I spent a lovely, relaxing afternoon at The Great Outdoors recently, just my Nikon and me. I wasn’t shopping for clients, I didn’t have a plant order to place or a bamboo question for Merrideth, the local expert. I just wanted to roam around and take pictures. I took a photography class a couple of weeks ago, so I was eager to play around with the white balance and ISO settings–and I had some luck with a slew of crested euphorbias! I hope you enjoy looking at these beauties as much as I enjoyed taking pics of them. Now, no more words, just a Euphorbia Love Fest:

Today I’m leaving for Little Rock, Arkansas for a bit of a whirlwind garden blogging extravaganza! P. Allen Smith, noted garden designer and television garden show host (“P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home”) has invited 22 garden bloggers from around the United States to his Garden Home Retreat at Moss Mountain Farm to talk all things garden and writing, and I’m honored to be among the guests.

We’ll be touring local gardens as well as the Garden Home Retreat, talking with Allen and other people in the industry. Allen says:

“Our Garden Home partners have got some great workshops and activities cooked up for everyone, and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun. I don’t want to give away too much, but let’s just say there’s nothing wrong with a little competition among friends!”

Well, that sounds intriguing, and I’m always up for some good competition! I know many of the writers who will be there, but some are new to me, so I’m very much looking forward to catching up with some old friends while making new ones. And I can’t wait to report back to you all once I get home–although not everyone is interested in writing, we’re all into gardens and plants, so my trusty Nikon and I will not let you down! So here’s where I’ll be spending two days:

It’s making this balcony gardener swoon, all that space! M’kay, I’m off–I’ll talk to you all when I get home and, in the meantime, keep gardening! It’s spring, after all.

I’m thankful that our April flowers have been decent, because we sure haven’t had any measurable rain to lead to May flowers! This month is my favorite in the garden–aside from it being my birthday, April is such an alive month, isn’t it? Greenery poking up through the ground, reminding us of plants we forgot were there.

I was mesmerized recently on a trip to my friends’, Jacque & Sherry’s, garden. That garden has exploded in color in recent weeks, so many of my flower pics are from their “back 40.” Look at the sunny yellow of this iris–not a variety I usually see!

And the pink-lemonade of this one is so damn yummy, isn’t it?

Gerbera daisies always remind me of my sister, Laura–it’s her favorite flower!

I’m really lucky to have spotted this patch of bluebonnets; it’s probably the only one in Texas this year! Our wildflower season has been the pits–the only other place I’ve seen our state flower is in a soccer field at an elementary school.

We don’t have cherry blossoms in Texas, but I spotted some in a recent visit to Hakone Gardens in CA. The delicate bloom against a brilliant blue sky is achingly beautiful.

This ranunculus was in perfect bloom in the edible garden at The San Francisco Flower and Garden show a couple of weeks ago. In my next garden, I’m going to to incorporate more cutting flowers!

One of the oddest things I’ve seen this spring was at Zilker Gardens where Rachel Mathews and I noticed red bud blooms up and down the trunks of the trees. I’ve never seen that before–it was like “Attack of the Red Bud Pod People.” Don’t trust it–it only looks beautiful until the aliens spring forth and take your first born.

I can do without any other spring flower except Texas Mountain Laurel–the purple-indigo flowers infused with the instantly recognizable grape Kool-Aid scent is luscious. Puts me in my happy place, where I’m no longer concerned about Red Bud aliens.

This red-flowering quince was, I think, the first sign of spring down at Zilker–the blooms standing in stark contrast to the otherwise bare branches definitely announces that winter is over.

So many gardeners take pictures of their spring flowers–I’d love it if you hopped over to my Facebook fan page and added yours!

So I decided last year that I should grow a flowering vine on my balcony railing, but I never did it. This year, I’m a new and improved gardener! I’ve got goals and 150 square feet of gardening space, a veritable force of nature! Yeah, whatever. But I did score some morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor) seedlings from my client, Kris, and her mother, Judy:

I’m hoping these are the ‘Heavenly Blue’ variety–Kris and Judy planted several varieties last year with pink, white and blue flowers, so we don’t really know what these are. I did feel a bit like a 2nd grader bringing home my plastic cup with seedlings, though! Here’s what I’m hoping it will look like :

photo by wisdomquarterly.blogspot.com

As you can see, I have a long way to go, but I’m on a Heavenly Blue Mission, so stay tuned. The people standing at the bus stop below my balcony will love me.

I love anything free, especially when it’s awesome free stuff. Add “garden” between awesome and free, and I’m hooked. If you are, too, then check out these contests going on right now–these sites are having a serious case of Spring Fling!

