“Close to Home: Gardeners keep it in the family - Maine Sunday Telegram” plus 4 more |
- Close to Home: Gardeners keep it in the family - Maine Sunday Telegram
- Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show lawsuit - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
- The home garden Americans spending more 0x000A>to beautify their ... - Gainesville Sun
- The home garden: spending more, enjoying it longer - Trentonian
- How to Sip a Flower Garden - New York Times
| Close to Home: Gardeners keep it in the family - Maine Sunday Telegram Posted: 18 Aug 2009 07:44 PM PDT Gardening isn't just in the ground. It's in the blood. Kay Doucette traces her gardening skills back to her mother. "My parents made us work in the garden, and I hated every minute of it, or so I thought," she said. Doucette tied for the first-place Green Thumb award with Jack Doherty last month. The Scarborough Garden Club hosted the annual contest, in which gardens are nominated and judged by a panel of club members. Nominees are judged and scored on overall design and composition, maintenance, plant health and weather and soil conditions. Winners received gift certificates to the Highland Avenue Greenhouse. Doucette started gardening after she bought her home in Scarborough three years ago. She spends four to five hours a day maintaining the gardens.They are thick with a variety of flowers and grasses in two areas at the front of the house and one larger section of the back. Jack Doherty started gardening when he retired 15 years ago. He spends about four hours a day maintaining his lush garden of coneflowers, daylilies, geraniums, roses and pianese, among many others, at his Higgins Beach home. Mary Jane Martelle-Aube, Green Thumb judge and publicity chairperson of the Scarborough Garden Club, applauded Doucette and Doherty for their gardens. "In three years' time, it's really impressive," Martelle-Aube said of Doucette's gardens. Doucette's gardens have a similar variety of flowers and grasses as Doherty's, but they present different challenges. Doucette manages full-sun exposure. Doherty tends to very wet and sandy soil next to the beach. "There are so many elements he had to work with," said Martelle-Aube. "That's pretty impressive." Doucette, Doherty and Martelle-Aube claimed to be novices, though each has more than a decade of experience. When asked for a gardening tip, Martelle-Aube said she's big on native plants. "Learn what's native for your area and plant it," she said. "They will always do well." Doucette, an organic gardener, advised potential contest winners to keep up with the deadheading and to hand-pick the bugs off plants rather than use pesticides. Martelle-Aube, who also said her green thumb was inherited, encouraged any gardener to join their local garden club. The club offers an opportunity to learn a lot about gardening and a chance to connect with the people of the community. "People who put their hands in dirt are the kind of people you want to know," she said. Staff Writer Amy Martin can be contacted at 791-6325 or at: amartin@pressherald.com  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show lawsuit - Pittsburgh Tribune Review Posted: 11 Aug 2009 08:57 PM PDT The Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show on Tuesday sued a company that plans to promote a similar show in Monroeville. The 30-page lawsuit filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court claims that operators of the Allegheny Home & Garden Show purposefully picked a similar name to confuse patrons. The Allegheny show is scheduled to run at the Monroeville Convention Center less than two weeks before the Pittsburgh show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown, in March 2010. The lawsuit asks a judge to order an injunction to halt the use of the Allegheny Home & Garden Show name and award monetary damages to the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show. Downtown-based Oxford Development Co. and Cleveland-based Expositions Inc. are named as defendants. Monroeville's new Convention Center, located in the former Wickes Furniture store, is scheduled to open in September
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| The home garden Americans spending more 0x000A>to beautify their ... - Gainesville Sun Posted: 17 Aug 2009 04:54 PM PDT We're paying a lot more attention to beautifying our own backyards, perhaps because we're traveling less. Americans are spending about 20 percent more than last year on planters, benches and outdoor accessories, according to online sales tracker CSN. That's what often happens during a recession, apparently. Sharon Acocella, manager of Tony's Nurseries in Larchmont, N.Y., remembers her old boss saying years ago, "Economy's doing badly; we'd better buy heavy." She reports that while there's been a falloff in some categories - notably statuary and fancier items - there has been vigorous activity on other fronts. "Blue- and black-glazed pots are more popular than ever," she says. "We've re-ordered those, and many of our square and rectangular containers, too." Next door at Larchmont Nurseries, Gloria DeMatas and Donna Bianco echo the positive assessment. They've done well with wind chimes, window boxes and pottery. "We've sold lots of cobalt blue pots. They're so eye-catching; they stand out nicely in the garden, and all flowers look beautiful in a blue pot," says DeMatas. Birdbaths are another brisk seller. "Right now, people are