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What’s on your wish list?

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It’s cold outside, sometimes rainy, sometimes snowing, but if you are like me- a true gardener at heart, you are starting to dream about the next growing season. You are aren’t you?

If so, what would be on your dream gift list? We might be the easiest people to please this season. A packet of seeds from a plant that we’ve been longing to try, or perhaps a pair of Felco pruners? I’m a lefty so I have Felco #9 pruners, and old pair of my parents Felco #2.

What other items would you list if you could? Gloves, garden clogs, garden journals or plaques? Fancy plant markers? Garden statues, water falls, or gnomes? Or would you choose bird baths, bird feeders, wind chimes, weather vanes, or outdoor thermometers?

Maybe your loved ones could get you some bulbs that have already been prepared so they’ll bloom indoors for you in the new year? Or maybe you’d like to try an orchid or bonsai? Gift certificates for garden centers or stores that carry outdoor furniture- patio tables, BBQ’s, sheds?

Gardeners like myself who love to photograph the plants in their own gardens and others might be interested in photography equiptment, photography software for the computer, or photographic printing supplies. Some gardeners might be interested in software that will help them create an online garden journal, or perhaps landscaping software.

Then there are the garden books. That would keep you busy throughout the long cold winter wouldn’t it? Perhaps William Alexander’s the $64 Tomato, or Tracey DiSabato-Aust’s revised The Well-Tended Perennial Garden.

The list goes on and on. Tell me how I did- did I hit on any of the items that you would like to get for the holidays? What other items would you add to the list?






Design your own custom carpet

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When we moved into our house we removed all of the wall to wall carpeting on our second day of owning the house.

The previous owners had had a cat- and while I think that cats can make great pets, both my husband and I are very allergic to them. We removed the carpet to lessen any allergens from the cat, plus the carpet was an ugly robins egg blue color throughout the whole house. I have nothing against robins egg blue- but not only was the carpeting that colour but so were the walls in all the rooms but the upstairs bathroom. Ironically enough the only room that has any similar colour to the one that dominated the house is the upstairs bathroom.

We refinished our floors and we have wonderful white oak hardwood floors- the original flooring too I might add. It’s lovely. But …

Sometimes I wish we had at least an area carpet in the living room. My feet get cold, and also I think some area carpets add to a rooms overall feel and style. So I’ve been looking around and I was quite pleased yesterday when I found a company that lets you create your own custom rugs. That’s right, you can remodel an existing design from their collection to suit your style or you can create a custom rug style of your very own. I’m definitely going to be looking into this to see if there is anything that I can come up with that would look great in our living room.

If you are interested in creating your own custom rugs you could visit their online store Luxrug.com or you might be lucky enough to live near one of their showrooms in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, or Dallas. The actual company that makes the rugs is called Tufenkian and they specialize in handmade Tibetan and Armenian carpets. That’s right- I said handmade. The carpets are made of high quality materials, handknotted and are often of Tibetan and Armenian design. If I’m going to create a design for a custom carpet I think this is the company I would choose to work with. Why don’t you visit the site and browse through there designs and styles.

Wrought Iron Garden Decor

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I just came across an online store that I think my fellow gardeners might enjoy, and well, anyone who likes wrought iron pieces in or outside of the home. The company appears to specialize mainly in indoor wrought iron works like Metal Wall Hangings, wine racks, wall candle scones or candle holders and kitchen accessories.

When I discovered that Wrought Iron Decor also carried a line of items for the garden I was especially pleased. I was looking at two different types of welcome signs – one is a horse, and one is an oval welcome sign. I think I like the oval one best. Take a peek and let me know if you prefer one of these over the other. As I browsed through the site it didn’t take too long before I discovered that they also sell wrought iron flower boxes. I particularly like the Lindsay Ornate flower box.

Am I wrong in thinking that all gardeners enjoy pieces made of wrought Iron – indoors and out? Or is it just me? I always stop and look at metal art work when I come across it.

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