My copper kettle
whistles merrily
and signals that
it is time for tea.

The fine china cups
are filled with the brew.
There’s lemon and sugar
and sweet cream, too.

But, best of all
there’s friendship, between you and me.
As we lovingly share
our afternoon tea.
~Marianna Arolin

If you missed Ladies Night on March 20^th, just thought we should tell you about our new Green Valley exclusive and COLLECTIBLE Teacup and Saucer.  It’s an exclusive design painted and fired by a local artist from Clifton Woods Studio, a Collector Item that is in very limited supply, numbered for your collecting pleasure!  The teacup is a very delicate design with a beautiful PANSY handpainted on one side; the back of the teacup has a demure back of the pansy showing the underside.  This is a great gift for Mom, sister, Grandma, friend.  And there’s a matching teapot!

Another quote, author unknown:  ”Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea.”

We agree.

1. Weather is totally unpredictable.  It can be totally WINTER or totally SPRING or anywhere in between.  It keeps us on our toes and provides something for everyone!
2. When those spring breezes flow in, the smell of spring in the air is an elixir you can’t experience in tropical climates.  This MUST be why all the snowbirds return?
3. MARCH MADNESS and state tournaments galore.  (Another explanation for ROSB – Return of Snow Birds).
4. Garden Centers are preparing for the spring rush, so it’s a great time to visit your local fave—Green Valley Garden Center—where you’ll get all the scents, sights and sounds of spring excitement and catch spring FEVER.
5. March is anticipation…watch for swelling buds on trees, signs of bulbs beginning to ‘show’ themselves.
6. Great place to be if you like the color BROWN.  Snow is melting, ice starting to go off the lake.
7. Make predictions or place friendly family bets on the DAY that ice will leave your favorite lake.
8. We are more apt to get snow that makes great snowmen and snowballs.
9. Since you can’t be in your yard turning over the soil and planting, it’s the perfect time to do a simple soil test so that when you CAN be working the soil, you’ll know how to amend it.
10. Finish pruning oak and elm before the weather turns warm.
11. March is the time to cut pussywillow stems, wild plum stems, forsythia, and force them into bloom in your home.
12. The sun is stronger, so start seeds on your windowsill (or under grow lights).
13. HERBS are in and ready for your windowsill.
14. You can put the push on spring and watch a Bulb Garden come to life.
15. Sunlight, glorious sunlight!  Yeah, days getting longer, sun climbing higher!!
16. Birds returning…hurrah!!
17. Clocks move forward March 11, 2012.
18. Irish folk get to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th.
19. School’s out for SPRING BREAK!!
20. Spring arrives March 20th!!
21. Customers get to use accumulated Loyalty Points at Green Valley Garden Center, but only until the 31st of March!!

Last, but not least, William Cullen Bryant:

MARCH
The stormy March is come at last
With wind, and cloud, and changing skies;
I hear the rushing of the blast
That through the snowy valley flies.

Ah! Passing few are they who speak
Wild stormy month in praise of thee;
Yet though thy winds are loud and bleak
Thou art a welcome month to me.

For thou, to northern lands again
The glad and glorious sun dost bring
And thou hast joined the gentle train,
And wear’st the gentle name of Spring.

And in thy reign of blast and storm
Smiles many a long, bright summer day
When the changed winds are soft and warm
And heaven puts on the blue of May.

Thou bring’st the hope of those calm skies,
And that soft time of sunny showers,
When the wide bloom, on earth that lies,
Seems of a brighter world than ours.

January at our little spot in the country is a time bursting with promise of the seasons to come. There are tulips popping their heads out of the soil in our windowsill bulb pots, the hyacinth will soon be blessing us with fragrance, and daffodils will be jumping out to say, “Here’s a little sunshine for your table on a winter day”!

Easter Lilies are out on the tables and beginning to find the light of day as they emerge from the soil and ‘winter’.

The Wheat Grass is up and treating us to a little perky plant to add a mini ‘lawn’ to a fun pot. HINT: makes great ‘hair’! Come and see what we’ve done…

As usual, there is foliage on our tables to clean the stale indoor air in the home or office. Check out the fantastic work foliage does here.

We’re so thankful to the Great Creator for making plants, not only for their beauty, but also for the way He’s made them with the ability to clean the air around us (one reason outdoor air is so ‘fresh’ is that trees, grasses and other plants are working silently to make it that way).

During January, we’ve begun the Great 2012 Makeover at Green Valley Garden Center and it’s truly an exciting moment in our history to showcase our plants and what we do here in an even better way. Come visit us and let us delight your senses. Watch our EVENTS page for upcoming classes and ‘happenings’ leading into spring.

