tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145732992024-03-15T00:30:35.995-05:00MrBrownThumbMrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comBlogger598125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-61507684727563038362016-09-22T09:00:00.000-05:002016-09-27T15:13:22.319-05:00How to Pickle Green Tomatoes Do you love tomatoes and just can't imagine letting any go to waste? If you have had a productive year growing tomatoes the end of the season can feel a little depressing once you realize that those green tomatoes growing on the vine and getting larger, while the summer days are getting shorter. And there isn't much of a chance of them ripening before it's too late. So what do you do? Of course, fried green tomatoes are a must, but I'm here to tell you about the goodness of pickled green tomatoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6GnFI9dBZ5AKRQuCoaFF9sbOCiiN2JxNQ5HMFzkrVUcv8LGmi01MKkjXyc7o51P8cwRolqE_e4VyM9TB7yIj9uITaDo2xlxMGlKt-X-mvZ4RC9VNSt7dZ90Be8mdPtYx_txU/s1600/Pickled-Green-Tomatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pickled Green Tomatoes, How to pickle green tomatoes" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6GnFI9dBZ5AKRQuCoaFF9sbOCiiN2JxNQ5HMFzkrVUcv8LGmi01MKkjXyc7o51P8cwRolqE_e4VyM9TB7yIj9uITaDo2xlxMGlKt-X-mvZ4RC9VNSt7dZ90Be8mdPtYx_txU/s1600/Pickled-Green-Tomatoes.jpg" /></a></div>
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Pickled Green Tomatoes Recipe<br />
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2-3 pounds of green tomatoes<br />
2 garlic cloves<br />
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced<br />
2 cups of water<br />
2 cups apple cider vinegar<br />
2 tablespoons of kosher salt<br />
2 tablespoons of brown sugar<br />
4 tablespoons of bourbon (optional)<br />
1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns<br />
2 star anise seed pods<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons of turmeric<br />
1/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds<br />
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Take your green tomatoes and quarter them. To make things easier, I used a quart-sized canning jar for the pickling process, but you can split them into medium sized jars if needed. Next add your two sliced garlic cloves, sliced jalapeno pepper, fennel seeds, and four tablespoons of bourbon.<br />
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In your saucepan, combine the water, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, whole black peppercorns, star anise seed pods, and turmeric. Bring to a simmer until all of the sugar is dissolved and remove from from heat. Pour your brine into the jar with the green tomatoes.<br />
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Let cool, close lid and place in the fridge for at least three days to allow the tomatoes to fully pickle. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Serve with cheeses, cold cuts, in salads, or just enjoy a tasty, crunchy, pickled tomato.<br />
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Do you often have green tomatoes at the end of the season, or do all of your ripen during summer?<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-73816366549976235252016-08-20T09:00:00.000-05:002016-08-20T09:00:19.789-05:00Fall Vegetable Gardening: What to Plant in September Are you the kind of gardener who thinks the season is over once your tomatoes ripen? Maybe life got in the way and you didn't plant a summer garden and think it's too late to grow anything? Well, I have good news for you. Fall vegetable gardening is a thing and here's what to plant in September.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggP10fxVZL-VYL5tPLm1JdA4lwN23Hg-wTVHaXOUccVjX1xzxkRFk2F_IrnjesbxLHjT03WHExTwOLCf2FluGjD8eEd4291XMID22ipu_vhTp31jhma4E123z_iG6EVl6e-kN4/s1600/Fall-Vegetable-Garden-Swiss-Chard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fall Vegetable Garden Swiss chard" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggP10fxVZL-VYL5tPLm1JdA4lwN23Hg-wTVHaXOUccVjX1xzxkRFk2F_IrnjesbxLHjT03WHExTwOLCf2FluGjD8eEd4291XMID22ipu_vhTp31jhma4E123z_iG6EVl6e-kN4/s1600/Fall-Vegetable-Garden-Swiss-Chard.png" /></a></div>
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<h3>
The First Frost</h3>
The most important thing to consider when deciding what to plant in your garden in September is figuring out when the first fall frost happens in your gardening zone. For example, the <a href="http://www.almanac.com/content/frost-chart-united-states" target="_blank">Farmer's Almanac Frost Chart</a> says that the first fall frost happens in Chicago on October 24. Figuring this date out is important because I know that if I plant seeds the first week of September (at the latest) I will have at least 54 growing days. Which is plenty of time for a lot of cool season crops.<br />
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<h3>
Preparing the Garden for Fall Planting</h3>
Hate to the bearer of bad news but you're going to have to tear out the last of your summer crops if you need to make room for planting fall season crops and seedlings. That means tear out the tomatoes, peppers, melons and cucumbers that are limping along. Since your soil is depleted, it is a good idea to amend your garden soil with some fresh compost. </div>
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<h3>
Seeds to Sow in September for Fall Vegetable Gardening </h3>
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You won't have time to start seeds indoors for a fall vegetable garden so your best bet is to<a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2007/05/direct-sowing-in-garden.html" target="_blank"> direct sowing seeds right in the soil</a>. However, you should check with your local garden centers to see what seedlings and starts may be available in your area for planting.<br />
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To get a great fall harvest stick to crops that mature in 40 days or less. Fast-growing crops like greens and root crops will make planting a fall vegetable garden worth it and extend your growing season.<br />
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Radishes<br />
Arugula<br />
Mustard<br />
Spinach<br />
Turnips<br />
Carrots<br />
Green onions<br />
Tatsoi<br />
Mizuna<br />
Beets<br />
Broccoli<br />
Kale<br />
Cabbage<br />
Swiss chard<br />
Brussels sprouts<br />
Lettuce<br />
Collards</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Bbn0__nlMjBv4z8V8j-s3O63RAZoyvnjvh73XUTsA1brCJp24d7CKO7RubzaK-CWh8S9b4a4wCwxnl8GihKurHGPbvzFsWJatE_1knGJOwc4EJlAmUja2hnOodlWUvBz6HB/s1600/Fall-Vegetable-Garden-Cabbage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fall Vegetable Garden Cabbage" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Bbn0__nlMjBv4z8V8j-s3O63RAZoyvnjvh73XUTsA1brCJp24d7CKO7RubzaK-CWh8S9b4a4wCwxnl8GihKurHGPbvzFsWJatE_1knGJOwc4EJlAmUja2hnOodlWUvBz6HB/s1600/Fall-Vegetable-Garden-Cabbage.png" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Caring for your Fall Garden</h3>
Don't let the cooler temps and rainy weather of fall lull you into a false sense of security. You will need to water your seedlings and starts. Newly amended soil looks darker, and sometimes you don't get enough rain to really soak the ground. The soil may look like it's really moist on the surface, but be really dry if you go deeper than an inch. <br />
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If you're really worried about a frost killing your fall vegetable garden, you can cover your crops with a blanket, sheets or buy dedicated row covers. If you're growing in a raised bed, you could even build a dedicated cold frame to protect your plants. However, many fall crops--like Swiss chard--will taste sweeter if they're allowed to be "kissed" by frosts and some--like spinach--could overwinter with a bit of protection.<br />
