I never use my Chiminea



Back in the day, we bought a Chiminea....it was all the rage at the time, everyone had one!  Contained campfire in your back yard!  Fast forward a few (or 5 or more) years and we have used it all of twice. I wanted to up cycle it and do something with it because it does look nice in the back yard.  We came up with the idea of making it a shade planter.

 We took out the large pieces of old wood in the bottom of the pan and left some of the ashes (they are good for the soil).  We added some good quality soil and planted some partial shade plants and voila! This spring we just used some wave petunias and a few other common plants to see how it would work but I think next year we will add some ivy and different types of plants.  You could even use fire colours yellow, reds and oranges with the plants and then put a small solar LED in the bottom and make it look "firey" at night. Crap- I wish I had of thought of that before I planted mine.... Next year!



So many mosquitoes!

Given the damp spring the North East had, and with it looking like the trend will continue for most of the summer, we seem to have a big mosquito season this year.   We have been invaded by a mass of mosquitoes (or whatever you call a large gathering of mosquitoes... gaggle, pride, town hall meeting...).  Mosquitoes are annoying, the bites they leave behind are super annoying and commercial bug spray isn't that great for you either.  So to help keep the town hall meeting size gathering of mosquitoes away, we have complied a list of 5 easy to grow plants for your patio that help repel them....

1. Citronella

Citronella is the most common natural ingredient used in mosquito repellents. The distinctive citronella aroma is a strong smell which masks other attractants to mosquitoes, making it harder for them to find you. Although citronella is used in many forms, such as candles, torches and citronella ‘scented’ plants, the living plant is more effective because it has a stronger smell.

Citronella is a perennial which can grow to a height of 5 – 6 feet. It can be grown directly in the ground in climate zones where frost does not occur. If grown in the garden or near the patio, it should be planted in the ‘background’, behind small decorative flowers and shrubs. In northern climate zones citronella can be grown in a large pot, ideally with casters, so it can be rolled indoors during winter.
Gardening centers usually sell citronella as small plants in pots, ready to transplant to a larger pot or into on the ground.Citronella plants are considered low maintenance, and they do best in full sun and well-drained locations.  When purchasing citronella, look for the true varieties, other plants may be sold as ‘citronella scented’, but these do not have the mosquito repelling qualities of true citronella.

2. Horsemint

Also known as Beebalm, Horsemint is an adaptable perennial plant which repels mosquitoes much the same as citronella. It gives off a strong incense-like odor which confuses mosquitoes by masking the smell of its usual hosts.
Horsemint is a fast growing, shade-tolerant and drought-resistant plant which reaches a height and width of 2 – 3 feet. It does well in dry, sandy soil and can tolerate salty conditions, which is why it is often found in coastal and beach areas. Horsemint seeds can be sown indoors in trays for later transplanting, or sown directly into the ground in late summer in colder climate zones.

 

3. Marigolds

Commonly grown as ornamental border plants, marigolds are hardy annual plants which have a distinctive smell which mosquitoes, and some gardeners, find particularly offensive. Marigolds contain Pyrethrum, a compound used in many insect repellents.
Marigolds prefer full sunlight and reasonably fertile soil. Although marigolds can be planted from seed, starter plants are inexpensive and readily available at most garden centers. Although an annual, marigold will often reseed itself in favorable conditions, or the gardener can easily collect seeds for future germination. Established plants should be dead-headed to promote additional blooms.
Potted marigolds can be positioned near entrances to your home and any common mosquito entry points, such as open windows. The smell may deter mosquitoes from going past this barrier.
Besides repelling mosquitoes, marigolds repel insects which prey on tomato plants, so you may want to plant a few marigolds in your tomato bed for added protection, bunnies also tent to stay away from areas with marigolds.

4. Ageratum

Also known as Flossflowers, Ageratum emits a smell which mosquitoes find particularly offensive. Ageratum secretes coumarin, which is widely used in commercial mosquito repellents.
Ageratum is a low-lying annual ornamental plant which reaches heights of 8 – 18”, and is easily recognized by its blue flowers, although there are varieties with pink, white and violet blooms. This plant will thrive in full or partial sun and does not require rich soil. It is often displayed in rock gardens.

