Maple syrup and sapsicles

The sap is running! Do you see the maple sapsicle on my tree? I've enjoyed watching my squirrels pick off the sapsicles and munch on them. They've been scampering all over the tree licking up the sap. When the sapsicles melt, they create quite a sticky mess underneath.  I have made syrup from this tree when my kids were younger and I was home all day to watch it cook outside. Nothing can beat homemade maple syrup. My son & daughter-in-law went to a maple festival this past weekend and brought back a jar of maple cream for me. HMMMM!! Yummy on toast.

My sign of spring

First, a disclaimer - these are not my pictures, I took them off the internet.
I have been reading a lot of blogs lately about the first signs of spring, accompanied by beautiful pictures of crocus and daffodils. I admit, I am jealous. Especially since we received an inch of snow yesterday. It could be worse, other areas received more. Considering that one week ago it was 60 degrees and I was cleaning my gardens and now I can't see them, it's a bit depressing.

But here's the thing - my community has another sign of spring apart from the new growth outdoors.  Our true sign of spring is when Rudy's Lakeside Drive-in opens for the season, which it did on March 16th. I usually get out there for lunch on opening day, but it was a pretty raw, cold day so I didn't go.  My husband and I ate dinner there on Monday night - yup - spring is here. My first Texas hot of the season.  A mouth-watering Hoffman hotdog topped with onions and spicey Texas hot sauce!  Okay, so we had to sit in the car to eat so we wouldn't freeze to death, but we could still watch the waves of Lake Ontario come ashore and see the seagulls flying overhead, hoping for a bit of food.  We have a whole summer ahead of us to sit outside and enjoy many more meals from Rudys.
The food isn't the healthiest - mostly deep fried, but the taste can't be beat. We wait patiently through the winter storms anticipating opening day and then we breath a sigh of relief - spring has arrived in Oswego.

Happy 1st blog anniversary to me!

Today marks my 1 year anniversary of blogging. When I began last year, I wasn't sure how long I would keep at it or if I would like blogging. I just knew I wanted to learn more about it and see where it took me.  There is so much to learn from other bloggers and so many new "cyber-space" friends to make.  I plan to continue this enjoyable hobby. I sometimes wish I had more time to spend on it but I have far too many other interests and have to try and fit everything in.

Recycled garden art or gaden junk?

I am a believer in recycling.  Some may call me a junk-picker. I suppose I inherited the disease from my grandfather and father.  I hate to throw something away if I can think of some other use for it, and I love old stuff.  So, while I'm waiting for my spring flowers to bloom (most of the snow has finally disappeared) I thought I would share my "found objects." I enjoy finding unexpected things in gardens. Do you like a well trimmed, organized, everything matches garden or do you like an eccentric garden as I do?

Some of you might be gasping - how could you put this treasure outside?  Yes, I suppose we could have tried to get a little money for it, but how neat does it look in my garden? My green peppers love their home. My brother bought a house in the country, one of those places where past owners threw their junk out back on a junk pile, and this was one of the pieces of junk.

Decorating a bowling ball to use in the garden might be considered kitschy, but I enjoy gluing stuff on old bowling balls and setting them in my garden.  This one is covered in colored stones.

The bowl portion of this birdbath broke, so I planted a fuchsia in it. That was about 5 years ago and this is the same plant. I bring it in every winter.

Some might consider this junk.  Another treasure from my brother's junk pile. He dragged this broken, old washing machine out and placed it in my garden as my Christmas present one year. He knew I would love this more than any store bought gift.

Here's the lady of my garden. My husband used to clean out unpaid storage units and was able to keep anything he found.  This was a keeper. My niece used to be a bit frightened of her, as many small children would, but she pays her no mind now.

A pot belly stove with a crack in the belly. No longer able to hold a fire, but great at  holding my mini-rose in a rescued, rusty, hole-filled bucket.

What do you do with a gas grill that doesn't work anymore? Turn it into a potting bench! I took out the gas burner, put in a plastic dish pan to hold my potting soil and there you have it! The cover keeps my soil nice and dry.

I'm a sucker for these old stools. I have 2 of them in my garden.

Got this for $5 at a yard sale last year. I couldn't pass it up.

Another yard sale find. An old radio flyer - perfect for my impatiens.

Another wood burning stove - right out of my grandfather's workshop. Victim of another crack.

My granparent's pump - it was no longer needed when city water came out their way. It sits up so high because there is a very long pipe attached to it. I couldn't dig down deep enough to bury it all.

my first orchid - any helpful advice to keep it alive?

Here is my first orchid, granted - it's just a cheap one from the grocery store, but still beautiful.  The directions tell me to water it once a week with 3 ice cubes, keep it in a room around 60 degrees and not in direct sunlight. Does anyone have any advice or tips to help me along the way to keeping this new baby healthy?

 

 

I've been wondering why I am so willing to hand over hard-earned money for plants but not for other items that are needed in my home? Is this an addiction? Am I a plantaholic? Is there such a thing? I've always maintained that I can't understand what people with additions go through, having never been addicted to anything,  but maybe I can. I buy plants because they make me feel good. Isn't that why foodaholics eat? And shopaholics shop? I am standing up and publicly proclaiming to be a plantaholic - but please don't offer to help me, I'm not ready for an intervention!

CNY Blooms garden show review

This weekend was the much anticipated Central New York garden show in Syracuse, NY. I attend every year with my daughter, sister, and Aunt. We look forward to a day indoors, wandering through gardens full of blooming spring flowers while the weather outside is usually cold, gray, windy, rainy or snowy.  This year, we were a bit disappointed with the show. We enjoyed what was there, but some of our favorite vendors and landscape designers were missing. The garden displays weren't as large and there were vendors I don't care to see at a garden show. What do bathtubs have to do with gardening?  I don't want to listen to pitches for subscribing to a newspaper. I'm not interested in new siding or windows. If I was, I'd go to the Home show. There were also too many sun room dealers.  Perhaps the reason for the smaller, less impressive show is because they had to change venues this year. It was held at the War Memorial, which still has ice on the floor for hockey games. Of course, the ice was covered, but however they did it made the floor very uneven and hard to walk on. Many people were tripping and stumbling.  We can only hope the show moves back to it's regular venue next year. Although we were disappointed, we did find some interesting ideas and colorful flowers, as shown below.

A pleasant waterfall, although the dried ornamental grasses do not go with the spring flowers, unless the gardener has not cleaned up their garden yet from last fall.