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What's your favorite plant to grow in your fall vegetable garden?<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-36272985609817666062016-07-20T17:58:00.000-05:002016-07-20T17:58:02.075-05:00Organic Fertilizer Trial: Three Months of Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow How much thought do you give to the kind of fertilizer you use in the garden? Not much? Well, maybe it's time to start thinking more about fertilizers we use in the garden. Back in May of this year, <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post3&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow</a> contacted me and asked if I would be interested in trialing their products and writing about them. I chose a general purpose garden fertilizer from their line of products. Read <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2016/05/dave-thompsons-organic-healthy-grow.html" target="_blank">part I</a> and <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2016/06/organic-garden-fertilizer-update-dave.html" target="_blank">part II</a> of this garden experiment if this is your first post on the trial.<br />
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As you'll recall, this is a garden bed in which I'm growing tomatoes for a local food pantry. I decided to use <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post3&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow</a> general purpose fertilizer. My thinking is that since I was going to donate the harvest from this bed, I wanted to ensure that what went into growing the plants was going to be organic. Take a look at the growth of the tomato plants since <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2016/05/dave-thompsons-organic-healthy-grow.html" target="_blank">part I</a> and <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2016/06/organic-garden-fertilizer-update-dave.html" target="_blank">part II</a>. The experiment started on May 15th, and this is what the bed looked like in the middle of July.<br /><br />I'm really impressed with the vigor of the cherry tomato plants that got fertilized with <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post3&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Healthy Grow</a>. As you'll recall, only half the bed was fertilized with Healthy Grow and the other was just amended with fresh compost. The unfertilized half of the bed was not growing as well and the plants were not as happy and healthy as the half I fertilized with Healthy Grow.<br />
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Even with regular pinching of suckers and trimming, the cherry tomato vines are exploding in growth, and threatening to take the bamboo stakes down and we're not even into August.<br />
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While tying and staking the tomato vines this week I made another observation. The half of the raised bed that didn't get <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post3&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">fertilized</a> initially is not just under-performing, the plants are weaker and susceptible to pests and diseases. I have noticed a lot of white flies and aphids on those plants, while the healthier side (the one fertilized) seems to not be affected. There is also, unfortunately, tomato blight in some of the other raised beds that other gardeners tend. I'm keeping my finger crossed because I have a lot of beautiful tomato fruits!<br />
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I'm still a couple of weeks away from harvesting cherry tomatoes, but the weather looks promising for ripening tomatoes on the vine, and the tomato fruits are large and beautiful! Most of all, I'm excited about being able to deliver fresh, organically grown tomatoes to a family in need. These photos were taken a couple of days before I sat down to write this post, but I visited the garden today and saw that many were already turning color. <br />
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If you've never heard of <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post3&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow</a>, check out their website to learn about how a school teacher turned into an organic fertilizer producer, and where you can find the Healthy Grow line of products near you. They have been a great brand to work with, and I'm happy that I have had good results with the fertilizer. By visiting the website, you're also helping support me because they could have advertised in any number of traditional garden outlets, or contracted a number of famous garden writers and TV personalities to do this trial, but they chose to work with me.<br />
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Do you have any tips for dealing with white flies and aphids?<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-36856636032826990462016-07-06T16:14:00.000-05:002016-07-06T16:14:57.784-05:00Rhubarb Simple Syrup Do you grow rhubarb, but don't know what to make with it? Perhaps you don't grow this edible perennial vegetable because you think it's only good for baking pies. Rhubarb plants can get pretty big and there are only so many pies and jams you can put away in your cupboard. A rhubarb simple syrup is a good way to preserve the flavor of rhubarb, especially if you have a lot of it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOldRA0TAwJDgU9-lMP4QPguTGJyLMEGe07EpSngwFXv00DX3uqWyq36CvGfpzkrMUsIivZB4fdnXDIHIrry0qjFktUvRceVuncrxJKUj24Vc5qHUE6VMapnknanHQ9XHd_sI8/s1600/Harvesting-Rhubarb-Plant.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to harvest rhubarb" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOldRA0TAwJDgU9-lMP4QPguTGJyLMEGe07EpSngwFXv00DX3uqWyq36CvGfpzkrMUsIivZB4fdnXDIHIrry0qjFktUvRceVuncrxJKUj24Vc5qHUE6VMapnknanHQ9XHd_sI8/s1600/Harvesting-Rhubarb-Plant.png" /></a></div>
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This was the case at the community garden recently. An orphaned rhubarb plant was growing like gangbusters in an empty plot. Try as I might, there weren't a lot of gardeners taking me up on the offer to harvest the rhubarb stalks and take them home. Many didn't know what to do with it, and others just said, "I don't know how to bake." So I set about trying to make a dent in the rhubarb monster.<br />
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<h3>
How to Harvest Rhubarb</h3>
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Don't harvest stalks from your rhubarb plant during it's first year of growth. Wait until the second or third year to harvest. Choose stalks that are between 12-18 inches long and reddish in color. Grab an individual stalk from the base and twist it free from the crown. You can also just cut the stalks away with a knife. I prefer this method because it's cleaner and quicker. Leave a few stalks on your plant to keep the plant alive. Cut off and discard the leaves of the rhubarb plant. The leaves are poisonous and should not be eaten.<br />
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<h3>
Make a Rhubarb Simple Syrup</h3>
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4 cups of chopped rhubarb<br />
1 cup of sugar<br />
1 cup of water<br />
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Cut your rhubarb stalks into 1 inch lengths. Make sure to remove the leaves. Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly and the fruit has become soft.<br />
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Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and the pour out the contents of the sauce pan into the strainer. If you don't have a fine mesh strainer, use a course strainer lined with cheesecloth. Use the back of the spoon to press the rhubarb against the strainer to squeeze out any liquid.<br />
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After the syrup has cooled, pour it into a glass jar or bottle. It should keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. You can also freeze the syrup for longer storage.<br />
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Tips: When I told people I was harvesting a rhubarb plant to make simple syrup everyone asked if it would be too tart. The answer is, NO--it isn't too tart. It's actually very sweet. If you (like me) enjoy tart flavors try reducing the amount of sugar. If you happen to walk away when your rhubarb is simmering on the stove for more than 20 minutes it will break down into thin fibers. If this happens, like it did with one batch of mine, you will have to strain it twice to remove any float-y stuff from your syrup.<br />
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Now that you have made rhubarb simple syrup, make yourself a rhubarb soda after a long day of working in the garden!<br />
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<b>Rhubarb Soda</b><br />
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1/2 ounce of rhubarb syrup<br />