5. Catnip

Catnip is a natural mosquito repellent. It has been reported that catnip is ten times more effective than DEET, the chemical found in most commercial insect repellents. According to Iowa State researcher Chris Peterson, the reason for its effectiveness is still unknown. “It might simply be acting as an irritant or they don’t like the smell. But nobody really knows why insect repellents work.”
In the laboratory, Peterson put groups of 20 mosquitoes in a two-foot glass tube, half of which was treated with nepetalactone, a biologically active characteristic constituent of catnip. After 10 minutes, only an average of 20 percent – about four mosquitoes – remained on the side of the tube treated with a high dose (1.0%) of the oil. In the low dose test (0.1%) an average of 25% – five mosquitoes – stayed on the treated side. When the same tests were conducted using DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide), approximately 40 to 45% – eight to nine mosquitoes – remained on the treated side. A ten-fold higher concentration of DEET was required to obtain results similar to those of the Catnip.
Catnip, Nepeta cateria, is very easy to grow. This perennial herb is related to mint, and grows readily both as a weed and a commercially cultivated plant in most areas.
While catnip will repel mosquitoes in close proximity to the plant, some people apply crushed catnip leaves or catnip oil for more robust protection. Bear in mind, however, that cats will respond to you similarly as they would respond to the plant itself  (ie, they may act a little nuts for a while). Cat owners may want to choose an alternative plant for repelling mosquitoes.


All of the listed plants are pretty good at keeping away those pesky mosquitoes- but we can't guarantee it will work 100%, there may be a black sheep of the mosquito group that is the "I don't follow the rules" member or has no sense of smell... but generally speaking these should help.
 All of the plants are pretty easy to find at your local nursery or you can always look for them on our TradeMyFlowers.com marketplace.

So not over the Rainbow

As a kid when we saw rainbows, all we wanted to do is find the end of it.  It wasn't so much because of the old tale that promised a pot of gold (although that could buy a lot of candy) - we wanted to see the leprechaun!  That little green suited dancing guy seemed like he would be a fun playmate for an afternoon.  Just think of the shenanigans we could get in to with a leprechaun!  And so as a child, every time we were lucky enough to see a rainbow- we wanted to find the end of it!
As we grew older the thought and excitement of the possibility of a leprechaun grew less.... let's say feasible, and the pot of gold- granted handy- also became a childhood day dream.  But even without the hope of a small fortune and a small green dancing man; we as adults are still fascinated by rainbows.  Rainbows are still a cool sight to see, they are rare enough that when we see one we must take a picture or in the case of a double rainbow a video!  I have to admit, I have never seen a rainbow form, I usually just catch a glimpse of one off in the distance... that is until this week.  We were unlucky enough to be in the middle of a fierce storm with funnel clouds and all this week.  But just at the end of the storm we were lucky enough to catch a rainbow form very close by.  Check out the video below, we were close enough to see the end of the rainbow very clearly, sadly no pot of gold to pay off our credit cards and no dancing leprechaun to take us away from work for the afternoon... but it was quite a cool thing to see!

mmm.... Red Currant Jelly

Currants are one of those under used berries you can very easily grow in your garden.  Currant bushes are very easy to grow and yield lots of berries.  Red currants are small bright red berries with a juicy pulp and they are very rich in antioxidants.  The most common use for red currants is jelly, we use this yummy recipe here http://allrecipes.com/recipe/red-currant-jelly/.

4 pounds fresh red currants
1 Cup Water
7 cups white sugar
4 fluid ounces liquid fruit pectin
makes 8 - 1/2 pint jars

Directions

1. Place the currants into a large pot, and crush with a potato masher or berry crusher if you have one. Pour in 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the fruit through a jelly cloth or cheese cloth, and measure out 5 cups of the juice.
2. Pour the juice into a large saucepan, and stir in the sugar. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat, and stir in the liquid pectin immediately. Return to a full rolling boil, and allow to boil for 30 seconds.
3. Remove from heat and skim off foam from the top. Ladle or pour into sterile 1/2 pint jars, filling to within 1/2 inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth. Cover with new sterile lids and rings. Process covered in a bath of simmering water for 10 minutes or the time recommended by your local extension for your area 

Be careful when mashing the berries, the red uncooked juice can stain... so no wearing your best whites or your wedding dress or anything like that.

For listings of Currant Bushes for sale on Trade My Flowers click here

Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Tammy Murphy, our winner of the $50 home depot gift card! We hope you enjoy!!

Stay tuned for another contest coming soon, keep watching here or at www.trademyflowers.com

HAPPY LISTING!

A Jostaberry... say what?

We saw a listing on the site the other day for a Jostaberry bush.... we got asking around our office, and no one really new much about the Jostaberry, so we decided to look in to it.

