FIND YOUR ZONE, PLANT YOUR BULB

How to Plant Bulbs 

1. Dig a hole to the required depth. Depth is the measurement of space between the soil line and top of bulb or bare root.

2. Set the bulbs or bare root in place, pointed side or sprout side upward.

3. Cover the bulbs by replacing the soil and water thoroughly.

USE THIS LINK TO FIND YOUR ZONE http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov

Planting Region Map
Recommended Planting Times

1 April - June
2 March - May
3 Feb. - April

The Easter Lily-History & Care

THE EASTER LILY 

History 

We can thank Louis Houghton, a World War I soldier, for the popularity of the Bermuda lily --better known as the Easter Lily -- in this country. In 1919 he brought a suitcase full of hybrid lily bulbs to the southern coast of Oregon and gave them to family and friends to plant.

The climate there was ideal for growing this lily, a native of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and by 1945, over one thousand west coast growers were producing bulbs for the commercial market. Despite a sales window of only approximately two weeks each year, Easter Lilies are the fourth largest potted plant crop in the U.S., ranking among poinsettias, mums, and azaleas as America's favorite blooming plants.

For many, the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life—the spiritual essence of Easter.


The pure white lily has long been closely associated with the Virgin Mary. In early paintings, the Angel Gabriel is pictured extending to the Virgin Mary a branch of pure white lilies, announcing that she is to be the mother of the Christ Child. The legend is told that when the Virgin Mary’s tomb was visited three days after her burial, it was found empty save for bunches of majestic white lilies. 

A mark of purity and grace throughout the ages, the regal white lily is a fitting symbol of the greater meaning of Easter. Gracing millions of homes and churches, the flowers embody joy, hope and life. Whether given as a gift or enjoyed in your own home, the Easter Lily, along with other Easter blooms, serves as a beautiful reminder that Easter is a time for rejoicing and celebrating.

During the Victorian era, the very stamens and pistils were removed because they were seen as overt symbols of sexuality that might move the congregation to impure thoughts.

Selecting the Perfect Easter Lily

Whether you plan to give plants as gifts or use them to decorate your own home, the following tips will help make your Easter Lilies keep on giving.

Two of the greatest charms of the Easter Lily are form and fragrance, so look for high quality plants that are beautiful from all angles. Select a size that is not too tall or short.

For the longest possible period of enjoyment in your home, look for plants with flowers in various stages of bloom. For example, the best selection would be a plant with just one or two open or partly open blooms, and three or more unopened buds of different sizes. The ripe puffy buds will open up within a few days, while the tighter ones will bloom over the next several days.

As the flowers mature, remove the yellow anthers before the pollen starts to shed. This gives longer flower life and prevents the pollen from staining the white flowers. When a mature flower starts to wither after its prime, cut it off to make the plant more attractive while you still enjoy the fresher, newly-opened blooms.

When selecting plants, be sure to also cheek the foliage. An abundance of dark, rich green leaves is not only attractive, but a vital sign of good plant health. The foliage should appear dense and plentiful, all the way down to the soil line, a good indicator of an active, healthy root system.



Easter Lilies and Pets

According to the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC), certain types of lilies can cause renal failure in cats that have ingested a portion of the lily.  For more information, contact your vet or visit the Animal Poison Control Center at aspca.org.


How to Care For Easter Lilies

In the home, Easter Lilies prefer moderately cool temperatures. Ideal daytime temperatures are 60 to 65 degrees F., with slightly cooler temperatures at night. Avoid placing plants near drafts, and avoid exposure to excess heat or dry air from appliances, fireplaces, or heating ducts. The lily will thrive near a window in bright, indirect natural daylight, but avoid glaring, direct sunlight.

Easter Lilies prefer moderately moist, well-drained soil. Water the plant thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch, but avoid over-watering. If the pot is wrapped in decorative foil, be careful not to let the plant sit in trapped, standing water. For best results, remove the plant from decorative pots or covers, take it over the sink and water thoroughly until water seeps out of the pot's drain holes to completely saturate the soil. Allow the plant to air for a few minutes and discard the excess water before replacing it back into its decorative pot cover.

