Xylem & Phloem

I'm turning into such an Anglophile... I envy everything about gardening in the UK... Check out this great article in The Times about what's hot in gardening for 2008:

Gardening expert Stephen Anderton wipes the mud from his crystal ball to reveal the hot trends and must-have plants for 2008

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Links of the Week is back! Check out the latest gardening news around the country:

Shade-loving variegated plants brighten Dallas gardens

Indoor plants improve winter well-being 

Sustainable Gardening Newsletter January 08 (Takoma Gardener)

Green roses are sterile but seductive flowers 

Edibles: Oh, joy! The Territorial Seed catalog is here!

How to avoid perennial gardening mistakes 

Coming soon from Urban Outfitters - Upscale Garden Centers 

10 rules of eco-gardening 

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  When temperatures drop below freezing many hobbyists can simply move indoors. Training for a marathon? Hop on a treadmill. Mad about your automobile? Wax that thing in the garage. For gardeners, however, it's not quite that simple.

  As an active gardener not yet lucky enough to have a greenhouse or an expansive sunroom, I find myself looking longingly out at the garden from my kitchen window for much of the winter season. Enter "The Eggling".

An ingenious product created in Japan, the eggling is a ceramic egg filled with soil, nutrients and plant seeds. Crack open the top, add water, give it some light, and watch it grow! (Think chic and modern Chia pet.)

 My godparent Gail thoughtfully gave me three herb egglings for my birthday. I love the idea of starting thyme, basil, and mint seedlings in the dead of winter. I will be sure to keep everyone posted on their progress.

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 I can't quite explain my hiatus from Xylem & Phloem. Perhaps it was the grueling semester in business school. Perhaps it was the poor performance of my new perennial bed for which I had such high hopes. Perhaps it was the alignment of the planets. Whatever the cause of my absence, it is now time to return and reconnect with the pursuit that brings me such joy.

Last week I spent a few minutes turning the compost pile and that simple act was enough to remind me why I garden and why I choose to spend my free time outdoors. My muscles enjoyed the strain of handling the pitchfork. My nostrils filled with the comforting scent of freshly-turned soil. The afternoon sun, low in the winter sky, warmed my back as I hunched over the pile of composting yard waste. For many Dallasites, this might sound like indentured servitude. For me, it's a calling I can't ignore for much longer.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Callie 

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