A Favorite Quote

"If you look the right way you can see that the whole world is a garden." from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Garden Wayfarer: Boyertown Holiday House Tour - Community Connection - Berks-Mont News

I enjoy going on various house tours in the area and then writing about them for all to get a glimpse of the beauty found on each tour. A few weeks ago I went on the Boyertown Holiday House Tour with some family members and we had so much fun! Since Boyertown Area Senior High School is where I graduated from, I always run into someone I know and haven't seen for ages. This was a great tour and you should consider going on it next year. I hope you enjoy this article. Merry Christmas!
(Click on the title above to read the article.)

The Garden Wayfarer: Boyertown Holiday House Tour - Community Connection - Berks-Mont News

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Local author fulfills search for identity - Community Connection - Berksmont News

Suzanne Geiss has a beautiful garden. I love all of the Impatiens she has growing all around her home. She tells me most of them grew where they are, on their own from last year. She truly has a green thumb. But that's not all she is good at....she is a product designer, a children's book author, a speaker, and an encourager. To read more about her click on the article title below.


Local author fulfills search for identity - Community Connection - Berksmont News

Monday, October 4, 2010

Fall Recipe

     At a garden club luncheon last week one of the dishes served was this delicious salad with apples.  I asked my friend Doreen Duncan if I could share her wonderful recipe on my blog and she agreed.  As I ate this salad it made me think of my friend Toni Myers and her wonderful apple orchard.  She has all kinds of apple varieties available for purchase and her store supports missionaries around the world.  The name of her orchard is Faith Orchard. Friends are a blessing from God.  :)
     Thanks for sharing this recipe with us Doreen!
APPLE SPINACH SALAD

1 bunch Romaine lettuce
1 lb fresh spinach
1/2 C cashews
1/2 - 3/4 C dried cranberries (Pat, this is my addition)
2 tart Granny Smith apples - diced and unskinned

Dressing:
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C vinegar - balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 C salad oil
1 t salt
1 t garlic salt

1 t celery salt
1 T poppy seeds
Toss together the Romaine lettuce, spinach, cashews. Mix well the dressing ingredients and add only enough to coat lightly. Add apples and serve immediately as once dressing is applied, leaves begin to get soggy.

Friday, October 1, 2010

The Dogwood

     Outside my window is a divine dogwood tree. It is already starting to turn its leaves into some wonderful warm red tones. The tree is filled with tiny red berries. I’ve always heard that birds love the red berries and use them as food. But I had never actually seen any birds feeding from my tree.

     Today changed all that. I don’t have a photograph, as it all happened too fast, and I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. But there are many, many birds feeding from my dogwood tree this morning! I was very surprised and happy to sit here and enjoy the view. It makes me think about God and how He feeds us. He enjoys the view, too. He relishes giving us good things and then watching us enjoy them. He especially enjoys seeing us use all that He gives us for His own honor and glory. Thank you, God, for my food and for the beautiful birds you are feeding in my garden.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Sage Advice

     A visit to a delightful garden brought me some "sage" advice.  Howard and Ann Sage shared their artistic impressions with some fellow gardners on a hot day in August.  In spite of the drought and heat their garden was green and fruitful.  I found tomatoes, beans, squash, and herbs growing in well mulched and watered beds.  The plants all looked healthy and happy and ......deliciously Yummy!



     Ann shared with visitors her love of collecting unusual art work to hang in the garden.  Howard shared how a visit to the Morris Arboretum sparked his interest in outdoor G trains.  His passion chugs along through all the plants and garden ornamentation.  I found their home a great place to gather "sage" advice for one's gardening journey.  Choo, choo!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Garden Wayfarer: Transport to discovering zoos - Community Connection - Berksmont News

It's been a hot, humid,incredibly dry summer.  Many gardens are feeling the heat and just don't look so good even with heavy watering.   So, I decided to take a break from gardening and go visit the zoo instead.  I thought I might find some nice gardens at one of the zoos but that didn't happen.  Their gardens were feeling the heat as well!

But we gardeners enjoy all of nature's beauty.  Wildlife and ecology go along with gardening.  So here's a look at what I found at the zoo!  Click on the link below.