enjoying staying at home," Bianco says. "Inside and out, they want to surround themselves with things that make them happy." People investing the last of their discretionary cash in their gardens probably want to enjoy them beyond the summer. Pam Brooks, president of online retailer Arizona Pottery, likes the durability of polyresin planters, which resist the stresses of freeze and thaw and are conveniently lightweight. "They're crack-proof, weather-proof, and will never fade like plastic," Brooks says. A wide palette of hues, and styles ranging from classical to modern, make these a versatile choice. For something a little different, Brooks suggests Vietnamese river clay pots, known for weather hardiness. Terra cotta is often rejected by consumers as delicate, but Brooks says "clay's a natural material that, more than any other, creates a perfect ecological environment." Plant roots maintain an even temperature in clay, which absorbs excess moisture. But the pots can dry out, and do need to be protected in winter. Try painting the pots inside and out with an insulating liquid resin. And make sure your plantings are well "crocked" by adding a bottom layer of pebbles or broken pottery for drainage. Set saucered containers on pot feet and keep watering whenever the soil feels dry. Move potted perennials to a sheltered spot when the harsher weather arrives. Firebowls and pits are increasingly popular. Tabletop and floor model propane-fed heaters, long popular in the Southwest, have found a wider audience. There are many versions of the firepit, some incorporating a coffee table or at least a ledge to support a smores stick. For something more unusual, consider the chimenea, or chimneyed outdoor oven; it serves well in the wind, and channels any excess smoke skyward. Online retailer Teak, Wicker and More has some attractive cast-iron designs, while FirePitsCentral has a huge range of bowls and heaters. There are other intriguing garden accents sturdy enough to take on the elements. Target's copper rain chain, an Asian garden fixture, channels runoff down its links from the edge of a structure. Temple bells or laminated wood wind chimes provide soothing tones when the weather turns gloomy. Target's also got stepping stones made of recycled plastic or frost-resistant cast concrete, to mark a path in style. Nestle one of Chiasso's stainless steel spheres amongst the greenery and watch how the light plays. And finally, Castart Studios in British Columbia makes a collection of yukima-gata, or snow-viewing lanterns, which would be lovely in a winter landscape.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The home garden: spending more, enjoying it longer - Trentonian Posted: 16 Aug 2009 04:55 PM PDT This product image released by Arizona Pottery shows square poly resin planters with pine tree motif. The pair retail for $144. They are crack proof, Anti-Shock, weather proof and will never fade like typical plastic pottery. (AP Photo/Arizona Pottery) Retail may be in a drought, but for many garden supply stores, it's been a green season in more ways than one.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How to Sip a Flower Garden - New York Times Posted: 18 Aug 2009 08:13 PM PDT AT bars across the country, there are so many flowers in bloom that this season might go down as the summer of love. Bartenders, though, are not spending gauzy afternoons threading tiny daisy necklaces while the Mamas and the Papas play softly on the stereo. Instead, they are indulging in floral cocktails that seem designed to make even the most serious-minded customers blush. Red sunflower petals and cucumbers are bathed in gin. Syrup made from dried lavender blossoms is muddled with mint leaves to lend mojitos a Provençal air. And the fizz of Champagne is quieted by wild elderflower liqueur. "People are realizing there are a lot of edible flowers or flavored liqueurs that taste beautiful in a cocktail glass," said Junior Merino, a bartender and consultant who came up with a drink for the Modern in Manhattan called Coming Up Roses, a bouquet of rum, rose syrup and crushed rose petals. "It's a discovery for many: interesting flavors and tastes they never knew existed." Flowers have long been a staple of international cuisines. Consider dried lavender blossoms in herbes de Provence or Iranian rice pudding scented with rose water. But recently, floral concoctions and aromatic blossoms have moved out of the kitchen and behind the bar, where they are deployed as much for their delicate flavors as their visual appeal. Foreign suppliers of exotic flowers, like hibiscus blossoms from Australia, and makers of liqueurs flavored with violets or elderflower have broadly begun promoting their products in the United States. Bartenders, too, have taken up pots and pans to infuse sugar syrup with the delicate blooms of lavender, rosemary or thyme. Still others serve edible flowers fresh, slicing them to release aromatic oils or floating them among ice cubes as a garnish. For many, the trend is another iteration of local food traveling from farm to table; if it tastes great on a plate, it is sure to please in a glass with ice and gin. "People have more access to better products," said Scott Beattie, the former bar manager of Cyrus, a restaurant in Healdsburg, Calif., where he crafted an eclectic menu of drinks made from local seasonal ingredients. "Once you start tasting real flavor in cocktails, you don't want to go back to cut melon