Planting Easter Lilies Outside

It is very difficult to force Easter lilies into bloom a second time indoors. An alternative is to plant them outdoors in Spring, where they may bloom again in summer or Fall. The plants will need a site with bright light but some shelter from extreme heat and wind.

Plant the Easter Lily bulbs 3 inches below ground level, and mound up an additional 3 inches of topsoil over the bulb. Plant bulbs at least 12 to 18 inches apart in a hole sufficiently deep so that the bulbs can be placed in it with the roots spread out and down, as they naturally grow. Spread the roots and work prepared soil in around the bulbs and the roots, leaving no air pockets. Water immediately and thoroughly after planting.

Another planting tip to consider is that lilies like their roots in shade and their heads in the sun. Use mulching to help conserve moisture. Or, plant a "living mulch" of shallow-rooted, complementary annuals or perennials.

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Passover, Pesach & fun facts

Passover is the eight-day observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. The holiday's name, Pesach, meaning "passing over" or "protection" in Hebrew, is derived from the instruction that tradition says were given to Moses by God. In order to encourage the Pharaoh to free the Israelites, the story goes that God intended to kill the firstborn of both man and beast. To protect themselves, the Israelites were told to mark their dwellings with lamb's blood so that the angel of death would pass over their homes. Passover today is celebrated with family gatherings, a festival meal, and special foods.

Fun Facts About Passover

Passover is the oldest continuously celebrated Jewish festival.
Jewish people eat matzos, a flat, unleavened bread made of flour and water, during the Passover holiday. They do this to remember their ancestors who, in order to escape from slavery in Egypt, left in such a hurry that there was no time for their dough to rise.

During Passover, the Coca-Cola bottling company of New York makes Coke that is kosher for Passover. Sugar is used instead of corn syrup, because corn is not considered kosher for Passover.

Children play an important role in the Passover celebration. During the Seder dinner, the youngest child at the table generally asks four questions, the answers to which explain "why this night is different from all other nights."

Passover Activity

Make a Floral Centerpiece for the Seder

What You Need:
Several sheets of colored tissue paper
Scissors
Pipe cleaner
Styrofoam or paper cup
Markers or crayons
Salt

Instructions:

1. Cut eight to twelve 5-inch circles of tissue paper. Holding them together, poke a hole in their center.

2. Insert a pipe cleaner through the hole. Twist a knot at the top of the pipe cleaner.

3. Bring the first tissue circle up toward the middle around the pipe cleaner knot, crumpling it slightly to make it stand up. Repeat, arranging each petal. Make as many flowers as you wish.

4. Decorate the paper cup with markers or crayons. Fill the cup about halfway with salt to stabilize it.

5. Insert the pipe cleaner flowers into the salt to keep them upright. Place your flower arrangement in the center of the Seder table as a centerpiece.

History of Palm (Sunday) Plant

The History of Palm Sunday

The celebration of Palm Sunday originated in the Jerusalem Church, around the late fourth century. The early Palm Sunday ceremony consisted of prayers, hymns, and sermons recited by the clergy while the people walked to various holy sites throughout the city. At the final site, the place where Christ ascended into heaven, the clergy would read from the gospels concerning the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In the early evening they would return to the city reciting: "Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord." The children would carry palm and olive branches as the people returned through the city back to the church, where they would hold evening services.



The significance of Jesus riding a donkey and having his way paved with palm branches is a fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9). In biblical times, the regional custom called for kings and nobles arriving in procession to ride on the back of a donkey. The donkey was a symbol of peace; those who rode upon them proclaimed peaceful intentions. The laying of palm branches indicated that the king or dignitary was arriving in victory or triumph.