The Jostaberry is a cross fruit bush involving three original species; the black currant the North American coastal black gooseberry and the European gooseberry.  The tangy-sweet flavor of a Jostaberry (pronounced yust-a-berry) is a mix of grape, blueberry, and kiwi-fruit.  Jostaberries are great in jams, jellies, and pies.  The shiny, nearly black berry, which is smaller than a gooseberry and a bit larger than a blackcurrant, is edible both raw and cooked. The ripe fruit will hang on the bush in good condition through late summer.  Like blackcurrants the fruit freezes well, and like many other members of the Ribes genus it is rich in vitamin C.  They're a little harder to pluck than blackcurrants are, however, an advantage they have against the gooseberry is that the plant is thorn-less.
The plant itself grows to a maximum height of about 2 m, flowering in mid-spring, with fruit setting and ripening on a similar timetable to the blackcurrant. The plant grows and produces fruit well and is generally resistant to a number of common diseases afflicting other Ribes. Flowers are hermaphrodite and the plant is self-fertile following insect pollination. Propagation is usually by cuttings, rather than by seeds.  Space bushes about 6 feet apart in well-drained, slightly acid soil. Grow in full to part sun; in hotter regions, afternoon shade is best.
Maintenance is simple. Prune in late winter, cutting out broken or drooping branches. To encourage the growth of fewer, larger berries and new replacement shoots, cut the oldest one or two canes to the ground.

So now that we are well educated on the Jostaberry (maybe more than you wanted to know) we thought we would leave you with a recipe to get the Jostaberry juices flowing.... and if you want to get a Jostaberry bush check out the listing here



Jostaberry Ice Cream (courtesy of Icy Creek Blog )

2 cups of jostaberries.
1  1/2 cups of cream
3/4 of a cup of sugar (go up to a cup if you like your ice cream really sweet).
Combine jostaberries and sugar and heat until the sugar is dissolved and simmer for no more than five minutes. Blend the jostaberries but do not put them through a sieve. Cool, and then churn with the cream in an ice cream maker.


Enjoy!

The "it" plant for 2013

I came in from the garden just long enough to write about this years "hot" plant for planters.... The Canna.  We have seen cannas in lots of spring magazines this year and all of them seem to be pictured in planters. 

 

The consensus here at Trade My Flowers is we love it!  The canna lends a tropical feel to the planters that you can get even if you aren't anywhere near the tropics.  Not to mention the very grand statement these suckers make.  Some of these can grow to be 6+ feet tall, you will most certainly be the talk of the neighbourhood with these in your planted pots!

Be sure to pick a large pot to use when planting, you don't want it to A- tip or B- look out of proportion with the large height and leaves of the canna.  We planted the bulbs in our pots today to get a head start and hopefully by mid may we will have them sprouting and then we will add all of the filler plants.  Have fun with it, add some more tropicals, maybe some colour or some cascading vines.  The plus side of planting the cannas first, you get a few weeks to plan it out!

If you are lucky enough to have an awesome aunt with a cold cellar full of bulbs like we did, you are in luck this year.  If not, we do have a listing or two on our Trade My Flowers Marketplace.  Just remember to dig up the bulbs before frost in the fall and save them for next year!

Okay, back to the garden, so glad spring is finally here; the house work is so going to suffer for the next couple of weeks!  Oh and don't forget we have our forum up and running, let's talk gardens!

We are so excited about Spring we wet our plants!



We figured since we are finally seeing the beginnings of Spring it was time to officially talk about our site www.trademyflowers.com  (we promise to be short and sweet).  The marketplace portion of the website simply came from the need to split our large plants and over grown spots of our gardens.... The problem was; we all had overgrown gardens and when we split the plants, none of us had room for the others plants.  So essentially, this is where the idea for the garden classifieds came from.  We don't want to just throw out our extra plants... we want to find people who need more plants for their gardens and give our plants a new home!  Not to mention the bumper crop of tomatoes we have each year... waaaaaay more then our families can eat, so we post them up on the site and trade or sell them.  It keeps the veggies from going to waste and people who don't have the space to do a vegetable garden still get to enjoy homegrown veggies!

The marketplace operates much like most online classified sites do (Craigs List, Kijiji and so on).  If you see something you want to buy or trade you contact the seller and make arrangements with them,  its a simple as that.  We do recommend you read our help page if you are using the site for the fist time for guidelines on how to safely connect with buyers or sellers.