balls." Twice a week, Erika Frey, who now runs the bar at Cyrus, stops at Love Farms, a grower in Healdsburg that has been selling organic produce since 1999. With scissors in hand, she snips her way through a patch of flowers, some of them planted at Mr. Beattie's request. Other days she stops at a one-acre garden not far from work where she gathers rosemary, chamomile and nasturtium blossoms. Two weeks ago she placed several crimson-colored sunflowers in a vase on the bar. When a guest ordered a Summer Thyme cocktail, she plucked a few petals from the arrangement and threw them into the shaker along with gin, thyme-infused limoncello, lemon juice and cucumbers. "When I start picking the petals, they got a real kick out of it," she said. "Their eyes grew big. They think the bouquets are there to look at, not eat." As well as using them fresh, bartenders are also flavoring syrups with flowers, like the lavender-and-rose-water simple syrup that sweetens the lime juice, mint leaves and rum in the lavender mojito at The Girl & the Fig in Sonoma, Calif. The proprietor, Sondra Bernstein, creates meals inspired by the French countryside, which means lavender is a culinary staple that makes an appearance in everything from crème brûlée to seasoning salt. "I like the way it tastes," she said. "It can be soft yet very distinctive." But syrups and flavored waters can be tricky to use. I learned this firsthand when I ordered a Coming Up Roses at the bar at the Modern. (The restaurant has taken it off the menu, but it is so popular it is still available upon request. It is also offered at Rayuela on the Lower East Side, where Mr. Merino consults.) The first drink I ordered was too sweet, the taste of rose syrup clinging to the roof of my mouth like plastic wrap. I ordered another, asking the bartender to use less syrup. This time, an overpowering scent of freshly cut roses filled my nose. The aroma would have been fine for a posy or a bride's bouquet, but not for a cocktail. I decided to try a third time on another visit, and the bartender got the flavors just right. The chemistry of cocktails sometimes has more in common with the precision of baking than with the throw-it-in-the-pot creativity of a soup or a stew. Those who do not have a flowering field steps from their front doors can experiment instead with preserved blossoms. Consider Fernando Leon, the bar manager at Marea, the new seafood restaurant on Central Park South, who wanted the restaurant's signature drink to evoke an underwater garden in a glass. He first considered a cocktail infused with the briny taste of oyster, but dropped the idea. "I'm not sure how to make that work," he said. He thought about using brightly colored pansies (the color of exotic fish), but they did nothing to call to mind the sea. So instead he devised a concoction using grappa, lemon-flavored Acqua di Cedro liqueur, passion fruit and preserved wild hibiscus flowers from Australia, which are jarred in syrup and sold by wholesalers and at specialty food stores like Whole Foods. The allure? The deep magenta blossoms are edible, a chewy mouthful of sweet rhubarb and berry. (A sweet-tart tea made from dried hibiscus flowers is drunk in many parts of the world, including Latin America, under the name agua de jamaica, and in the Caribbean, where it is known as sorrel.) On a recent night at Marea, Mr. Leon placed one of the flowers in the bottom of a V-shape glass and strained the cocktail over it. The hibiscus petals unfurled with the rush of alcohol, swaying like the tentacles of a sea anemone bobbing in the ocean's current. "Nice, huh?" he said, a smile on his face. Other bartenders, too, have discovered the sumptuous allure of wild hibiscus. Ms. Frey first saw them in a cooking video on YouTube and now, upon request, will mix bitters and sparkling wine with a flower to make a Hibiscus Royale. Hibiscus "has a natural acidity which helps open the appetite," Mr. Merino said. "It is beautiful. It adds complexity. It is not something that gets lost in the glass." For bartenders who don't want to bother with jarred flowers, let alone fresh ones, there is always floral liqueur. St.-Germain, which began showing up in bars in 2007, quickly achieving something close to total market penetration, is made in France from the blossoms of elder trees that grow in the Swiss Alps. The flowers are distilled within a week. And in a clever marketing maneuver, bottles are marked with the year the blossoms were harvested. The liqueur tastes of pear, litchi and grapefruit and is often served with sparkling wine or other spirits. Recently, I visited Martini House in St. Helena, Calif., where I enjoyed a Hummingbird, a blend of Aviation gin, St.-Germain, lemon juice and soda. When I asked about the carrot-colored nasturtium lodged between two ice cubes, I was told it had been plucked from the bartender's garden that morning. The drink was refreshing, not too tart or too sweet. And it was pretty: a long-stemmed lime-green nasturtium leaf was a natural umbrella suspended above the ice. When I made it myself at home, it looked just as beautiful, and tasted just as fresh. So much so that I went to the garden store and picked up a few nasturtium plants that are now growing in a large ceramic pot in the backyard, waiting for my next dinner party. When I see them blooming, I'll know it's cocktail hour.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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