Palm Sunday in Modern Times

Today, Palm Sunday traditions are much the same as they have been since the tenth century. The ceremony begins with the blessing of the palms. The procession follows, then Mass is celebrated, wherein the Passion and the Benediction are sung. Afterwards, many people take the palms home and place them in houses, barns, and fields.

In some countries, palms are placed on the graves of the departed. In colder northern climates, where palm trees are not found, branches of yew, willow, and sallow trees are used. The palms blessed in the ceremony are burned at the end of the day. The ashes are then preserved for next year's Ash Wednesday celebration.

In the simplest of terms, Palm Sunday is an occasion for reflecting on the final week of Jesus' life. It is a time for Christians to prepare their hearts for the agony of His Passion and the joy of His Resurrection.

Written by: David Katski

SPRING FLING

IT IS ON.....SPRING!!

History of the Clover--St. Patrick's Day

ABOUT SAINT PATRICK

Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. St Patrick is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."

Many folk ask the question 'Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?' The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.
Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. 

As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick's death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the "evil eye." Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city

Why Saint Patrick's Day?

Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

ARTICLE COMPLIMENTS OF St.Patrick's Day.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Loving Women's History Month-Georgia O'Keeffe

As we celebrate Women's History month; let us examine and learn from the women of all centuries and their contributions; how they suffered to help make us the great women we are today.

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not."

--Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O'Keeffe 

BIRTHDATE: Nov. 15, 1887

BIRTHPLACE: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

EDUCATION: Graduated from the Chatham Protestant Episcopal Institute in Williamsburg, Va. in 1904. Studied art at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York.

FAMILY BACKGROUND: Ancestors were from Ireland and Hungary; her family were farmers. She grew up in both Sun Prairie and Williamsburg, Virginia.

DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The artistic brilliance of Georgia O'Keeffe revolutionized modern art in both her time and in the present. With her paintings she vividly portrayed the power and emotion of objects of nature. This was first seen in her charcoal drawings of silhouetted bud-like forms exhibited in 1916 that brought her fame. During the 1920s , she explored this theme in her magnified paintings of flowers which to this day enchant people amorously, although her purpose was to convey that nature in all its beauty was as powerful as the widespread industrialization of the period.

After spending a summer in New Mexico, Georgia O'Keeffe, enthralled by the barren landscape and expansive skies of the desert, would explore the subject of animal bones in her paintings of the 1930s and 1940s. Just as with the flowers, she painted the bones magnified and captured the stillness and remoteness of them, while at the same time expressing a sense of beauty that lies within the desert.

Georgia O'Keeffe was married to the pioneer photographer Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) in 1924. It was at Stieglitz's famed New York art gallery "291" that her charcoal drawings were first exhibited in 1916. The union lasted 22 years, until Stieglitz's death.

The paintings from the latter phase of Georgia O'Keeffe's career (after her move to New Mexico in 1949) concerned a rectangular door on an adobe wall and the sky. These were far less inspiring than her earlier works-which continued to be rediscovered through her lifetime and to the present day.

DATE OF DEATH: March 6, 1986, age 98.

PLACE OF DEATH: Santa Fe, New Mexico.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters
First retrospective show of a woman's art at the Museum of Modern Art
Awarded the Gold Medal of Painting by the National Institute of Arts and Letters
Awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor
President Ronald Reagan presented the National Medal of Arts in 1985.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Vol 17 (1943)

March Birth Flower

The Language of Flowers


The March Birth Flower is the Jonquil (aka Daffodil or Narcissus)

The meaning of the March Birth Flower is friendship and domestic happiness. The History and traditions surrounding the March Birth Flower is fascinating. There are many myths and legends about the origins of this tradition. It is believed that birthday celebrations originated in the Roman Empire and the origins of birth month flowers such as the Jonquil date back to these times. During Roman birthday celebrations family and friends offered congratulations and brought gifts.

