The Season of Thanks

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists after suffering a long and arduous journey to the new world. Shared their first season’s bounty at an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations. It was not until 1827 that Sara Josepha Hale started lobbying to make Thanksgiving an annual tradition. It took her over 30 years and she introduced the recipes we know today for Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce and Pumpkin pie. The holiday as we know it is due to her efforts. The tradition of celebrating the harvest of the year is observed in many cultures but we are probably the only one that offers presidential exoneration for a turkey. In 1989, George HW Bush had the honor of becoming the first president to formally issue a pardon to a turkey and every president since has followed suit.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Why Maintenance Matters…..

We are so grateful to live in an area where the employment is relatively stable. Where we have clean water that comes from our tap and an abundance of fresh foods at our fingertips. Not many communities in our world can say that with confidence. How we approach maintenance in our home, health, cars and landscapes helps shape our gratitude. When we gain a deep personal satisfaction for caring for ourselves and those things around us, a part of that value is monetary, but perhaps more important is its emotional and psychological value. A neat and preserved landscape will be worth more both financially (an average of 15% more value if selling a property) and aesthetically. Pleasing scenes give daily satisfaction to a returning owner, and create a favorable first impression on visitors.

Part of our mission statement and our primary purpose at Jefferson Landscaping is to eliminate the chaos from your landscape and introduce calm and beauty into your life. Pleasant surroundings invite us to take joy in being outside and marveling in the colors. We feel a little more vibrant and it can help give the strength to expand daily maintenance into other aspects of our lives.

The Glorious Colors of Fall

Fall has become a magical time for us. I used to feel like hiding when the days got shorter and everything was withering and dying. I was focused on the loss rather than the grace. Each year now towards the end of October, I take a trip to the Seattle Arboretum or Japanese Gardens and surround myself with indescribable colors and let myself become transported by the beauty and inevitability of the season.

Picture above I took at the Seattle Arboretum of the Japanese Gardens

The Roots of Flower Arranging

This is the time of year when our cutting gardens are bursting with the last of the season’s colors… It is an almost bittersweet time as we fill our vases with a rainbow of fragrant blooms from the garden, knowing another fall and winter will pass before we can do this again. We arrange our flowers with tender care, selecting a red rose for the ones we love, snapdragons for strength, or perhaps calla lilies for beauty. The flowers we arrange and give to others possess historic roots that grow deeper than those from which they blossomed.

The earliest known flower arrangers were the ancient Egyptians in about 2500 BC. They selected flowers for burials that were sacred or had religious meaning, such as lotus flowers and water lilies. The practice of arranging flowers as gifts began in prehistoric times when flowers were known more for their medicinal value than their aesthetic value. Today, a gift of flowers is a common way to express love, sympathy, apology, and a host of other sentiments.

There is also great cultural significance in the art of flower arranging. One example is the tradition of the bride’s bouquet, containing specially chosen blooms that are both emotionally significant as well as relevant to the theme of the wedding. A lesser known tradition is the corsage worn by the groom in his buttonhole. This is actually a medieval tradition that represents the declaration of his love for the bride by wearing his lady’s colors.

Doggone it! Color to get through the Dog Days of Summer

The sun is out, the days are warm, and each day brings us closer to the Dog Days of Summer: the hottest and most humid time of the year, lasting from about July 3 through August 11. The Dog Days were named long ago by stargazers who observed that this sultry period occurred within 20 days on either side of the conjunction of the star Sirius (which is the dog star) and the sun. In olden times, the arrival of the Dog Days of Summer meant disease and extreme discomfort. Today, we can look forward to this time of year filled with warm days, evening barbeques, and Fourth of July celebrations. The hot, humid climate of the Dog Days does, however, take a toll on our gardens. Gardening with color during this time of year can be a challenge. Many plants fade and wither with the heat. Also, water conservation issues can make for a very thirsty garden. There is a solution, though. As perennials, flowering shrubs, and trees start to wane, we can fill the void with summer annuals.

 These are plants that go through their entire life cycle in one year. They do not flower more than once. Many annuals make excellent “Dog Day” plants, because they can thrive in full sun and hot temps, and they add quick, vibrant color to the garden. These are just a few examples:
Tuberous begonias (begonia tuberhybrida) come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. The begonia family has over 1400 species. Geraniums are native to South Africa and can range in size from 6 inches to 3-4 feet. They come in blooms of red, white, pink, purple, or blue. The common name “cranesbill” refers to the the seed capsule that looks like a crane’s bill. The beak-like column will burst open when ripe and cast the seeds over a distance Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) thrives in the heat of summer, smells like cherry pie, and comes in purple, blue, and white. Heliotrope is toxic if ingested in large quantities over a period of time.

What’s Growing on...

News & Noteworthy

We are spending our weekend hours tending to our own vegetable beds. Our lettuce, peas, beans, celery and carrots are coming in nicely. The raspberries, blueberries and apple trees are laden with future fruit. It is our favorite time of year.

Garden Favorites – Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs

Legumes: Beans, peas and lentils are staples of our diet all over the world and have been cultivated for 6,000 years. Peanuts, licorice, tamarind, fenugreek and jicama all belong to the bean family. Despite, its name coffee is not a bean but a cherry.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are the fruit of the vine that’s native to the South America Andes. They started being taxed as a vegetable in 1883. Prior to 1820, everyone thought tomatoes to be poisonous. Tomatoes are number one! More than 60 million tons produced annually beating out banana’s by a third.

Cruciferous: Broccoli and cauliflower are technically the flowers. Kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts all cruciferous veg. offer great health benefits and prevent cancer.

Peppers: Bell peppers have no “bite at all since they contain a recessive gene that eliminates capsaicin. Chili Peppers can be mild or hot enough to cause damage.

Basil: Basil also had a dubious reputation but in the 17th century it was redeemed. In Italy Basil is considered a sign of love. In India, it is sacred, dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna. Basil is also considered tomatoes soul mate as proven by the caprese salad.

Cilantro: Cilantro is a member of the carrot family. It was also one of the plants growing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon more than 2,500 years ago.