12 ounces of carbonated water<br />
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Other ways you can use your rhubarb simple syrup: Drizzle it over shortbread, shortbread cookies, fresh strawberries, yogurt, vanilla or strawberry ice cream. Or even over pie! You can also use this syrup in many of your favorite cocktail recipes.<br />
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Are you a rhubarb lover, or a rhubarb hater? <br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-7024831304325664842016-06-22T14:29:00.002-05:002016-06-22T17:10:05.940-05:00Organic Garden Fertilizer Update-Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy GrowAre you the kind of gardener that doesn't think too much about what kind of fertilizer you use in your garden? I have to admit I used to be that kind of gardener. I would buy whatever was cheapest, and at one point even used a popular fertilizer made by a chemical giant. Yes, I am ashamed of my past. But I think now that I've been doing this for a few years I know better, so I do better. If you haven't read the first post on <a href="https://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2016/05/dave-thompsons-organic-healthy-grow.html" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow fertilizer</a>, please do so you can compare the results so far. This is Part II of the experiment and trial of this organic fertilizer.<br />
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Earlier in the spring I was contacted by a representative of <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post2&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow</a>, and asked if I would be interested in trying some of their organic garden fertilizers and soil amendments. So we came to an agreement where I would be contracted to try the fertilizer and write about my experiences. I chose the all-purpose fertilizer because I knew I would be tending one of the plots at the community garden that we use to grow food for the food pantry, but I didn't know what I would be growing this year.<br />
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The fertilizer arrived and I had to put it to use and start my trialing of the product. And I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the results in the community garden. Compare the photo above with the photo from <a href="https://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2016/05/dave-thompsons-organic-healthy-grow.html" target="_blank">Part I of this experiment</a>. In Part I, I amended the raised bed with compost from the garden and then I added the all-purpose garden fertilizer I received from Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow to half of the bed. Then I planted the tomato seedlings in the half that had been amended with fertilizer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLoeJFWaBtrALnHAyUEfglk-9Sx3swSKAVHszmlsB49Pd6_aopXwxQ5NvTjo6so7zikLY2D2pce_HFDumARVwLAMf26kjH19YdaSpm7-x2XYflEfxgbzrDfqcYAm6vB9G-rnu/s1600/Garden-Bed-Not-Fertilized-With-Organic-Fertilizer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLoeJFWaBtrALnHAyUEfglk-9Sx3swSKAVHszmlsB49Pd6_aopXwxQ5NvTjo6so7zikLY2D2pce_HFDumARVwLAMf26kjH19YdaSpm7-x2XYflEfxgbzrDfqcYAm6vB9G-rnu/s1600/Garden-Bed-Not-Fertilized-With-Organic-Fertilizer.png" /></a></div>
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Here is what the raised bed looks like from the other side. Notice a difference? This side of the garden bed isn't as green or lush as the other side. This is the half of the raised bed that I didn't fertilize with the Organic Healthy Grow fertilizer. The plants look pitiful. The other day when I was talking with another member of the community garden about my experiment, she pointed out that even the weeds on the side that had been fertilized were doing better than the weeds in the unfertilized half. And this is after I had just weeded the bed the prior week.<br />
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What the photographs above doesn't really show you is just how much healthier the plants with the <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post2&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Healthy Grow fertilizer</a> look up-close. The photo above is one of the plants that didn't get fertilized with Healthy Grow. Yellowing on the edges of tomato plants can mean several things. From sunburn to nutritional deficiencies to not being watered enough.<br />
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Now compare the photo of the tomato plant above to this tomato plant that is growing on the side of the raised bed I amended with Organic Healthy Grow. The plant is much bigger, fuller, and greener. There are no signs of distress or nutritional deficiencies. I have been diligent about watering all the plants in this bed equally and making sure they get a deep watering down at the roots.<br />
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Another example of the plants doing better in the half that was fertilized is in the amount of flowers being produced. I already have several tomato fruits growing in the half that was fertilized, and plenty more flowers on this side too.<br />
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If I had to do the experiment all over again, I would have chosen the tomato fertilizer produced by <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post2&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow</a>. Because if the results are this good with just the all-purpose fertilizer, then they must be even better with the fertilizer designed for tomatoes. Yes, there's a difference. Fertilizers made for tomatoes provide the nutrients needed to produce blossoms and produce fruits, and help prevent many of the common <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2012/06/blossom-end-rot-is-whats-wrong-with.html" target="_blank">tomato problems</a> we encounter. Like this blog? Please visit the links for Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow and see where you can buy their products near you. <br />
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Do you use a fertilizer designed for tomatoes, or do you use an all purpose fertilizer?<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-76255252072651509432016-06-02T09:00:00.000-05:002016-06-02T12:17:56.199-05:00Chive Flower Vinegar RecipeDo you grow chives but don't know what to do with them? What about when the plant flowers? Do you ignore the blooms, cut them, or let them go to seed and spread all over your garden? Chive flowers are edible and have many uses in the kitchen. One easy thing you can make with chive blossoms is chive flower vinegar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhST_zQCE98D0v4bd-7KXfJTKSCwbL3C2th7o3BW-vIIJCX2JRh6r1l8xpMaXJNZcbem9AAWVBy6TlnX6aZLY5bSP-SXI72OQqiiuYN8ljNKYBhK29NP1rQwElVrcWtoD1LbWCb/s1600/Chive-Flower-Vinegar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chive Flower Vinegar" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhST_zQCE98D0v4bd-7KXfJTKSCwbL3C2th7o3BW-vIIJCX2JRh6r1l8xpMaXJNZcbem9AAWVBy6TlnX6aZLY5bSP-SXI72OQqiiuYN8ljNKYBhK29NP1rQwElVrcWtoD1LbWCb/s1600/Chive-Flower-Vinegar.png" /></a></div>
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Chive flowers are beautiful, easy to grow, and they are a great food source for tiny pollinators, but I hate seeing the lavender-colored flowers just go to waste. So recently, I harvested chive flowers for my vinegar from the community garden I'm a part of and from a friend's edible parkway planting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqp7xs559r81BKUYbgPDiLhwfdHa8s1_77BFtGCSLByRQjto84p_lHs84M9P-nLooPGp7EH9MgntQIiA3qCO7nWeSmQBzsis1XUfIN5aW3w8gXoWmItj3R5IpQvWAqRXViykzy/s1600/Chive-Flowers-Edible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chive flowers are edible" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqp7xs559r81BKUYbgPDiLhwfdHa8s1_77BFtGCSLByRQjto84p_lHs84M9P-nLooPGp7EH9MgntQIiA3qCO7nWeSmQBzsis1XUfIN5aW3w8gXoWmItj3R5IpQvWAqRXViykzy/s1600/Chive-Flowers-Edible.png" /></a></div>
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For this chive flower recipe I harvested 2 1/2 cups of chive blossoms to get a really rich hue. Remove as much of the green stems as possible for a subtle flavor for your vinegar.<br />