The language of flowers developed during the highly conservative period of the Victorian era. The Victorians were strongly restricted by the rules of etiquette. It was considered totally inappropriate to express feelings of love or affection. The "Language of Flowers" evolved when a message was assigned to a specific flower such as the Jonquil (aka Daffodil or Narcissus). A lover sent flowers which conveyed a hidden romantic meaning.

The Jonquil is a widely cultivated ornamental plant which is native to southern Europe but naturalized elsewhere having fragrant yellow or white clustered flowers with a trumpet-shaped central crown.

The scientific name of a flower species is formed by the combination of two terms: the genus name and the species descriptor; in the case of the Jonquil is Narcissus jonquil. Daffodil is the common English name for all narcissus. The Jonquil blooms from February to May.

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10 Steps to Prep your Garden for Spring

10 STEPS TO PREP YOUR GARDEN FOR SPRING

1. Order summer-flowering bulbs and seeds

Summer-flowering bulbs such as Lilies, Gladiolus and Ranunculus can be planted in early spring for a colorful summer display.

2. Clean up flower beds and borders

When there is a nice day, take the time to clean and remove leaves and other debris from your flower borders, lawns, front/rear yards (gardens) and ponds. You can cut back the old dead growth of deciduous (leaves fall off according to season) grasses and herbaceous (foliage leaf, not woody) perennials. If the soil is workable you can dig down about 2 inches and work a layer of organic matter such as well-rotted manure, compost or recycled green waste into empty garden borders to prep for planting.

3. Sow seeds that need a longer season

In January and February you can start to sow seeds of plants which require a longer growing season, such as Geraniums, Begonias, Antirrhinums, Peppers and Aubergines.

 

begonia

4. Hunt down and get rid of garden pests now--including cats

Hunting down and removing hibernating pests now can save a lot of trouble in the spring and summer. Take a closer look at the crowns of your perennial plants and you may find slugs, snails and aphid colonies sheltering for the winter. If you still haven’t cleared last year’s pots of summer bedding then do this now and be on the look-out for the white vine weevil larvae, which live in the compost and feed on plant roots. A safe way to get rid of those pesky cats who find shelter in your garden and use it for a kitty toilet--cayenne pepper. Once they get it on their paws and place their paws into their mouths, they will surely find a better place to go.


5. Place water cans in your garden

Place water cans or buckets in your garden now to collect seasonal rainfall. Not only does this help the environment but rain water is good for watering ericaceous (acid loving) plants such as Camellias, Rhododendrons and Blueberries (tap water is often slightly alkaline). When placing water cans or buckets make sure it’s positioned below a downpipe to make the most of the rainfall.


6. Move deciduous shrubs

If you have a badly placed deciduous (leaves fall off according to season) shrub then now is the time to move it while it’s dormant. Choose a still day to prevent the roots drying out. Make a wide space around the shrub when digging it up and try to take as much of the root ball as possible for the quickest establishment in its new location. When planting shrubs in their new position, place them at the same level they were previously in the soil, and remember to water them well after planting them.

7. Fix fences, gates and trellis

Although it’s cold outside this is the ideal time of year to get those little jobs out of the way. Any broken structures or tools are best fixed now so you have more time to spend in the garden during spring and summer. Treat your wooden garden structures with a wood preservative during dry periods.

8. Clean gardening tools

Give your tools a clean and a sharpen. Caring for your garden tools not only helps preserve them, it saves you money in the long run and helps prevent the spread of disease. Dirty tools may introduce bacteria and fungi to fresh pruning wounds. Sharpening your tools will also improve their performance; they’ll be easier to work with and will give cleaner pruning cuts.

9. Create a composting area

If you haven’t already then try setting up a compost area in your garden. This could simply be a ready-made compost bin or you could build a compost bin yourself using spare bits of wood. Not only will you have somewhere to put your garden waste but your plants will benefit from the rich compost created when it all breaks down. Make sure you have a good mixture of grass clippings, vegetable peelings, paper and woody stems. To help the process along you’ll need to turn your compost with a garden fork each month to keep it aerated. For compost tips or how to create a compost pile, click on organic gardening.
10. Find or replace pots, watering cans

If you did not get a chance to protect those unused pots, watering cans or window boxes. Now is the time to look for them, replace or clean. Sometimes they may have become cracked or damaged. Very often people have spring stoop sales. You can find some there or at your local garden center.