Many of you asked for the recipes of the yummy treats that we served. Here they are.

You vendors (you know who you are) were fantastic and we are grateful you came and hope you connected with many of our customers. We love to make connections with local businesses and entrepreneurs.

**GV Factoid: Did you know Green Valley Greenhouse grew approximately 150,000 poinsettia plants this year? That’s A LOT from our little spot in the country!

If you had damage from deer checking out your tasty shrubs, evergreens or using your fruit trees for a scratching post, it’s time to apply a coating of a liquid pest spray.  “Liquid Fence” works year-round to keep deer and rabbits from all your shrubs and trees.  It’s long lasting and rain resistant while being earth and family friendly.  “Repels-All” will last up to 2 months and keep out a number of critters including mice, voles, shrews, chipmunks, rabbits and birds.  It’s environmentally safe and biodegradable.  Spray on now and again before winter takes hold to build up a strong defense.  Continue applications throughout the winter.  The wildlife is preparing for winter, so get a jump on them before they fatten up on your landscape.

Now is a great time to plant BULBS for spring. If you haven’t considered it, why not try garlic? Couldn’t be easier and we’ll show you how. And while you’re at it, might as well plop a few tulips, daffodils, crocus, etc to get that wow look as soon as the snow melts. Remember wanting that color last year when it started showing up in your neighborhood? This is how to get it—plant during October. Very easy.

Hey, don’t toss those containers from your spring plants! They can be very helpful when decorating for the holidays. We will help you fill them with WINTERGREENS to cheer your outdoors all winter long. Think 16” Moss Hanging Basket or 12” or 10”…or your deck planters. How beautiful they are when greened and decorated! We have many upcoming classes during November where you’ll be able to bring your own pots/hanging baskets/deck planters and fill them up during our workshops–and save some dough!

We are busy preparing for our Fairy Fest happening on Saturday, July 9, 2011 from 10am to 2pm. This is a first for us but we have all been inspired by the charm and magic of Fairy gardens! We are Fairy Crazy! This Saturday we will be hosting a celebration of Fairies of all ages. This event will be complete with live music and a fairy gardenmother telling stories. We hope you will join us. Check out our website for more details…

Here is a little background information on the creators of many of the fairy products that we carry. It is interesting that some of the products are designed by a very modern artist and some are from the early 1900’s.  The mystique of fairies lives on even today.

Cicely May Barker was born in West Croydon, Surrey on June 28, 1895. She was fascinated with fairies all of her life and had a passion for creating them along with poems and stories. She drew her inspiration from real people, often her younger sister, and her drawings of plants are always botanically correct. Her attention to detail and the sweet charm of her fairies are what make her art a timeless tradition, and many of her creations are still sold all over the world today.

We also have many pieces by Marjolein Gulinski.  She is a self-taught young artist from the Netherlands who designs all of her own work. Marjolein places special emphasis on the faces of fairies and desires for the fairy to “look kindly at her.” The attention to detail in the face and also the attention to coloring make these fairies exceptionally charming for any spot in your home or garden.

We love the idea of these Potager Gardens being completely functional and also beautiful; so we decided to give them a try here in our own display gardens. We designed a knot garden and filled it with rosemary, swiss chard, radishes, lavender, basil, and chives; just to name a few. Kids and adults alike will love a pizza garden; we planted our own using a paste tomato, peppers, basil, and oregano.

Raised beds are growing in popularity and with good reason; some benefits of raised beds are that they are higher and easier to work in rather than the ground, their soil can more easily be amended with fertilizer or compost, and they dramatically reduce weeds. What’s not to love?

Some houseplants are more beneficial than others.  Some of the most effective at cleaning the air are: anthurium, dieffenbachia, ivy, ZZ plant, dracaena, schefflera, spathiphyllum, palm, rubber, sansevieria, and ferns. These common plants and many others can dramatically improve the air you breathe every day. We spend nearly 90% of our lives indoors.  Why not do what we can to purify the air that we are breathing? All of these plants are easy to grow, natural humidifiers, and purify the air.

“Sick building syndrome” results from newer buildings and homes that are built to be more energy efficient. Energy efficiency does have its benefits, but it also means that pollutants are not escaping and dissipating into the outdoor air. Effects range from skin and eye irritations to headaches and allergies. NASA recommends 1 plant per 100 square feet of home or office space.  That provides the right amount of space for the plant to be an “effective air cleaner.”