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Toss your chive flowers into a bowl of cool water, swish them around to remove dust and any tiny bugs. Let any garden debris settle at the bottom and scoop out your blossoms. Place them in a colander and give it a few shakes to remove any excess water. Or, put all the blooms in a salad spinner if you own one and give it a few spins. Place them in your canning jar.<br />
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Pour 1 1/2 cups of white wine vinegar into a sauce pan and warm it up over a low heat. NOTE: You are not looking to bring the vinegar to a boil. We are just warming it up ever so slightly; remove from heat if you start to see bubbles.<br />
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Pour the warm white wine vinegar over the chive flowers in your canning jar. If you have any blooms that are not submerged in the vinegar, you can push them down with a spoon or other utensil.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2CZqaZIcECib9dNL9O_iXO4-0NQJz1VJNAChwdtSIvgE2pzk2MfY1X9jhyphenhyphenHua3OHwggL4VVSRL2VuEaJaaj7K7WMvg5b8sjQ9bkYt0jaBHbxn4_QYOowN0EV7mP23Y_-7q0g/s1600/Chive-Flowers-in-Vinegar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chive flowers in vinegar" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2CZqaZIcECib9dNL9O_iXO4-0NQJz1VJNAChwdtSIvgE2pzk2MfY1X9jhyphenhyphenHua3OHwggL4VVSRL2VuEaJaaj7K7WMvg5b8sjQ9bkYt0jaBHbxn4_QYOowN0EV7mP23Y_-7q0g/s1600/Chive-Flowers-in-Vinegar.png" /></a></div>
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Set your concoction aside to cool down. Enjoy the chive-y scent already emanating from your jar as the blooms begin to steep. Feel free to give it a few swirls to make sure all the blooms are submerged in the warm vinegar and releasing their flavor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVt4PP4Amgn-fZUXIsDyr_C4_IygY4gXQOOSI1oveZTIMLY4qekU2_Tkg7NTrawABa-lgz2NxB1OCAkiCiIKIUTx_GiQ8hlIiEfztMfG8KQK0ZdySvUKj0H_wm6YQjMgRZAcU/s1600/Edible-Chive-Flower-Vinegar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Edible chive flower vinegar" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVt4PP4Amgn-fZUXIsDyr_C4_IygY4gXQOOSI1oveZTIMLY4qekU2_Tkg7NTrawABa-lgz2NxB1OCAkiCiIKIUTx_GiQ8hlIiEfztMfG8KQK0ZdySvUKj0H_wm6YQjMgRZAcU/s1600/Edible-Chive-Flower-Vinegar.png" /></a></div>
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After the vinegar has cooled down (you'll notice there's no steam condensing on the inside of your canning jar) you can place your lid on your jar. I used a canning jar that is taller than I needed because I didn't want the vinegar or the blooms to touch the lid and start to rust and ruin my chive flower vinegar. But if you have glass canning jar lids you can use them, or place a piece of parchment paper over the jar's mouth before screwing on your lid.<br />
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Now place your tightly closed jar of chive flowers steeping in white wine vinegar in a cool and dark place for anywhere between 1-2 weeks. Yes, it seems like a long time, but the longer the blooms steep the more of their flavor they will impart on the vinegar.<br />
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You may notice at this point that there is more debris at the bottom of your jar. That's OK. After you have left your flowers to steep to your preferred flavor strength, pour out the content into a fine sieve to filter out any debris, chive stems, and spent flowers. Now you can pour your chive flower vinegar into a glass bottle or container (that has been sterilized) and enjoy it wherever you want to add vinegar that has a nice chive flower profile. <br />
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Making your own chive flower vinegar is really easy, and is a good way to preserve the taste of spring in your garden. Have more chive flowers than you know what to do with? Break the blossoms apart and add them to soups, salads, and sandwiches where you want to add a light chive taste.<br />
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<b>What's your favorite way to use chives you grow in your garden?</b></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-13916278909491417852016-05-20T11:53:00.003-05:002016-06-22T17:10:09.840-05:00Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow--An Experiment with Organic FertilizerHave you ever wondered if organic fertilizer is worth the money? It's something that I have grappled with for years. For years conventional garden fertilizers were more readily available than their organic counterparts. But that has changed over the last couple of years. A couple of weeks ago <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post1&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow</a> reached out to me with a proposition to conduct an experiment with organic fertilizer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Iu7DW5gzbLRTTYMQAB4gXIuIock1NSkg0CxsqjIepIqjrBU8Xy2Ttt5jdG9wBHFImKxOMncy1IKdpDsUMLCo0gTbAJo0Ca-0fSl0M59jtUyWI0bHTozPA1GrtnOsfkflL-8H/s1600/Dave-Thompsons-Organic-Healthy-Grow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Iu7DW5gzbLRTTYMQAB4gXIuIock1NSkg0CxsqjIepIqjrBU8Xy2Ttt5jdG9wBHFImKxOMncy1IKdpDsUMLCo0gTbAJo0Ca-0fSl0M59jtUyWI0bHTozPA1GrtnOsfkflL-8H/s1600/Dave-Thompsons-Organic-Healthy-Grow.png" /></a></div>
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They wanted to contract me to use their naturally compost organic fertilizer, test it in my garden and provide monthly updates. Previously to these conversations I have never heard of <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post1&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow</a>. I was surprised that it was made right here in Illinois, and I was also surprised and inspired by Dave's story. In the 1970s, Dave was a first grade school teacher in Aurora, Ill.,who would regularly incorporate hatching baby chicks into his curriculum to teach his students about the cycle of life.<br />
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You won't believe what happened next! Actually, if you're a gardener you can probably guess what happened next. A hobby lead to an obsession and business. What started as a few baby chicks lead to an ever expanding flock, and needing to buy more land to house more chickens. And a classroom experiment to teach kids about the cycle of life lead to a sustainable business.<br />
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When the product arrived for me to try I was initially struck by how thoughtful and beautiful the packaging is. And can I just mention how sturdy the packaging is, too? One of my pet peeves in the garden industry is flimsy packaging that leaves soil, compost, and fertilizer everywhere in your home, garage and trunk because the bags rip open easily.<br />
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Powder and liquid fertilizers annoy me because of having to find a container for mixing, measuring, and application. And watching it blow away in the wind when it's a powder fertilizer you sprinkle on the soil is aggravating. Maybe, like me, you're also worried about inhaling powdered fertilizer. Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow fertilizer is granulated which makes the handling and application of this fertilizer pretty easy.<br />
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And it smells pretty good. I mean, as far as fertilizer made from chicken poop goes--it smells great! There's a rich and earthy aroma to this fertilizer that you're not going to get in synthetic fertilizers that come in crazy colors. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHZT8Zu8zVgbcPI356zR08vqlCTjH-ep3KKwfAbHwLk_FcpL_wJ-V-bfFpbk_MvYpEQe6BboAkJE8rFU4FpYnlpoUErpLdDnx5d7YZJ5Nk-1Q7SEiH9dYQUSxSitrE2YFZ8X2/s1600/Organic-Fertilizer-Raised-Garden-Bed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHZT8Zu8zVgbcPI356zR08vqlCTjH-ep3KKwfAbHwLk_FcpL_wJ-V-bfFpbk_MvYpEQe6BboAkJE8rFU4FpYnlpoUErpLdDnx5d7YZJ5Nk-1Q7SEiH9dYQUSxSitrE2YFZ8X2/s1600/Organic-Fertilizer-Raised-Garden-Bed.png" /></a></div>