There are so many "garden things" you can use the marketplace for, not just plants and seeds.  Some of us here at TradeMyFlowers make things for the garden like planters, lanterns and yes one of us even makes cool picnic tables (we will hopefully see them up in the listings soon).  And there is a spot to buy/sell/trade old (or new) gardening books and magazines.  If its for your garden, there is a place to list it on the site.

Now is the time to be thinking about starting seeds, and we've got some pretty cool seed listings on the site, take a look  and see if there is anything you a have been wanting to add to your garden.

And "hey you, you with all of the seeds from last year's garden... start listing them on our site!  You can trade to get some new seeds you don't have or you can sell your extra seeds for some extra money!  Tell you what, we will even include a quick and hilariously bad video on how to place a listing on our site."

 

Honey I'm home!

I noticed a listing on our marketplace for farmers honey the other day and it made me think......As a child I wasn't a big fan of honey, but maybe that was because it was the store bought stuff in a bear jar that you squeezed out of his head (odd things scared me as a child).  Anyway, as I came to adulthood I thought I would test my childhood theory that honey didn't taste good.  And as you may have already guessed, I was wrong as a child (more often then I would like to admit).  But I do believe that it was in part because when I was a kid, we didn't get to have "real" honey.  The processed store bought honey tastes nothing like the real out of the bee keeper's farm honey.  I am using the term "real honey" here because using the term organic can be tricky.  I understand in some circumstances people need the pasteurized honey from the store and I completely support that.  But if your body is OK with non pasteurized raw honey, it is amazing. There are lots of studies to support how good this type of honey is for you, I know for me, it helped my hay fever more then some allergy medications do.  And for us people that have to watch our sugars, Honey's glycemic index is lower than sugar (still now low enough, but I take what I can get).

  I remember seeing a picture of a hotel in Thailand that had a whole honeycomb propped up high over a long tray and as the pure honey dripped to the tray, patrons at the restaurant could scoop some honey for their ice cream.  How cool is that!

   Raw honey will also taste and look different depending on where you get it from and what farming area it came from. I know a farmer who plated a different crop near his bee hives every year and each year his honey had a slightly different taste and different hue of amber to it (my favorite year was the time he planted lavender near the hive).  Again... How cool is that!

One important thing I learned is that sometimes when you get honey straight from the beekeeper it can have a thick creamy cloudy look to it.  I thought there was something wrong with it, but not to worry the farmer told me, it hasn't gone bad.  This is a natural process. The crystals may be large or small, a grainy, sandy type or smooth and creamy type. What makes it crystallize is due to the type of flower the honey bee visited when she gathered the blossom's nectar. The floral source determines whether the honey will turn into a solid form more quickly or not. Some honeys while raw will stay in a liquid form for quite a while. Other honeys will turn to a solid form with in a few weeks. This is due to how stable the sugar crystal is in the nectar. Remember the sugar crystals we made as children in grade school, we evaporated sugar water with a string dropped in it for the crystals to form on. This is similar to what is happening to the honey.

This is not honey turned bad, or anything that is affecting the taste or quality of the honey. You may find you like it in this state!! It spreads on toast or bread without dripping off. It won't run off the spoon as you take it from the jar to your hot drink. To turn it back to a liquid, pourable state, use gentle warming of the jar in hot (not boiling) water.  Also honey doesn't need to be stored in the refrigerator, this can speed up the crystal formation sometimes.

So in conclusion, check out the farmers raw honey listing here.. and also as a child, I was wrong... a lot.. sorry mom.

 

Trademyflowers.com

Hanging Birdbath Planter

The folks over at Lowes have come up with a really cute idea for a hanging birdbath planter. Its an easy, inexpensive way to create a personalized birdbath.

Just be careful to choose bird friendly flowers...also maybe no edible plants/herbs... you don't want to eat anything birds bathe near....

To get directions on how to make the hanging birdbath planter click here

 

Flower Tower

 These are on the list for this spring!  We couldn't find where to buy the kits like the ones above, however one person we saw did mention Lowes.  If you don't have a Lowes near by you can use 6" d  or bigger PVC pipe.  We've heard rumblings that some larger hardware stores have the pre drilled pipe, but if not, don't fret; just buy the solid pipe with no holes, then find a drill bit (might want to ask for help to make sure its a bit that will work well with plastic).  It will look something like this