Seasonal Wisdom– Teresa O’Connor is celebrating spring and the redesign of her blog by doing a whole week’s worth of give-aways! Just leave a comment on her site, and correspond it to the post with the freebie you’re drooling over, and you could be the big winner! Nursery gift certificates, books, solar lights, tools and compost teas are on the list. Teresa’s blog is so cool, though, you’ll bookmark it as one of your favorites.

Urban Gardens– Want to win a really cool self-watering container? Enter Robin Horton’s “Think Outside the Planter Box” photo contest! Take a pic of a creative container and send it in to enter. And seriously, get creative! Got a strange plant/plant combo? Crazy colors? A repurposed container (bra, anyone?)? I’ve been following Robin’s award-winning blog for a year and a half now; if you garden on the edge and look for unusual ideas along with clean, contemporary lines, you’ll want to follow it, too!

Fifthroom Living– How about winning $1000 of outdoor furniture or structures for your landscape? Submit a photo of your bleak patio, deck or outdoor room and talk about which of gorgeous structures at Fifthroom you would want, and bingo! I should tell you, too, that Fifthroom Living is a new home & garden blog and I’m one of the five featured writers–this is an awesome site, if I do say so myself!

Thanks For Today– To celebrate Earth Day (April 22) and the 2nd Annual “Gardeners Sustainable Project,” there’s a contest to win a composter, a rain barrel, books, tools, compost tea and all sorts of other things! Just leave a comment on the post and you’re entered to win. Do you think they’ll think I’m brown-nosing if I leave a comment??

]]> http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/2011/04/vivid/feed/ 3 http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/2011/03/san-francisco-flower-garden-show/ http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/2011/03/san-francisco-flower-garden-show/#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:36:12 +0000 Jenny Peterson http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/?p=2619

I’m loving being in the Bay area this week at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show–it’s my second time to the show, and it’s such an exciting week seeing the display gardens and getting caught up with friends! On the Tuesday before the show begins, our wonderful friend, Rebecca Sweet, opens up her gorgeous home and garden and hosts a tweet-up. It’s our chance to get all caught up with each other and enjoy some down time before the wild activity of the week begins.

We were also celebrating the release of Rebecca’s and Susan Morrison’s book, “Garden Up!“, as well as our friend Ivette Soler’s book, “The Edible Front Yard.” Rebecca put together a great display table that had everyone’s books up front and center.

I happened to catch Rebecca and Susan off to the side, signing some copies of their books. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t bring along my own copy!

Rebecca’s husband, Tom, is the most awesome bartender. This year he made a yummy concoction of gin, basil, lemon juice, champagne. I thought it was pretty good, but had to have three just to be sure.

The crowd is always a lively mix of garden enthusiasts and writers. From left to right, there’s Patty Craft (Horticulture magazine), her sister Jeanette Craft Sinclair (Woodside Images), Charlotte Germane (Dirt Du Jour and H. Potter), Theresa Loe (Growing a Greener World) and in the foreground is Cindy McNatt (Dirt Du Jour).

Here’s sisters Jeanette & Patty again–I usually only see these two once a year at Rebecca’s, and it’s always such a treat.

Even though it was cool and off-again rainy, I snuck out to the garden to get some good shots. This garden is magical; it just lures you out of the house to play and explore.

Rebecca is such a thoughtful gardener; there are vignettes like this one everywhere you look.

And look at Rebecca’s studio for her design business, Harmony in the Garden! This studio is so quaint and cottage-y; it used to be her parent’s shed that was redone a few years ago to give her a place to create.

I was so jealous of this hanging basket of fuschias–this beautiful bloomer doesn’t do well in our Austin, Texas, climate, so I’m forced to admire it from afar.

Thanks, Rebecca, for the always incredible start to a fabulous week! You and Tom are such gracious hosts–I know I speak for many in saying that you always help us to create the most lovely memories of our time in California, in the gardens and with friends. On to the show!

]]> http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/2011/03/san-francisco-flower-garden-show/feed/ 4 http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/2011/03/garden-up-cyber-book-party-comes-to-a-giddy-end/ http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/2011/03/garden-up-cyber-book-party-comes-to-a-giddy-end/#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:00:22 +0000 Jenny Peterson http://www.jpetersongardendesign.com/?p=2615

Whew! Wow, this had been quite a week–last Monday, Rebecca Sweet and Susan Morrison’s book, “Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces” (Cool Springs Press) was released to an avalanche of attention and great press. To celebrate it, Susan, Rebecca and several other bloggers who were featured in the book banned together to form a Cyber Book Party last Monday–we blogged about “Garden Up” and offered door prizes on each of our respective blogs. To enter to win, all you had to do was leave a comment on the post. And leave comments you did! I had over 100 comments and I know the other bloggers had similar entries.