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So here's my experiment. At the community garden I volunteer at we have some plots that we use to grow food for a local food pantry. This community garden is organic so we normal only amend the soil with compost and organic products. This year I'm going to use at least one of the plots to conduct an experiment that I will update you about here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_iOUYwN_H45MyaJW64WiNKUhwP6bRQAyG5xSqIPhnZT2m8JfaZdeDXc6IhbbXckiGokQ1IzLwYl5k51qYyVEn-B0xu4YuhnVTenCHZMBXatH_ltQ-UYdU4CvavUkbiDbDso2/s1600/Organic-Fertilizer-Raised-Bed-Tomato-Seedlings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_iOUYwN_H45MyaJW64WiNKUhwP6bRQAyG5xSqIPhnZT2m8JfaZdeDXc6IhbbXckiGokQ1IzLwYl5k51qYyVEn-B0xu4YuhnVTenCHZMBXatH_ltQ-UYdU4CvavUkbiDbDso2/s1600/Organic-Fertilizer-Raised-Bed-Tomato-Seedlings.png" /></a></div>
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Earlier in the year we grew hundreds of tomato seedlings to give away for free in the community. After amending this raised bed I added <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post1&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow</a>, and I planted six of our locally grown tomatoes in the compost we use every year, and the other six in the area amended with the Healthy Grow fertilizer.<br />
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So what's going to happen? I'm going to provide monthly updates on this blog to see just how much better our tomatoes grow with Dave's organic composted fertilizer versus our compost we use every year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1fxP7dP7NMgX4vGJYvD1jVLPEM9kOyzTwgWVWWt1xlwON_FuaudKmP20OBcD3kJ5VFZKwCdAzz9J9b2BTc3FygXly5H2Qsd7QTZFJrO5rwodE8J3nW9xM_MKWvo5XL89oBdb/s1600/Dave-Thompson-Organic-Healthy-Grow-Fertilizer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1fxP7dP7NMgX4vGJYvD1jVLPEM9kOyzTwgWVWWt1xlwON_FuaudKmP20OBcD3kJ5VFZKwCdAzz9J9b2BTc3FygXly5H2Qsd7QTZFJrO5rwodE8J3nW9xM_MKWvo5XL89oBdb/s1600/Dave-Thompson-Organic-Healthy-Grow-Fertilizer.png" /></a></div>
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Today, Dave, his wife Terry and their son Ben run Pearl Valley Farms, which includes <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post1&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Pearl Valley Eggs, Phil’s Fresh Eggs, Eggology liquid eggs, Coop Poop, and Healthy Grow</a>. That's pretty impressive for something that started in a classroom in the 1970s. See <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2016/06/organic-garden-fertilizer-update-dave.html" target="_blank">Part II of Dave Thompson's Organic Healthy Grow Experiment</a>.<br />
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Have you used Healthy Grow in the garden before? Take a look around the <a href="http://www.healthy-grow.com/?utm_source=mrbrownthumb&utm_medium=pr&utm_content=post1&utm_campaign=bloggeroutreach" target="_blank">Healthy Grow </a>website if you're interested in a giveaway, comment below and I could possibly host one as part of my sponsorship to experiment and blog about the product. <br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-33909260328771018282016-03-03T14:06:00.000-06:002016-03-03T14:06:02.975-06:00Easy Plants to Grow From SeedDo you want to start plants from seeds, but lack experience or confidence? Don't worry, a lot of gardeners start out that way. Growing plants from seeds can seem like a daunting task at first, but once you narrow down what kinds of seeds you want to start indoors it will get easy. Here are some recommendations for east plants to grow from seed.<br />
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10 Easy Vegetables to Grow from Seed</h3>
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<b>Peas<br />Beets<br />Beans<br />Chard<br />Lettuce<br />Carrots<br />Squash<br />Melons<br />Radishes<br />Cucumbers </b><br />
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If you're starting your own garden because you would like to grow some of your own food, give these 10 easy vegetables to grow from seed a try. Not only are these vegetables easy to grow yourself, they are staples in a healthy diet and can save you money on your grocery bill. You can start them indoors, but they are also good candidates for <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2007/05/direct-sowing-in-garden.html" target="_blank">direct sowing/seeding</a> into the ground when the weather warms up in your area. This article on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2012/04/seed-starting-tips-for-beginner.html" target="_blank">seed starting tips for beginner gardeners</a> should be of help, but you can also look over the seed saving tab for all articles about <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/p/seed-saving.html" target="_blank">starting and saving seeds</a>. Got any suggestions for easy vegetables to grow from seeds?</div>
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Easiest Seeds to Grow for Kids</h3>
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<b>Peas<br />Beans<br />Melons<br />Cucumbers<br />Sunflowers<br />Nasturtium</b><br />
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Starting seeds with kids can be rewarding and a challenge at the same time. For starters, kids have small hands and tiny fingers. Their dexterity sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. But finding easy plants to grow from seed for kids isn't very difficult. Choose garden seeds that are easy for little fingers to handle. The easiest seeds to grow for kids are large, easy to handle, and germinate quickly. You can plant these easy seeds in cups, soda bottles, milk containers, and yogurt cups in addition to <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2013/04/planting-biodegradable-seed-starting.html" target="_blank">biodegradable seed starting pots</a>. </div>
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Easiest Seeds to Grow Flowers</h3>
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<b>Zinnias<br />Pansies<br />Poppies<br />Cosmos<br />Marigolds<br />Nasturtium<br />Sunflowers<br />Bachelor buttons<br />Aquilegia aka columbines<br />Nigella aka love-in-a-mist</b><br />
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Every year I come across people online who want to grow their own flowers for a wedding or party and want to know what the easiest seeds to grow flowers are. Well, that answer is very complicated especially since I deal with gardening and not floriculture (flower farming). But I can tell you which are the easiest seeds to grow flowers from my experience as a gardener. Sowing these seeds in your garden or garden bed will almost certainly lead to flowers. If you're looking for easy care flowers from seeds, stick to fast growing annuals like these. </div>
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These are just some of the easiest seeds to grow from seeds. If you come across a seed that isn't very easy for you, try, try, try, again. There are several garden seeds that I do not have much luck germinating. But I don't let a few failures overshadow my successes in the garden, and you shouldn't either. Do you have any recommendations for easy plats to grow from seed? </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-28646979703567738952015-12-09T09:00:00.000-06:002015-12-09T09:00:00.454-06:00Waxed Amaryllis BulbsHave you seen a waxed <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/search/label/Amaryllis" target="_blank">Amaryllis</a> bulb before? I hadn't until last month when <a href="http://www.jacksonandperkins.com/" target="_blank">Jackson & Perkins</a> contacted me and asked to send me something in the mail. When the box arrived I was surprised to find this indoor garden bulb. But I was even more surprised that the bulb was coated in wax.<br />
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After placing the bulb in a bright and warm location, the bulb sent out a scape and then showed signs of another emerging scape. Like a normal Amaryllis bulb the scape kept growing until it unfurled and the flower we are all familiar with, and associate with <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2011/12/houseplants-to-grow-or-give-on-holidays.html" target="_blank">Christmas houseplants</a>, appeared.<br />
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My bulb was waxed and painted silver, but on the Jackson & Perkins website you can see that they come in a lot of other decorative colors.<br />
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Caring for a waxed Amaryllis bulb</h3>
Do you have to plant a waxed Amaryllis? No. As you'll see at the website, the bulbs are held in decorative saucers. The bulbs are waxed so planting them in soil would not result in them sending out roots.<br />