The Garden Wayfarer: Transport to discovering zoos - Community Connection - Berksmont News

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Cleaning Out the Potting Shed

     My potting shed was a disaster!  It was filled with junk from one end to the other.  There wasn't even a path to walk through to get to anything.  I felt like I was a candidate for the tv program Clean House.  Neicy Nash would have given me a scolding.
     My 18 month old grandson, Austin, looked in the door and said "Trash!"  Trash is his favorite word and he revels in looking at any book with trash in it.  He was mesmerized by what seemed like a dump load of a disgusting mess.
     I was desperate.  I bribed my 5 year old grandson, Aiden,  into helping me.  A special surprise and a whole dollar sealed the deal.  We carted out all the trash that littered every nook and cranny.  Even little Austin wanted to have a hand in it.  I paid him a whole quarter.
    We made a huge pile of all kinds of dried plant material.  The boys looked for treasures among the discards.  It was so bad it took me days to finally get it all cleared out.  When it was transformed from trash to holding only my best treasures I was all smiles.
      My wonderful husband was about to perform a special job for me (it was his own idea, too).  He had the good fortune to come across some free ceramic tiles and had promised me to tile the workbench in the potting shed.  The bare plywood was impossible to clean up and seemed to attract and hold every piece of dirt.  He spent the equivalent of whole day just to spruce up my potting shed.  What a dear!
    As I contemplated what a job this all had been, I thought about my relationship with Jesus Christ.  The potting shed reminded me of my heart.  At one time my heart had been dusty and dirty and a horrible mess.  Once I confessed my sin and asked Jesus to be my Savior, he came into my heart and cleaned it all up.  He came into every room of my life and cleaned every nook and corner.  He produced in me what I could never attain myself...a right relationship with God.  Just like my husband who loves me and helps me, Jesus is like a husband who comes along side of me and helps me with my loads and burdens.  He wants me to continue to depend on him for all my needs.  I am so thankful that I have this special relationship with Jesus Christ.  He has made me his own special treasure.


The newly tiled work bench in the potting shed.
    



The flowers are done blooming already.  This high heat coming so early and the high humidity was not favorable for garden plants.  But my little potting shed is wonderful place to contemplate my creations for the garden and for floral designs.

Monday, July 26, 2010

A trip to the Scottish Highlands

     My family background includes ancestors with Celtic origins.  Great grandfather was from the beautiful Emerald Isle and Great grandmother was from Scotland.  No one knows how they met so many years ago but it is sometimes fun to dream about.  I think about visiting those lands.  I would love to view some gardens over there.
    The closest I could come to visiting Scotland, so far, was in the dream world created by Jennifer Hudson Taylor in her new book "Highland Blessings".  Through her story, I could envision riding on horseback across the moores and wearing the plaid of my great grandmother's clan.
     This was an entertaining book that takes the reader into the days of yesteryear when clan fought against clan.  The author weaves into her story how God can work in every situation even in our human frailties.  If you go to her web site you can view the trailer for the book.  It was actually the trailer that drew me into a desire to enter that land of "Highland Blessings".  This book is published by Abingdon Press.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Ocean City, N.J. Flower Show


Visiting the Jersey shore is always a pleasure.  I love walking the boards and just watching the waves crash.  The force of the waves reminds me that only God can control nature.  His design is so Awesome!

On the first weekend of June 2010 Ocean City held its 38th annual flower show on the boardwalk.  I love flower shows, whether large or small.  This one was not as large as the Philadelphia International Flower Show, of course.  But they had spectacular dispalys of beautiful plants and the designers put together some very artistic floral arrangements.  The Garden Club of Ocean City did a marvelous job!

Just a few of the displays are in these photographs I took.  The whimsical western riding boot was an entry in Class 6 called Country Music Hall of Fame.  There was a table full of hosta varieties and in the house plants division I had my eye on a lovely Angel's Trumpet.

They used God's wonderful harvest of horticulture to create some beautiful designs!  Good Job entrants and show hosts!  I loved  it.  :)




Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The Song of Songs (Book of the Song of Solomon)



The Song of Solomon takes place in a garden.  A beautiful love story.   Those who love Jesus are called the Bride of Christ.  Someday He will tell us "Come away my Beloved" and we will so happily go to Him.  I found this video on You Tube and thought it was beautiful.  I hope you enjoy it.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Berksmont News: Serving Berks County

"On The Way to Cape May"......
Yes, we sang as we drove and we stopped along the way.  I had been wanting to visit this nursery in Franklinville ever since Lorrarine (the owner) came to speak at one of our garden club meetings.  She is a delightful person, always willing to share her wisdom and tips for the garden.  She knows tons and tons about herbs and I hope to post a link to one of her articles in the near future.  In the meantime, here is a link to the article I wrote in The Community Connection about her wonderful nursery.  My husband and I and another couple were on our way to a weekend in Cape May and I talked them all into stopping at Triple Oaks.  It was worth it.  I purchased 2 Rosemary plants that I hope will be hardy enough to winter over in my garden shed.
Berksmont News: Serving Berks County