While you are at the store don't forget to get a PVC cap for the bottom make sure the lip is big enough that it can be weighed down a bit, these suckers can tip if it gets windy.  If you are putting your tower in a garden, be sure to bury the pipe deep enough in the soil that it won't tip over.
  So now you have your pipe....if you are drilling the holes yourself, be very careful, round PVC is tricky to drill.  And it makes a mess of plastic shavings.  Once you have your holy pipe with the cap on the bottom, fill the bottom with some gravel for drainage and to keep the bottom heavy to prevent tipping (fill the gravel to just below the first hole). Next pour in some good potting soil level to the bottom of your first hole.  This is where you may need a second pair of hands.....Stick in a flower (or two if your holes are larger), that is to say, put the root end through hole so the roots are all inside.  Then have someone pour in soil until it reaches the next hole.  If you have something to tamp/pack down the soil inside a bit use it after you fill to the next hole each time (this will secure the flower roots in better and keep them from falling out during the planting process... which is super annoying).  So as they say, wash, rinse, repeat... just keep filling the soil in to the next hole, plant the flowers, pour the soil in and so on.  When you get to the top, just plant four of five flowers, same as you would a normal planter.
  That's about it.. make sure to keep it well watered and fertilized... a gentle misting setting on the hose is best to keep the soil from leaking out while the plants root properly.  The tower will take a bit of time to fill in, we are going to do ours as soon as the weather allows so they are ready for summer, but be patient, it will fill in and it be worth it!

Don't forget to visit our marketplace to buy/sell/ trade garden stuff... Lots of plants and accessories listed... I think there is even a flower tower listed! www.trademyflowers.com


UPDATE!  We found where to buy them! Someone saw our post and listed them on our marketplace!
http://trademyflowers.com/category/235/Garden-Accessories/listings/94/Flower-Tower.html

How to use the site- Question from Catherine

We had an email the other day from Catherine asking how to use the site to purchase something from a listing....

Each listing is put up by different sellers. To purchase or trade you need to contact the seller (there is a link on the left side of the listing page and under ad info that says contact seller). Just click on the link and fill out the form and hit send. The seller will send you information on how to trade or pay via PayPal (don't forget to send your shipping information too). Sometimes a "buy now" link will appear on the listing. This link will take you to the seller's webpage where you can order directly.

If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask! That's what we are here for! And thank you Catherine for the question!

The Story Behind White Marigolds

I noticed a listing on our marketplace today for White Marigold Seeds.  I thought I would share the story behind how White Marigold's came to be....

White marigolds were long in the making.....
Burpee Seed Company spent 56 years of searching and breeding
before finding success. After years of trying, David Burpee
offered $10,000 to the first home gardener who sent in the
right seeds to help make a real white variety; thousands of
gardeners responded for years. A lady by the name of Alice Vonk
from Sully, Iowa, sent seeds for 21 years, and in 1975, Burpee awarded her
the coveted prize for her work—after the company had spent
56 years and $250,000 testing during the contest years.

So, there you have it, interesting story behind these flowers.  Not only are they pretty, but they keep the bunnies and other small animals from munching on your plants.

To buy some seeds click here

There's an app for that!

 We found an app that will help you prepare, plan and be your gardening companion year round.  It's no secret we are waiting impatiently for Spring, but "The Gardening Tool Kit" is making the wait less painful.  You can research, plan and organize your garden ahead of time so you can be first in line with your list in hand the day the garden centre opens (camping out in line the night before is not necessary, but may be fun) 

The app has great reviews, and at $1.99 its a bargain.  Check out what else it can do......

Location based growing advice
Hundreds of beautiful plant pictures
Integrated to do list
Take and keep photos with your plants
Advanced search
Create and edit custom plants
Keep plants in multiple gardens
Massive database of 1000 plants
Share tips and questions (iPad)
Links to growing instructions (iPad)

Month-by-month gardening advice
What to sow now advisor
Veggie harvest tracking
Flower bloom tracking
Beautiful, easy to use interface
Notations with plants
Built-in instructions
Complete gardening glossary
Watering guide (iPhone)
Photo slideshow (iPhone)

 

Now if only they would make a gardening glove for my iphone to keep it dirt and water free while with me in my garden.....

 

 

Pansy Living Wreath

 English Creek Gardens posted an article on how to make these living wreaths.  These are quite simply the best spring/summer wreaths we've seen.  We are so excited to try these as soon as the weather allows.. and even then it's not soon enough!  Pansies are the perfect flower for this project, they bloom from the spring until the fall and they are inexpensive.  Be sure to keep the wreath well watered, we suggest a spray bottle and a really good misting once a day (or twice if its really hot and dry).



Materials Required:

Wire Living Wreath Frame
Green Sheet Moss
Potting soil mix
Slow release fertilizer
Tray of Pansies
Florist pins

For step by step directions visit the English Creek Gardens website

TradeMyFlowers

You've got mail!

