift of knowledge as well as quality time!
5. Gift a membership. Consider local non-profits, museums, gyms or charity groups. 
6. Donate in someone’s name. Determine their favorite charity, fundraiser, or cause. I’ve had family donate an animal to a family in a third world country in the past instead of buying me a gift and felt so good about it!
7. Gift a meal at a locally owned restaurant. A delicious dining experience is topped only by knowing the dollars stay in your community.
8. Buy gifts from a locally owned business. Local shops have some of the cutest gift ideas. Being able to converse directly with the owner is always a bonus.
9. Buy used from thrift shops, antique shops, flea markets or used music and book stores. I can’t tell you how many wonderful gifts I’ve both bought and received from these stores over the years. The price is right as is the eco-friendly stature, but perhaps the best part is the treasure hunt!
10. Buy fair trade and eco-friendly made gifts. Seek out items that are sustainably produced, recycled or upcycled. Alternatively, help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability by purchasing their fairly traded products.                                                             by The Soulicious Life. 

Hope this gives you ideas to finish your lists and enjoy time with family.

Merry Christmas to all,

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Butternut Squash, Cauliflower and Carrot Recipe

Happy November everyone.
I am missing the warmer weather but I am loving all the many fall veggies available now.

 I have found this recipe for Butternut Squash, Cauliflower and Carrots.

Now is a fantastic time to try some new cauliflower recipes. Roasting Cauliflower quickly in high heat mellows the bitterness and gives it some caramelization for great flavor - m-mmm!
It is so easy and so good. I have made it several times already. Even the young ones like it.

Recipe:

½ head of Cauliflower separated into bite sized florets
3 Carrots peeled and bias-cut into bite-sized pieces
½ of a Butternut Squash, cleaned and chopped into large-bite chunks

Toss Vegetables in a bowl with 2 tsp Olive Oil
Season with Coarse Salt and Pepper, or a Seasoned Salt mix (I used the seasoned salt)
Spread out evenly on a large cookie sheet
Roast at 450 F for 30 minutes

Have a great day,
The Plant Lady ~ Linda

 

Dad's 91 Birthday

It was a blessing to be able to celebrate our Dad's 91 Birthday.  He is in fairly good health and he enjoyed "His" day, especially having all the family around. We had a light meal then cake and ice cream. I forgot my diet for this event! We had those blow party things which all the kids both small and big enjoyed.

Dad and Mom started Adams Fruit Market back in 1964. Our family had growned to six children by this time and Mother wanted a "small" produce market instead of dragging all six of us to Wilmington, DE each week to sell fresh produce. Dad built our market and back in 1964, there was not a lot of traffic so that is why the building is so close to the road today.
Out of six children, three of us run the market, me and my two brothers.

Dad still comes down to the market and enjoys talking to all of you.
Happy Birthday Dad and many more!!!

The Plant Lady~Linda

Some Leap Day Traditions

It only happens every four years: Leap Year. Leap years were introduced over 2,000 years ago with the transition from a Roman calendar to the Julian calendar. Leap years help to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth’s rotations around the sun. Since a day is added to our calendar this year, 2012 will have 366 days rather than the normal 365.

Some interesting traditions and customs have grown up around the Leap year. According to Irish legend, St. Bridget asked St. Patrick to let women do the proposing once every four years. Men would pay a penalty if they refused the marriage proposal; hence this day was sometimes called “Bachelor’s Day.” Leap year is sometimes called “Sadie Hawkins Day” for the comic-strip character in “Li’l Abner.” Sadie was the daughter of early Dogpatch settler Hekzebiah Hawkins and loved to chase men.

In Scotland, it was considered bad luck to be born on Feb. 29. In Greece, it’s considered unlucky to marry during a Leap year and especially on Leap Day.

For leap-day babies, the hard part is how to count their years. The chance of being born on Feb. 29 is 1 in 1,461. Although there are 4 million leap-day babies worldwide, around 200,000 live in the U.S. Some famous leap-day babies include Jimmy Dorsey, Dinah Shore and actor Dennis Farina.
Celebrating a leap year birthday is a fun way to beat growing old. For example, an 84-year-old could honestly say he or she was turning 21. There is even a special society that leapers can join: the Honor society of Leap Year Day Babies.