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How do you water a waxed Amaryllis?</h3>
You don't water these bulbs. Unlike tulips and paperwhites that you may force indoors this time of year, this bulb doesn't require watering. Amaryllis bulbs that you buy have all of the energy they need to bloom one time stored in the bulb. It will bloom even if you don't water it. But because the roots have been removed and the basal plate waxed, there are no roots to absorb water.<br />
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After blooming Amaryllis care.</h3>
When your waxed bulb has finished blooming, you're suppose to toss it. That's right. It is considered a disposable plant, and requires not further care after it has finished blooming for you.<br />
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If you look at the <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/search/label/Amaryllis" target="_blank">Amaryllis</a> label on my blog, you'll find instructions and tips for caring for a normal Amaryllis bulb. In particular, you should look at the post on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2007/02/amaryllis-pollination.html" target="_blank">pollinating</a> and collecting seeds from your Amaryllis because it is a fun winter and indoor gardening project any gardener can do.<br />
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Have you seen these Amaryllis bulbs? Would you treat an Amaryllis like an annual that you can toss? Leave a comment below and you'll be entered into a random drawing for a gift card from <a href="http://www.jacksonandperkins.com/" target="_blank">Jackson & Perkins</a>.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-38370126481206194242015-11-23T09:00:00.000-06:002015-11-23T09:00:06.574-06:00Matthiessen State Park Do you, like me, have a craving for adventure, but feel like you can't get up and go because you don't have friends and family that want to participate in activities like hiking? Growing up in Chicago, I never knew of people that went hiking or visited state parks. <a href="http://www.rei.com/" target="_blank">REI </a>offers a number of classes, outings, and Events. I was invited to participate in an outing to Matthiessen State Park last year and kept putting it off. I finally got around to taking REI up on their generous offer to do an outing after Thanksgiving.<br />
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The REI outing started early one crisp, fall morning in Chicago. After we stood around getting acquainted and drinking coffee, the group and guides loaded up into the van. The trip to Matthiessen State Park in North Utica, IL., took a couple of hours. If you've ever driven through IL you understand that it isn't a very scenic drive, unless you consider rows and rows of corn to be scenic. Once we arrived at the park, the group got pointers on staying warm and dry during the hike. <br />
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The walking sticks were a good idea. It was still pleasant outside for that time of year, but there was definitely a bit of snow and ice on the ground that made walking difficult. Oh, and the mud and slippery leaves. I recommend taking walking sticks on your hikes to help you find secure footing and to help you up and down sleep slopes.<br />
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I had procrastinated in choosing my outing, and was kicking myself for waiting so long and not taking an earlier outing where there would have been more plants to see. But once we got underway I realized that there is just as much interest for plant lovers in fall and winter. Take the picture above for example. Have you ever seen an Osage orange? I'd never seen one in person myself. That morning when I posted pictures on social media, I learned that most people know them as hedge apples. Contrary to their common names, they are not related to oranges or apples. <br />
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The constant flow of water exposes the sandstone below the surface in this creek. We don't have geography like this in Chicago.<br />
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Matthiessen is also home to a lot of mosses, lichens and mushrooms. I couldn't help but kneel down and take pictures.<br />
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Even this late in the season there are still signs of the mushrooms that thrive in the area.<br />
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Does this look familiar? Well, if you are going to spend time hiking in the woods it would be smart to learn to identify poison ivy. The guides quickly pointed it out and made it a point to mention that even when it isn't leafed out, poison ivy will still irritate your skin.<br />
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This day I learned just how noisy a forest is; it was an odd experience for someone like me. Trees make a lot of noise as the bang together and sway in the wind. It sounded as if a tree would fall on me any moment.<br />
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Unfortunately, some of the trails were closed for repairs, or because the time of year made them dangerous to hike on. I was particularly bummed that we could hike down to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermilion_River_(Illinois_River)" target="_blank">Vermilion River</a>, but what I was able to see between the trees was beautiful. I made a note to return and see it one day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_njKumSJBNtGqpaaNNhNCfGw9uNxSmaEahyphenhyphenKzdUY3flOCGF1O3ucElNfZdh0sAYK4yaMNPLnrr8LiOLx6CRTH_jxHTbNajBbZUKTQE2An60SarirHOFslFsuY0Ond2T9hLbQ-/s1600/Birdhouse-Prairie-Connector.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birdhouse Prairie Connector" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_njKumSJBNtGqpaaNNhNCfGw9uNxSmaEahyphenhyphenKzdUY3flOCGF1O3ucElNfZdh0sAYK4yaMNPLnrr8LiOLx6CRTH_jxHTbNajBbZUKTQE2An60SarirHOFslFsuY0Ond2T9hLbQ-/s1600/Birdhouse-Prairie-Connector.png" /></a></div>
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Because of the closed trails, we took a detour and walked across the Prairie Connector. Going from feeling secluded among trees to standing in the middle of a prairie took some getting used to. You realize just how strong the wind is and noisy in an open prairie.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/wACmRNPQC9/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A photo posted by @mrbrownthumb</a> on <time datetime="2014-11-29T22:36:38+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 29, 2014 at 2:36pm PST</time></div>
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On the hike we were joined by Lenore Sobota, at docent at Starved Rock state park. Her expertise came in handy during the walk through the prairie connector when we encountered animal droppings and signs that a furry animal had met an untimely demise. She even found a bald eagle feather on the trail, which gave us a clue as to what may have found a meal here.<br />
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Looking down into the bridge that spans the canyon.<br />
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Looking towards the other side of the canyon through the bridge.<br />
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Matthiessen State Park was once private property and operated as a private park. Evidence of this can be seen by the extensive network of trails, but also in the permanent features like this beautiful stone bridge that spans the canyon. Here's a video of the decent into the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/wAYmPOPQGm/?taken-by=mrbrownthumb" target="_blank">bridge</a> on my <a href="http://instagram.com/mrbrownthumb" target="_blank">Instagram page</a>.<br />
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Taking the staircase off the side of the bridge leads you down into the canyon. It is so beautiful and the canyon walls tower over you on both sides. It is amazing to realize that a steady flow of water over many years was able to carve this. View this short video of the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/wAGHA6PQML/?taken-by=mrbrownthumb" target="_blank">inside of the canyon</a> on my Instagram page.<br />