I grew up on a farm, we had a mailbox and that is where our mail was delivered to.  It was all the way at the end of the looong laneway.  Now that I am all grown up and live in town, we have a driveway, not a laneway and no mailbox.  I miss mailboxes, I am not a fan of the big ugly metal mail thing down the street that we have to go to get our mail from along with the whole street.  I like the old style mailboxes, I miss them. Needless to say I was thrilled to see these 2 ideas using mailboxes in the garden.  Really creative and handy!

The Mailbox Tool Shed
A weatherproof solution to keep your garden tools nearby. I really like this idea, it keeps everything small in one place, and out of the elements (most importantly rain). I like to keep my gardening stuff away from the garage, if its in the garage, its a free for all and something is always missing, and we don't have a garden shed.  This is a simple, easy and cheap way to keep your smaller garden tools close and in one spot.  

Picture- Hometalk.com

The Mailbox Caddy
  Another great weatherproof storage idea.  This one keeps the tools even closer!  You can attach a mailbox like this to a raised garden or fence and have everything you need right there!  I like this idea because its out of the way and pretty well hidden.. there will be no garden tool thieves taking your stuff!  However, I do like the thought of dressing up the mailbox above with some morning glory vines.  Okay, both are very appealing ideas!

Anymore mailbox ideas for the garden?  Let us know!

A Great Idea For A Terrarium

Terrariums are really popular right now, we have seen lots of different ideas and ways of doing them, but this one over at the "Life in Bridgetown" blog is our favourite by far.

We here at TradeMyFlowers all voted to feature this one.....but personally, as me writing this, I love it the most.  I have a huge love of apothecary jars, I have them all over my house, they hold everything from flour and candy to cotton balls and Qtips.  My dream would be to open a store where everything is sold from apothecary jars.  Perhaps an Apothecary you say??  Maybe not exactly that, but combining all of my passions filled in apothecary jars would look amazing.  Okay, so realistically that may never happen, but I still am going to try one or two of these terrariums.  You can pick up a reasonably priced apothecary jar at Home Sense and the other "ingredients" are easily found at garden centers.  I can't wait to try this, I just have to find the perfect spot for one now.....

Hort Couture for the Garden

We happened upon this website today, Hort Couture  We saw some really neat and different plants on this site, but what really took the top prize was the fashion plate... A great mixed container desiging tool.....

Pictures from hortcoutureplants.com

 

And that is really all that needs to be said about it, cause that is just what it is.  When you are putting together your garden containers in the spring this is a great tool to visualize what your container will look like and to help pick out the perfect plants.  We can't wait to find a retailed near us to get one.... its a really good idea!

 

Pictures from hortcoutureplants.com

 

 

Spring must be in the air.. It has to be

I know there were conflicting reports with our small (and sometimes not so small) Groundhog friends this year... But I do think we are going to see an early Spring.  And I for one can hardly wait!  It hasn't been a long cold winter, and aside from a few major snows, there hasn't been a silly amount of snow to deal with, but I still have this urge to hurry mother nature along and get the Spring show on the road!  I planted some of my rembrant tulip bulbs (lovely Christmas present) in the house a few weeks ago to force some early spring of my own and they have started to come up!  I am excited to have them bloom in the house, but more importantly I take this as a good sign that Spring is right around the corner.  There is really no logic behind this "sign" I forced the little suckers to sprout....but I am taking all I can get! 

Comment if you have seen any signs of Spring!

WIN WIN WIN

Listing our contest was such a great success that we thought maybe we should start listing other garden contests out there... So we are now scouring the internet on your behalf looking for contests to enter!  Just click on our contest tab to take a look!

Contest! Win a $50.00 Gift Certificate to Home Depot



Yes thats right, just think of what you could buy in the spring for your garden with $50 at Home Depot!  You have from Feb 4 2013 to May 1 2013 to enter to win.

Here are a bunch of ways to enter and get extra entries.....

a) Like our facebook page located at http://www.facebook.com/#!/TradeMyFlowers
b) Register on our Website at www.trademyflowers.com
c) Follow us on Twitter at @trademyflowers
d) Post a listing on our Website at www.trademyflowers.com
e) Refer a friend- if they do any of the above you will get an extra entry! Just email us at anything @trademyflowers.com and let us know what friends you refer and if they do any of the above you will get another entry and they will get one too!

So.....like, follow, list and tell your friends about us and get lots of entries to win!

For official Contest rules click here