Readers of J. Peterson Garden Design were offered the chance to win a $75.00 gift certificate from High Country Gardens, an incredible online nursery based in Albuquerque, NM. So…….who won? Well, that would be JPGD reader Jan Bills! My son, Luke, chose a number from the total comments, and that’s how the numbers rolled!  (Luke says, “You’re welcome, Jan.”)  We’re letting Jan know today that she won, and I can’t wait to hear from her about what she plans to buy from High Country Gardens. I’ll let you all know what she gets–I’m rooting for the grasses! Every good garden needs some awesome swishy grasses.

Thanks to everyone who visited our blogs, read our posts and left comments! I wish I could have given each one of you a door prize. But, I must say, the best prize is getting your own copy of  ”Garden Up!”–it is so full of inspiring ideas and gorgeous photographs that I have been falling asleep most nights this past week with the book on my stomach. Thanks for coming to our party and being the perfect party guests–we all had a blast, and it sure looks like you all did, too!

CONGRATULATIONS, JAN!

Check here for other winners:

Gossip in the Garden

Digging

My Rubber Boots

Blue Planet Garden Blog

Compost in My Shoe

Interleafings

For those of you who are used to visiting my site on Thursdays to pick up the “Garden Project of the Week,” I have good and bad news for you! The good news is that it’s Thursday and there are 5 more days in the “Garden Up!” Cyber Book Party, so that means 5 more days for you to leave a comment on the post and enter to win a $75 gift certificate from High Country Gardens. For those of you not in the know, my friends Rebecca Sweet and Susan Morrison have written a spectacular book called “Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces” that was just released this week. So a number of bloggers involved with the book are co-hosting a book party with give-away door prizes for your garden! Check out the post link above to see the prizes and leave a comment.

The bad news is that, in the interest of being a good party host, the Garden Project of the Week will take a hiatus this week. Come on, stop grumbling. Do you really want your party host to leave the party to put together a garden project? Or would you rather she stick around to make sure everyone’s having a good time? I thought you’d see it my way. So, party on–visit sites, leave comments and be prepared to have your name pulled out of the proverbial hat this coming Monday! Cheers!

Hey, I’m all about a party–you give me a reason and I’m there! And I’m so excited, because today is one of the biggest reasons to party and celebrate this spring–my super-talented landscape designer and writer friends, Rebecca Sweet and Susan Morrison, have written a fantastic book that is in bookstores starting today! “Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces” (Cool Springs Press) is a gorgeous, timely book about using vertical spaces in your garden to maximize your square footage. To celebrate the release of this book, J. Peterson Garden Design is co-hosting a cyber book party today, complete with door prizes and party favors!

Rebecca and Susan are personal friends as well as colleagues of mine, so I would be so excited and proud about this book no matter what! But what makes it even more exciting is that they have honored me by including pictures of my own balcony garden and featuring me in a “Design Spotlight” in their book. Making me all verklempt, those two. So are you ready to party with me? Here’s the door prize: anyone leaving a comment on this post is eligible to win a $75 gift certificate from the incredibly awesome Santa Fe and Alubuquerque-based High Country Gardens– this online nursery not only caters to gardeners who are committed to xeriscaping (make me swoon, why don’t you), but they offer really cool plants that would add a gorgeous vertical accent to any garden, large or small! Just think: you could get a sampler of ornamental grasses that fit perfectly into those small, tight spaces in your garden:

Or you could order wildflower seeds, unusual cacti or low-water-usage flowering perennials. But you have to enter to win, so leave a comment and in one week, we will announce the winner! But, wait, there’s more! Other blogs are participating in our Cyber Book Party, so you have chances to win all sorts of other cool garden-y things:

Rebecca Sweet: Gossip in the Garden blog, win loppers from Fiskars

Susan Morrison: Blue Planet Garden Blog, win a trellis from H. Potter

Jim Martin: Compost in my Shoe blog, win a $50 gift certificate to Annie’s Annuals

Laura Livengood Schaub: Interleafings blog, win an awesome Woolly Pocket

Angela Davis: My Rubber Boots blog, win a $25 gift certificate from Peaceful Valley

Pam Penick: Digging blog, win a succulent wall art kit from Succulent Gardens

And if you are one of the first 100 people to purchase “Garden Up!” Susan and Rebecca will send a signed book plate with a dedication to you–just click on the link and make your purchase! But remember–leave a comment on each of these blogs plus J. Peterson Garden Design to have a chance to win the fabulous door prizes (I’m doing my Vanna White hands now, can you see it??)–and the contest is open for a week, ending on Monday, March 21st, when we’ll all post the winners.

So which one do you want? The loppers? The woolly pocket? The gift certificates? Well, what are you waiting for? Go leave your comments! I think I want the succulent wall art kit, so Pam’s blog better watch out; I’m about ready to bomb it. Good luck!