Cottage Garden Party

#gardeningwhileaging is easier than ever with this wonderful book by Toni Gattone, The Lifelong Gardener - Garden With Ease & Joy At Any Age is a wonderful book written by Toni Gattonne ad published by Timber Press. Perfect for gifting or for use as a reference book to help us continue to enjoy gardening wisely as we age or have disabilities.  Check out the book review on my blog. Simply click the link above. This book offered so much content and advice, I just had to speak with Toni personally to find out what inspired her to write such a useful book. Like me, Toni is a member of GardenComm. As a garden communicator, she offered quite a few tales of how she still finds joy in her garden as she ages. Hailing from the Chicago area and now living on the West Coast, our time spent was simply delightful. You can find out more about Toni here. Follow me: Https://www.cottageinthecourt.com...Instagram and Twitter:@cottageincourt...Facebook: CottageInTheCourt, and sometimes on Medium: Cottage In The Court If

Let's celebrate Women In Horticulture by watching GROW! with Katie Dubow on Facebook Live!, 1:00 pm EST, Monday - Friday. Katie is a Region II GardenComm member and has curated the perfect early afternoon delight for the gardener. Take a few moments to listen and be surprised...just don't answer BOTH to her questions!! Click here to check out GROW! with Katie... As GROW! with Katie celebrated Women in Horticulture week, the first guest was Jennifer Jewell, friend, and author,  of THE EARTH  IN HER HANDS - 75 Extraordinary Women Working In The World of Plants. This book should be required reading for anyone who desires to work in the world of horticulture. Honest and informative interviews that empower the spirit and refreshes the soul.  I spoke with Barbara Wheeler, Operations Manager at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens in  New Zealand. I can certainly say that I have made a new friend. Barbara shared her perspective on America, Survival, Resilience, Public Gardens, and more.  She is a thi

Thanks for listening and sharing this podcast. my latest blog post titled, " Plants Mimic Society" just might get you thinking about what kind of plant you would be in this garden of life. Here is the link: https://cottageinthecourt.com/?p=7978 My guest, Mike Lizotte, is a very generous, engaging, and wonderful guy. I met him at a Garden Writers Conference a few years back and his enthusiasm is amazing. His book, Mini Meadows - Grow a Little Patch of Colorful Flowers Anywhere around Your Yard, published by Storey books, is a terrific book to have on hand. It will inspire you to follow his well-written directions and start a mini meadow of your own! You can explore more about Mike, The Seedman, and his book by clicking the link above. Follow me: Https://www.cottageinthecourt.com...Instagram and Twitter:@cottageincourt...Facebook: CottageInTheCourt, and sometimes on Medium: Cottage In The Court If you live in the DMV and want to know what's happening locally and in our gardens, follow the collaborative podcast

Finding a book that escorts you into a world of possibilities is always a good thing. Gardenista - The Definitive Guide to StylishIutdoor Spaces is a terrific tour guide as you begin to consider enhancing your garden. I recently reviewed this awesome book on my website Click here to find out my thoughts.  I had the pleasure of catching up with John Magee. I met John in 2017 at the Garden Bloggers Fling. His business focuses on using native plants in the landscape. John Magee has specific ideas on why we need to embrace natives and shared this concept with me. If you are considering a new landscape or enhancing your current green space, check out his website. Here you will find examples of his work. It will change your mind about going native! http://www.john-magee.com/ Follow me: Https://www.cottageinthecourt.com...Instagram and Twitter:@cottageincourt...Facebook: CottageInTheCourt, and sometimes on Medium: Cottage In The Court If you live in the DMV and want to know what's happening locally and in our

I recently reviewed a terrific book called, Working The Roots - 400 Years of Traditional African American Healing by Michele E. Lee. During this time of unintentional pausing, we have become food-focused. From growing what we can in our own yards to even remembering what roots, leaves, and herbs were traditionally used to heal our bodies. The ancestors have always know how to tap into nature when resources were unavailable or lean. It is a terrific book that will bring back memories of discussions with the Elders. I posted this on my blog.  John Manirakiza is a man we need to know and watch, right here in the DMV. The Heritage Food Project at the University of the District of Columbia is being recognized for the good programs they are growing. Connecting the immigrant community with the foods they were accustomed to eating in their homeland is such a good thing. The outreach that this program is doing, not only at UDC but in the DMV community is a wonderful thing. As John continually spreads his net of g

