January 7 , 2016
Renewal: The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion
Happy Newe Ya’ar — sage that is ! Does coolheaded , moist leap or red-hot humid summer send your sage to the compost pile ? You ’ll “ bee ” very happy with this one , Daphne ’s Plant of the Week . Developed by horticulturist in Newe Ya’ar , Israel , this hybrid of Salvia officinalis and Salvia fruticosa met their finish for a salvia that can withstand abrasive mood . I ran into this silvery , edible beauty in countless gardens last year . Shrubby but compact , its spring flower bedspread ripples with delighted pollinator , admit bees . Find out more about Newe Ya’ar sage .
The newfangled yr turned the calendar page to renewal . My New Dawn finally plop up after a skeletal summer . Many stalwart roses abandoned leaves when sudden drought followed an remarkably wet spring , spill the overload to save their stem . My evergreen plant matchstick bromeliad ( Aechmea gamosepala ) anchors a host of seasons : fall ’s Lycoris radiata , spring ’s larkspurs come forth under a mountain laurel poised for flowery perfume , and a winter Arum pushing though leaves I piled on to nurture next summertime . On a gay day , bee hurry on over . To feed trite soil after summer ’s brutish thrashing , I ’m toil into my compost pile . It astounds me , always , how kitchen and garden scraps ( along with indoor bunny litter ! ) transform into newfangled lifespan . Daphne tells us : “ While compost may be applied any time of year , winter is the best sentence to apply large amounts when plants are dormant . Compost needs a little time to be broken down by microbes and become a part of your garden soil . That microbial action turns the compound that are tied up in that organic matter into precious , slow - release nutrients for your works . Better soil complex body part means better water and alimental holding capacity , as well as better atomic number 8 exchange . ”Find out more .
A renewal for many of my friends call for a magnanimous one : cancer . Although it ’s not darkened my own doorway , architect Jenny Peterson’slatest bookThe Cancer Survivor ’s Garden Companiontouched me profoundly on many personal levels . This calendar week , Jenny consume us on her voyageto cultivate hope , healing and joy in the ground beneath your feet . Colorful , cheerful , and pepper with Jenny ’s jest - out - flashy wit , she blends poignant and compassionate stories with practical guides for the torso , nous , and spirit . William Le Baron Jenny profiles genus Cancer survivors from across the country , includingdesigner and source Rebecca Sweet’sspirited reply to her diagnosis . My gardening has been curtailed by mobility issues , and Jenny ’s book is aid me on my ocean trip to recuperation , as I know it will yours — be it cancer or any life - altering force play . conform is a gardener ’s motto ! Keep grow all winter — even in small spaces — with John ’s soft DIY instructions to build a cold frame . Viewer Picture goes to Nelwyn Perskywho surprised her grandkids on Easter with newly stained concrete bunnies!Watch Merrideth Jiles ’ DIY steps for stain concretethat remind Nelwyn ’s latest escapade .
On tour , Elayne Lansford ’s powerful story of her triumph over Crab always boosts my strong drink . A master of creative recycling , she gives orphaned object new intent , like her waterfall craft from a Goodwill patio table . Here ’s how she did it ( and modify it).An erstwhile galvanize vat and broken tiles fix into concrete anchor rebar for a bottle C. W. Post . Since childhood , Elayne has bonk feeding bottle trees . When Crab diminished her look , she rally by dotting her wildflower hayfield with glasswork of all kinds . Giving newfangled life to road side or penny-pinching storage finds restored her strength in a remaking quest . Then , soon after her recovery , her husband face an even momentous battle with cancer . A friend built her an spindle lead with an old bottom leap bottle “ tree diagram . ”She says , “ So there is a possibility at some stage if there were lots of bottles out there they might keep some of the bad energy away from the house . ”To fulfil the hayfield with bottleful Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , Elayne take welding classes at ACC , a newfound skill that helped her heal . For inner - place fourth dimension , she draw close a tiny meditative cove into embracing plants . Watch her story now !
Thank you for stopping by ! See you next week , Linda
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