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Monday, April 5, 2010

Berksmont News: Serving Berks County

Berksmont News: Serving Berks County:  Spring Comes to Bucks County

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I don't recall exactly how I found out about the Bucks County Garden and Home Show.  Last year was my first time to visit the show.  I found it enthralling.  This was a place to make a lot of gardening connections.  I met people from other garden clubs and met a few master gardeners as well.  I felt as if I made some new friends and hope to meet up with some of these people again.  I met a wonderful lady named Dot Bunn who is an artist.  She creates gorgeous oil paintings that one can walk into.  You can visit her web site at http://www.dotbunn.com/. One of her works was done in the garden of Derek Fell, another person I admire.  Derek is a garden writer and photographer.  I'll write more about him another time.  To read the article published in The Community Connection about this event click on the small print above.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Berksmont News: Serving Berks County

Berksmont News: Serving Berks County:  Passport to the World

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This year's Philadelphia Flower Show was full of some amazing floral creations.  Click on the link above to read the article published in The Community Connection.  This was the first year I went across the street to the Farmer's Market to eat lunch.  They have a huge variety of food choices plus homemade baked goods and fresh produce.  You need extra shopping bags to take home all the things you could purchase between the Flower Show and the Farmer's Market!

Monday, March 8, 2010

The Garden Wayfarer: Gone to pot - Community Connection - Berksmont News

The Garden Wayfarer: Gone to pot - Community Connection - Berksmont News

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How many of you have used household items as decor or plant containers in your gardens?  I'd love to hear about your ideas.  Just click on the link above to see some unique ideas I've come across.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Alta Sierra Biblical Gardens

Loving the subject of Biblical Gardens as I do, I sometimes surf the web for info on this subject.  I enjoy looking at photos that people take of gardens in general.  I came across this video on youtube that I thought was nicely done and hoped you would enjoy visiting the coolness of the garden and the fragrance of faith in Jesus.  Just click on the title of my post above and it will take you to visit the gardens.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

All this snow is so good for the earth.  It blankets the plants and gives them moisture over a long period of time.  Hopefully all of this wonderful, beautiful snow will assure us of a drought free summer.  All this snow also makes me think of the song that goes..."whiter than snow, yes whiter than snow.  Now wash me and I will be whiter than snow."

The Garden Wayfarer: The beauty of the season - Community Connection - Berksmont News

The Garden Wayfarer: The beauty of the season - Community Connection - Berksmont News

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Friday, February 5, 2010

Another Kind of Seed

Another kind of seed...

            On a visit to the Montgomery County Bookmobile this week I came across a very interesting book.  It is entitled The Prayer Shawl Companion by Janet Bristow & Victoria A. Cole-Galo, and published by The Taunton Press.
            It is actually a book of knitting patterns for prayer shawls and since I have been studying the Jewish prayer shawl called a Tallit, this title caught my eye.  I must say I do not agree with all of the thoughts and ideas represented in the book.  But they have some beautiful designs and I love the idea of praying over a project you are working on in order to give someone else a blessing.
            On page 87 there is a lovely little prayer written by Wren Ross of Boston, Massachusetts:
“May each stitch be a seed of beauty.
  May each stitch be a seed of truth.
  May each stitch be a seed of health.
  May each stitch be a seed of compassion.
  May each stitch be a seed of joy.
  May each stitch be a seed of grace.
  May each stitch be a seed of love.”


By God’s grace, I hope to sow those kinds of seeds in 2010, how about you?


By Pat Moyer

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Start your own seeds for a luscious garden.

This is the kind of garden we gardeners dream of.  This is the garden of Mr & Mrs Hartman in North Coventry, Pottstown.  Mary Belle has laid her garden out with lovely brick paths in between the rows.  She has a huge variety of plants in luscious colors.
By Pat Moyer
DSC_0448.JPG
These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google.
Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Seed Starting

I think I received about 10 garden catalogues so far for 2010.  I love paging through these to see all the beautiful plants.  It is so difficult to decide just which seeds to select each year.  It is fun to try new varieties and see how well they do in my location.

Let me know which garden catalogues you receive and which ones are your favorites.  And...why are they your favorites?  What new varieties of plants to you plan to try this year?

For some great ideas on how to start your seeds this year, read my column in The Community Connection called "The Garden Wayfarer".  I will be posting that in my next blog.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Saving in the New Year

     The beginning of a new year is the time we like to think of new resolutions.  What will we do differently?  What will we try to do better?  The way things are in this economy we all like to think about saving money.  Gardening can help you with that.  If you grow your own fruits and vegetables you can save money on food, not to mention that they taste delicious when you pick them straight off the vine.
     You can purchase many, many varieties of plants in a nursery.  But you can save even more money by starting your own seeds.  It's easy to do and you can use recycled items to get you started.  We'll talk about this some more in my next blog.