Reflections for the New Year…..

When I reflect on the past year, it is interesting that the things which ultimately brought me the most joy were sometimes the most challenging at the time. Jeff and I both agree that our efforts at the 2013 NW Flower and Garden show were more than fulfilled when we won a gold medal. Our son deciding to join the company while a surprise provided a great opportunity for emotional growth. Finding that work/life balance continues to elude us and our goal for 2014 is to laugh more often, share more sunrises and play more golf!

Picture below taken in January 2007 when at the Getty Center in Los Angeles

The Gift of Giving…..

We are living in turbulent times. Turn on the TV and you will find a half a dozen reasons to feel afraid, hunker down and hope for the best. It is time to step beyond the borders of our comfort zone take some risks. What brings me the greatest joy in life is the gift of giving and being able to receive with grace. Each of us are given natural talents and strengths and when I focus what that gift might be in whomever I meet I am giving the gift of presence. The joy I feel and connection I make when I find that hidden gem or passion is the gift I receive in return. It may be math, cooking, writing, humor (like our friend who channels Elvis below) or heart but there is always a special trait waiting to be discovered. As long as I have the courage to risk rejection, speak candidly and be willing to own what makes me unique I will have a successful life.

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.