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Keep walking through the canyon and you'll end up at Cascade Falls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTQuRTut5ZFS4sMYoxsigDfSBHkjjoQwVZANoMW-McJviTqfgimPuMkP9zsfCAMqLWseeuzJ9qVkXpPKNAVi0SttrsJyajXc1mCpMzXIF0lOUnsuO1p1VreKEahUihphMs9Dp/s1600/Cascade-Falls-Matthiessen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cascade Falls Matthiessen" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTQuRTut5ZFS4sMYoxsigDfSBHkjjoQwVZANoMW-McJviTqfgimPuMkP9zsfCAMqLWseeuzJ9qVkXpPKNAVi0SttrsJyajXc1mCpMzXIF0lOUnsuO1p1VreKEahUihphMs9Dp/s1600/Cascade-Falls-Matthiessen.png" /></a></div>
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The falls weren't doing much cascading, but you can see that water does run here. If you look up photos of these falls online, you will find some with some impressive pictures of ice covering this area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJP1als5m5taQ72F_hOwXcm7Ju9FF2eVRYluxBVfdF2ZTi1Wa-2vnZxfUFfwtClw4rv5pB9kswhMXMb4P_eRi5FsVF18LFv1ixopPZpIlhhJ8O7xQJ1nj3ykhgGK8m1oiQu1m/s1600/Cascade-Falls.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cascade Falls" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJP1als5m5taQ72F_hOwXcm7Ju9FF2eVRYluxBVfdF2ZTi1Wa-2vnZxfUFfwtClw4rv5pB9kswhMXMb4P_eRi5FsVF18LFv1ixopPZpIlhhJ8O7xQJ1nj3ykhgGK8m1oiQu1m/s1600/Cascade-Falls.png" /></a></div>
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Here is a photo of a family taking pictures at Cascade Falls to give you an idea of just how deep below the surface you are in this canyon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTdcjfzc1hkofZRSqiFYGD3RLu41QBoXIpwzQPsG598hzMnR1TNjFXOGm0XCY4MGYFKcMiOKzAUJW3XRUHsU6GVsXxJETzM-z2L43hI6j4zcJO3g-Ln0tjbspMN8DYd_-VNa8/s1600/Caves-Matthiessen-State-Park.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Matthiessen State park" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTdcjfzc1hkofZRSqiFYGD3RLu41QBoXIpwzQPsG598hzMnR1TNjFXOGm0XCY4MGYFKcMiOKzAUJW3XRUHsU6GVsXxJETzM-z2L43hI6j4zcJO3g-Ln0tjbspMN8DYd_-VNa8/s1600/Caves-Matthiessen-State-Park.png" /></a></div>
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Because of how soft sandstone is, the canyon is always changing. Water seeps into the stones, becomes frozen and splits open the walls of the canyon. That is how the small caves here are formed<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/wCC9NsPQC0/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A photo posted by @mrbrownthumb</a> on <time datetime="2014-11-30T17:18:15+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 30, 2014 at 9:18am PST</time></div>
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Evidence of the canyon being created by water can be seen in the numerous boulders in the floor of the canyon.<br />
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The coolest bolder in the canyon is a rock with a face carved into it. Some people say it looks like Spongebob Squarepants. Do you see it?<br />
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The canyon floor is full of so much beauty. Just look at this tree's root buttress exposed by the flow of water. After some more exploring around the canyon it was time to head back up to the surface and leave Matthiessen State Park. Check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/wAbbB7vQKq/?taken-by=mrbrownthumb" target="_blank">this video</a> from above the canyon looking down towards the cave and rock face pictured above to give you an overhead view of the canyon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjvoh54CjQ3kkSewK8AtHfnrS7ywCs6YmZduRbNQRFeio6xvtKyeY6Q_rBaK-9f5Es-OpdBPTZ_DoCqTQkpSvtnig_exNaro5zQfOpzSuVkdjup9oKPmGCkM2XKR7MRGOp_3r/s1600/Fort-Matthiessen-State-Park.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fort Matthiessen State park" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjvoh54CjQ3kkSewK8AtHfnrS7ywCs6YmZduRbNQRFeio6xvtKyeY6Q_rBaK-9f5Es-OpdBPTZ_DoCqTQkpSvtnig_exNaro5zQfOpzSuVkdjup9oKPmGCkM2XKR7MRGOp_3r/s1600/Fort-Matthiessen-State-Park.png" /></a></div>
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We walked back through the canyon, and up the bridge to walk through the other side of the canyon. Only to be confronted by a wooden staircase to take a bridge that leads to an old fort from where we would head back home. I don't mind telling you that my legs were killing me by this point and I was ready to sit. But it was the kind of pain that makes you feel like you did something.<br />
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If you're looking for an adventure check out the workshops, classes and trips available through <a href="http://www.rei.com/" target="_blank">REI</a>. A big thanks to REI for gifting me this trip to see a part of the state I have lived in most of my life that I had never seen before.<br />
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Have you ever been to <a href="http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/mttindex.htm" target="_blank">Matthiessen State Park </a>before? If not, you should go. Opt Outside this holiday season.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com14Matthiessen State Park, IL-178, North Utica, IL 61373, USA41.2949032 -89.02492989999996115.7728687 -130.33352389999996 66.8169377 -47.716335899999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-24776452998818241752015-05-29T09:13:00.000-05:002015-05-29T09:13:00.403-05:00Plastic Strawberry Pot by Bloem LivingDoes the terracotta strawberry jar need to be improved upon? I wasn't so sure when Bloem Living contacted me asking if I wanted to review any of their colorful and elegant planters, window boxes, watering cans, and hanging baskets. After looking over their containers I decided on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00H70FIB2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00H70FIB2&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=PSFEUHRI6TAAIXZ5">Shortcake Planter</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00H70FIB2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
since my terracotta strawberry planter had long ago succumbed to falling off a shelf and breaking.
I chose the purple Shortcake jar which measures 6.5 X 8.25 inches and is made from recycled plastic.<br />
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It was late in the garden season when the planter arrived and I thought about maybe planting it with succulents like the ones I had seen at Menards and an independent garden center in Chicago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WjLPfEG5qw1l95HWPbp-F8dJYZ3CXlr8RtKhS73CQPka7wfaH7WFRtrYOx669zxioils6eEB7KYBTfOuU7z-EW1pmDMnC-nLaUUJHZMP-tEr3Af2qxSKWmJ8ktOc5c0E6M7x/s1600/Plastic-Strawberry-Planter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Plastic Strawberry Planter" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WjLPfEG5qw1l95HWPbp-F8dJYZ3CXlr8RtKhS73CQPka7wfaH7WFRtrYOx669zxioils6eEB7KYBTfOuU7z-EW1pmDMnC-nLaUUJHZMP-tEr3Af2qxSKWmJ8ktOc5c0E6M7x/s1600/Plastic-Strawberry-Planter.png" /></a></div>
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Herbs I planted in my Shortcake Planter<br />
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Sage<br />
Parsley<br />
Oregano<br />
Nasturtium<br />
Mexican Tarragon<br />
<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helichrysum_italicum" target="_blank">Helichrysum italicum</a></i><br />
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As luck would have it, we were having an herb container garden workshop at the community garden and I scored a few herb starts to plant in my planter. I took my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00H70FIB2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00H70FIB2&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=PSFEUHRI6TAAIXZ5">Shortcake Planter</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00H70FIB2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
to the garden on the day of our workshop, and it was well-received by some members of the community garden and the garden workshop attendees. Drawn to the cute size and colorful profile, a few people even asked if they could have it, or if it was a door prize for our event.<br />
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Unfortunately for them, the planter had to come back home with me so I could continue to test it out. So I sat it on the back porch with the rest of my potted plants and pretty much forgot about it all summer as I spent time a lot of time away from home.