At any rate, enjoy the extra day this month. It only comes around every four years!
Sources: Cape Cod Times archives, www.timeanddate.com

This morning I baked some brownies for my brother's birthday and some for me too. If you all lived closer, I would share them with you because I do not need those extra calories!

 The plants are growing nice and I enjoy working in the warm, sunny greenhouses.
Hope you all have a fantastic day.

The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Oreo Cookies and Spring Bulbs

My grandson had me buy his favorite cookies, Golden Oreo's. We opened the bag and a little later I noticed he had a stack of cookies on his plate. I put all but three back in the bag hoping to teach him good eating habits. The other day my husband and I noticed that the middles were missing from a  lot of the Oreo's. We were perplexed until we realized that grandson had eaten the centers and put  the cookie part back in the bag. We laughed about this one. I quess three year olds are smarter than their grandparents!

Now for some flower advice ~
How will the lack of snow and cold affect the plants?
 Bulbs will grow in response to two variables, light and temperature. This year, the lack of deep cold and periodic spring warmth has tricked many of early bulbs to break ground weeks ahead of their normal cycle. Nearly all bulbs need a cold period to produce flowers and the cold period needs to last 12-16 weeks or 3-4 months in order of the bulbs to rest and then regrow. Even with the relatively mild winter, our temperatures have been cool enough to give the bulbs their needed dormancy period.

The leaves of spring bulbs are much tougher than their summertime counterparts. The cellular structure of the leaves is such that they can handle the freeze thaw cycle of late winter and early spring. These types of bulbs include daffodils, tulips, crocus, and the like. The fact that the leaves have already broken ground this time of year won't harm the bulb. What you may notice is some browning of the leaf tips and an earlier bloom.  Some bulbs don't flower as well after not having a nice blanket of snow. In the future, you could take some evergreen branches, like those from your Christmas tree, and cover the emerging bulbs with the branches. If you don't have a tree, cut some greens from the woods or use some hay. Keep some soil visible by not piling on the greens or other material too thick. Remember, tulips and hyacinths decline anyway after few years,  treat them as annuals. We will have nice ones at the market during Easter this year.

So what about those shrubs that have their buds opening or already opened? Shrubs that flower early set their buds last summer. In other words, those flower buds always sit dormant through the winter. Plants like lilac, forsythia, rhododendron, magnolia, early dogwoods,and others that flower before mid-June may start to come out of dormancy earlier than usual with the warm weather. The plants themselves will not be harmed. However, some of the flower buds could end up being killed if they open too much and then we get a blast of arctic air. The cold air will be able to penetrate into the buds and thus the plants will not be as floriferous as they potentially could have been. The cold air basically dried out the flower buds. I am ready for spring. How about you?

Blessings,
The Plant Lady ~ Linda

Last Sunday, I went to the beach with my family. I love to go this time of year - no crowds. We rode on the new Indian River bridge (It doesn't take much to entertain me). Only the one side was open. We stopped and looked at the boats out of the water for the winter. My  three year old Grandson enjoyed this and especially  the construction equipment for the new bridge. We stopped and watch some "wind surfer's" for a while. This sport fascinates me. It's looks like a lot of fun.
Monday I cooked like  a professional chef making turkey and dumplings with all the trimmings for my son's birthday dinner.
Today I am going over last year's planting and planning how many of each flower to plant. So it is not all play for me. I can't wait to see all of you in the spring. If you have any plant questions you are welcome to ask me and I will do my best to answer.
Blessings to you!
Theplantlady - Linda

My first blog.

Hello everyone. I am going to try a blog. I have all my seeds/plants ordered and have some fantastic pots for planting.  Very soon we will be busy in the greenhouses. I love working with plants in the sunny, warm greenhouses.
What are you planning to plant this spring?

Theplantlady-Linda