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Veggie Washes, Worth the Money?

SPRING VEGGIE TIPS

Have you ever wondered whether those expensive veggie washes are worth the money?

The editors of Cook's Illustrated, a serious foodie magazine, wondered too. They usually focus on cooking techniques, but recently they looked into techniques for cleaning food.

"We wondered ourselves, you know, what's the best way to be washing an apple, or the best way to be washing a pear," said Jack Bishop, editor at Cook's Illustrated.

Testing Cleaning Techniques

So the magazine did some comparative testing, by cleaning apples and pears in four different ways. They washed one batch with an antibacterial soap. (That, by the way, is not recommended by food safety experts — nobody thinks swallowing soap is a good idea.)

They washed other pieces of fruit with a solution of diluted vinegar (one part vinegar to three parts water), rinsing afterward with pure water. They scrubbed the third group with a brush, and simply rinsed the fourth group with clean water.

To measure how well each technique worked, they sampled the outside of the fruit with sterile cotton swabs, then rubbed the little bits of grime onto Petri dishes.

Jack Bishop says they next let the Petri dishes sit at 80 degrees for several days to see what bacteria grew. Then they counted how many bacterial colonies were present.

It turns out the scrub brush removed 85 percent of the bacteria — a little more than the water alone.

But the cleaning method that worked the best was the dilute vinegar rinse. It removed 98 percent of the bacteria.

Cleaning with Vinegar

"I've got a spray bottle filled with three cups of water and one cup of white vinegar," Bishop says. "It's in a spray bottle — the kind you'd mist your plants with."

Bishop sprays each apple with about six squirts of the solution — just enough to coat the surface — and then rinses it under the tap.

"The cold water will wash the residual flavor from the vinegar, and finishes the cleaning process," Bishop says. "So it's a 30-second, 50-cent investment."

The technique works best for smooth skinned fruits and vegetables. When you get to broccoli, lettuce leaves, or spinach, produce is harder to clean — as we've learned from recent nationwide recalls. Bishop's team found that soaking lettuce in the vinegar solution works well, but it's a little more labor intensive than spraying apples.

"You're going to have to separate out the leaves. You can't do a whole head. And that may be where it gets to be impractical, because you need a big enough bowl to be three parts water and one part vinegar," says Bishop.

The folks at Cook's Illustrated are not the first to document the effectiveness of acidic washes. Researchers at the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Tennessee State University tested dilute vinegar against plain water and a commercial product called Veggie Wash that they purchased at a grocery store.

"We really did not really find the veggie washes effective or necessary," says Sandria Godwin, who oversaw the project.

Godwin says they do get rid of most bacteria, but her team of researchers found that water works just as well. They found that water can remove 98 percent of bacteria when it's used to rinse and soak produce.

For vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower that have lots of crevices, Godwin recommends a two-minute soak, even though this contradicts the advice of government food-safety experts who are concerned about cross-contamination of bacteria.

"They're not recommending the soaking of foods because that puts bacteria in the sink itself," explains Godwin. "We still think you should go ahead and do the soak, and wash your sink when you get through!"

For people who aren't willing to go to all this trouble — what about that old technique of rubbing or polishing a piece of fruit on your clothes to get off the grime? There's not much research, but Godwin did have one student look into it a little bit.

"We lined people up in here and had them blow on their apple and rub it on their shirt or lab coats to see if that's effective," Godwin says. "And surprisingly it did something; it's better than nothing. But it really depends on how clean the shirt is."

So, she does not recommend that. Here's a better tip: Since bacteria and dirt are usually trapped at the blossom and stem ends of fruit, the Tennessee researchers say slicing off both ends after rinsing is a good idea.

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