Category: Plants

Helping hands….

Everyone needs some help at times of the day, the year, or even in a moment.

We all know it’s spring thank goodness it’s time for flowers and herbs and gardening again! Peaceful. Healthy. Beauty. Color. Meditative. Calming. Soothing – those all words I associate with gardens and gardening. Here in my little piece of the world I have a back deck that turns into a little piece of all those words for me each year. It is a deck that I surround with “window boxes” or in this case rail boxes, that I mostly fill with Herbs. I use the herbs for cooking, ice tea (yes I grow many mints,) and just because I love being able to go out there and have all these possible scents surround me. There are naturally flowers too…but enough about what I personally plant.  The real point of this story is helping hands…..so…. I was at my local garden center to buy the soil for the boxes. There was even a special deal price of my favorite soil in a 2 1/4 cubic feet bag.  Great! Now, you need to know that I am pretty strong and about 5 foot 8, so I am not a small weak wisp of grass…. these bags are HEAVY! I struggled to get the first on my cart. Then the helping hand came. A couple came walking by, the man asked if I was getting another bag. I said yes, and he (with some effort too I may add) put the second one on cart. FAB! Then to add to the goodness, they were right behind in line to pay, and he offered to put them in my car for me. A big win for Kindness and for me. Thanks you universe for that helping hand when I needed it.

Helping Hands image

Helping hands…holding hands… the two often mix. That’s a very good thing.

 

 

 

 

 

Groundhog day…

Izzy and the Groundhog
Izzy and the Groundhog in the South. This is NOT  New England in February with those flowers! Or… we have a bigger climate change problem than we knew!

Izzy escaped the winter and went south to work on her art for a bit. However, she did her part for those us up North,  found the local Groundhog…and asked…  6 more weeks or not? 

Info from National Geographic- Groundhog…. click here

“The groundhog, or woodchuck, is one of 14 species of marmots. These rodents live a feast-or-famine lifestyle and gorge themselves all summer to build up plentiful reserves of fat. After the first frost, they retreat to their underground burrows and snooze until spring, drawing their sustenance from body fat. (Maybe they have it all figured out? Eat eat eat, hide, dissolve the fat and reappear! ) While hibernating, the animal’s heart rate plunges, and its body temperature is not much warmer than the temperature inside its burrow.

Groundhog hibernation gave rise to the popular American custom of Groundhog Day, held on the second of February every year. Tradition dictates that if a groundhog sees its shadow that day, there will be six more weeks of winter, though such a prediction seems a sure bet over much of the groundhog’s North American range.

In the spring, females welcome a litter of perhaps a half-dozen newborns, which stay with their mother for several months.

Groundhogs are the largest members of the squirrel family. Though they are usually seen on the ground, they can climb trees and are also capable swimmers. These rodents frequent the areas where woodlands meet open spaces, like fields, roads, or streams. Here they eat grasses and plants as well as fruits and tree bark. Groundhogs are the bane of many a gardener. They can decimate a plot while voraciously feeding during the summer and fall seasons.” –Info from National Geographic- Groundhog…. click here

 

All Hallows Eve

Need I say more? Hope you all are safe, dry and “powered” – may the little ones have a good time this eve.

Birdelli ready for Halloween
Birdelli ready for Halloween – from the archive.

Like Pie? Like Art? Like Fairs?… how about gifts?

The weather forecast is glorious and we hope to see you there! This is a 2 part post… check the second half for a preview of our new Holiday Product line! You can click on the images to see them larger.

Pies
mug gift sets
This is a preview of our NEW READY TO GO GIFT SETS.
One more theme will be coming…but here is 3 out of 4!It’s a “pick and pay” easy peasy gift solution.There will be 4 themes:
3 are ready and will be available this weekend!

  • Jolie with a “Love to you” mug set.
  • Ron with a Garden mug set.
  • Vaboom with a Desk mug Set.
  • The 4th and final one is a DOG set- stay tuned!

♥ Jolie: Our Herbalist who creates, makes, produces, and shares her products of Herbs and natural oils for both Beauty and medical remedies. Her image is featured on her set, and the mug holds:
Delightful Body products made from all organic materials made by Garden Gate Herbals right here in Franklin MA : Lip Balm to pamper your fall and winter lips- either Lavender or Wintergreen / Comfrey Salve – for reliving minor rashes, insect bites wounds – like those paper cuts from gift wrapping! Rosehip or Lavender Glycerite: Rosehips are high in Vit. C and tasty too! Both are Calming for all ages. (Take a few drops on your tong or right down the hatch!) …Topping off  this set is 3 bookmarks,  a flower and gift box adornment.

♥ Ron: Our Master Garden and Climate change guy: His mug contains 3 packs of Burpee Garden seeds that all have long shelf lives-have fun and plant inside now or you can wait. They all have a small Garden Sick/Marker with a butterfly attached for Garden Dreaming all winter long! They too have a Body product, made by another woman who’s business is called: Aromatherapy for the 2 legged & the 4 legged,  this time so local it’s down the street! Enclosed is a Garden Lavender Salve  for soothing and calming yourself as needed! …Topping off  this set is 3 bookmarks and a gift box adornment.

♥ Vaboom: She is the Keeper of New Words, kindness and Eco words are her thing and she is champion of the Desk Set Gift. Her mug holds: 3 Bic Pens, 3 fun Pencils, 1 Ruler, 1 fun chunky roundish Pretty Pen, and a bottle of “Mental Clarity“  Spray. This spray helps keep the “muddle” at bay! This one is also by Aromatherapy for the 2 legged and 4 legged and is essential oils – you spray this very yummy warm and comforting spray in your “personal area” and you indeed feel better and “clearer in the head!” Amazing!! ..Topping off  this set is 3 bookmarks and a gift box adornment.

All are wrapped and ready to go! All include a small according folded pamphlet with a story about Collaboration, Community, woman helping woman in business and in life, and why that Botanical is champion of that gift set. Each package has a cushion on the base of eco friendly shredded paper, a clear bag, a ribbon and even a GIFT TAG… but you may still want to purchase a special Botanical Beauty Card as well!