Celebrating National Public Gardens was quite different this year. If nothing else, it has helped us realize the role they play in our lives. Whether we visit for quiet time, inspiration, or reliving a memory, National Public Gardens has affected many of our lives. Even as the buildings on some sites are closed, parts f the grounds are closed in other gardens. If you are planning a visit, be sure to call, and or check the website first. As some States are re-opening, there are sure to be some National  Public Gardens opening as well.  I had the opportunity of speaking with Sharon Loving, Vice President of Horticulture at Longwood Gardens. If you are not familiar with Longwood Gardens, you should really take the time while we are pausing and explore their website. Chock full of information and definitely designed to make you want to visit today! Unfortunately, the gates are temporarily shuttered...but when the time comes and we can move about freely, make a date at Longwood. I just might see you ther

I recently shared a terrific book on my blog, Between Harlem and Heaven, Afro- Asian- American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day, a collaboration between J.J. Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers. This is not just a cookbook, but a melting pot of cultural stories with the advice of "just try the sauces on everything". This is a must-have as you begin to grow this season and celebrate the diversity found in the garden. You can read this review on my blog, https://www.cottageinthecourt.com.  As I focus on cooking and growing, it is the perfect time to chat with a friend that understands cultural cooking. The Chinese Kitchen Garden - Growing techniques and family recipes from a classic cuisine by Wendy Kiang-Spray is another book to reference. A local gardener in the DMV, Wendy has such a delightful story to share.  The story of how this book came about is quite touching. Wendy shares moments with her Dad in the garden. Together they sowed seeds of unspoken love, trials,

April has been such a busy month. Even as it is about to end, there is so much more to share. Did you know this is Kid's gardening month? If you have never heard of Kidsgardening.org, it is definitely a resource worth checking out. There are options for engaging children in connecting with the earth as an educator, a homeschooler, or as a parent. Ideas such as making botanical paper (a great gift) and gardening with scraps can add the chance for one on one engagement with your child. What a great way to make a memory! To find out more about this organization, click here Speaking of homeschooling, Paula Penn-Nabrit homeschooled her children due to unfortunate circumstances of non-acceptance. Not being deterred, Paula and her husband Charles, connected with the surrounding community and raised Ivy League Twins. She has written several books on this topic and more. Sharing her story hopefully will serve as a bit of hope for others who are balancing the art of "unexpected homeschooling".  Paula has a un

What a windy day and certainly not a day to plant or transplant new plants. Gardening is a way of life for some and a new hobby for others as we practice "unintentional pausing"...I prefer this term over "Social Distancing". I took some time to consider what is in the news I am listening to, had a chat with a fellow Garden Communicator, Kim Roman, and wrote a little poem in honor of National Poetry Month. To find out more about the online classes Kim will be teaching her information is:  sfgkimroman@yahoo.com or her Facebook page:  Square Foot Gardening 4 U I hope to connect with you on my other social platforms:  https://www.cottageinthecourt.com (blog and website), twitter: @cottageincourt, Instagram: @cottageincourt, FB: Cottage In The Court I am also a Great Garden Speaker and would love to create conversations with your community group, garden club or sister circle.  Email me: teri@cottageinthecourt.com

Slowing down whether we like it or not has it's virtues. The things we had placed on the back burner ever are now simmering on the front of the stove.  As a person with a creative mindset, this opportunity to pause has stirred up the mulch in my mind and a seed has started to sprout again.   Have you ever had a dream of speaking with someone you felt like you would be gardening buddies with? Well, I do all the time. Sometimes I am hesitant to ask just because. Fear of hearing No (FOHN)...I am working on this! I am on the second reading of an awesome book.  One day I  had the nerve to ask Jennifer Jewell, author, The Earth In Her Hands - 75 Extraordinary Women Working In the World of Plants to share a few moments with me. An event that I was looking forward to attending at the Smithsonian was postponed due to our National Emergency and Jennifer was one of the panelists. Not one to postpone joy, I knew that I  needed to meet her either in person or over the phone. Timber Press - THANK Y