Every few days when I would return I would check on the planter and see if it had dried out in the late summer heat or maybe been knocked over by the winds.<br />
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On one occasion the planter did dry out, but after placing a saucer underneath it, the herbs growing in it pretty much survived on rainwater the rest of the summer with no attention from me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ebVNtYbZzhkhGr-koG_-SPd7YhoHSdd8Tr5LT-VetzjNGRbab3UCHj3o0JqmSPcIqFCDGXEI-E0BryOzTvQiHZGPMQt0UXbrMNMW6UxopRctrgLJHjXuwHBqfUnKnhaABmTE/s1600/Herbs-Planted-in-Strawberry-Planter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Herbs Planted in Strawberry Planter by Bloem" border="0" nopin="nopin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ebVNtYbZzhkhGr-koG_-SPd7YhoHSdd8Tr5LT-VetzjNGRbab3UCHj3o0JqmSPcIqFCDGXEI-E0BryOzTvQiHZGPMQt0UXbrMNMW6UxopRctrgLJHjXuwHBqfUnKnhaABmTE/s1600/Herbs-Planted-in-Strawberry-Planter.png" /></a></div>
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So, does the terracotta strawberry pot need an update for the modern gardener? If you are the kind of color that yearns to add splashes of color to your container garden; the answer is yes. <a href="http://bloemliving.com/products/" target="_blank">Bloem</a> makes a wide-range of planters besides the Shortcake Planter in a vibrant array of colors that you cannot help but feel like smiling when you come across them. There is no mention on the website about how well these plastic planters hold up to UV rays, but I did not notice any color fading in my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00H70FIB2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00H70FIB2&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=PSFEUHRI6TAAIXZ5">Shortcake Planter</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00H70FIB2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
even after it sat in full sun for the summer. Nor was there any breaking or cracking as is usually what happens with cheap plastic planters. And of course, there was no threat of it falling over and breaking like a traditional strawberry pot made from terracotta.<br />
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Besides the obvious, what would you plant in a strawberry pot?</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-11159097666482557312014-12-08T10:00:00.000-06:002014-12-08T15:37:57.054-06:00Green Army Man Garden GnomeWhat is a garden without a garden gnome? I've always wanted a garden gnome, but never placed one taller than a couple of inches in the garden because I couldn't ever find a gnome I felt represented me, until today. Let me introduce you to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00JUKGNK2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JUKGNK2&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=TATAKLKCXVSJDCW2">green army man garden gnome</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00JUKGNK2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> that will live in my garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXv4Ihbx8cH0CLt47Knp32ejULQqLkLxrOOPwDjzFmoRceLBn6eoUhcvHOBGd-6AK_cevOzcADN4Nkqhnn_j3CzN2bcOhuperN4OGBDcJFCjFIPD623q__TI9T5KXXpW4Ttan/s1600/Green-Army-Man-Garden-Gnome-on-Rocks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Army Man Garden Gnome on Rocks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXv4Ihbx8cH0CLt47Knp32ejULQqLkLxrOOPwDjzFmoRceLBn6eoUhcvHOBGd-6AK_cevOzcADN4Nkqhnn_j3CzN2bcOhuperN4OGBDcJFCjFIPD623q__TI9T5KXXpW4Ttan/s1600/Green-Army-Man-Garden-Gnome-on-Rocks.png"nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Traditional garden gnomes are fantastic, but as I mentioned above, they don't really represent me. They're a little too old school for me. There are other garden gnomes like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00J0G75U8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00J0G75U8&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=DHA3EYNPZZMK4SMC">middle finger-flipping garden gnome</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00J0G75U8" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, but I find him too hostile to place in the garden. Even in an urban garden like mine. Then there's the zombie garden gnomes that have become popular in recent years, but again, not really my style.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-C3dtvplX1VpgWs6pn4uladf2zYvMp6BwSQUtpF79EHvEj38e-rpFaFlYtva-_uFQ1CR6EJOvcpCNwypc8YKKaoTEENaEN7T0aTA-uTjYMXmJWi9GjwhnM1upBRcmoBnngxR/s1600/Green-Army-Man-Garden-Gnome-Houseplants.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Army Man Garden Gnome Houseplants" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-C3dtvplX1VpgWs6pn4uladf2zYvMp6BwSQUtpF79EHvEj38e-rpFaFlYtva-_uFQ1CR6EJOvcpCNwypc8YKKaoTEENaEN7T0aTA-uTjYMXmJWi9GjwhnM1upBRcmoBnngxR/s1600/Green-Army-Man-Garden-Gnome-Houseplants.png" nopin="nopin"/></a></div>
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So when Big Mouth Toys contacted me earlier and asked if there was anything in their catalog that I would like for my garden to review, I almost ignored them because I didn't see anything that I just had to have. Then I saw the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00JUKGNK2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JUKGNK2&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=TATAKLKCXVSJDCW2">green army man garden gnome</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00JUKGNK2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and knew I just had to have him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH5AwZLM5Bc5K3vzHqTOQKrlyFdI7r4DIDYJ7soFNDXmPZIRx1fU2Fzw787oi_YDvRNegLHgGSxrkW1tfMgQOy52Y6nxdNDxJBgIV61RW12CD91wSPToWA4sbTcw-vJ4TCf0W/s1600/Green-Army-Man-Garden-Gnome-Profile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Army Man Garden Gnome profile" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH5AwZLM5Bc5K3vzHqTOQKrlyFdI7r4DIDYJ7soFNDXmPZIRx1fU2Fzw787oi_YDvRNegLHgGSxrkW1tfMgQOy52Y6nxdNDxJBgIV61RW12CD91wSPToWA4sbTcw-vJ4TCf0W/s1600/Green-Army-Man-Garden-Gnome-Profile.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Nothing quite takes me back to my childhood like the plastic green army men this garden gnome is modeled after. This army man garden gnome weighs 1.45lbs, stands 13 inches tall, and is made from weather proof resin but feels pretty solid.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivborDtmynMjSDQ08w2j_b9yP5zalQPl-nzmyb5IDdU4awgFRTvrrKi4vcz0C4M0N0A-1DjiJ6FOpMEQwm6EO0iTsBsyi4mmhx2rv4DFcd3c11RNnL-KWz2WJg0Tka2h7lw8hx/s1600/Army-Man-Garden-Gnome.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Army Man Garden Gnome" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivborDtmynMjSDQ08w2j_b9yP5zalQPl-nzmyb5IDdU4awgFRTvrrKi4vcz0C4M0N0A-1DjiJ6FOpMEQwm6EO0iTsBsyi4mmhx2rv4DFcd3c11RNnL-KWz2WJg0Tka2h7lw8hx/s1600/Army-Man-Garden-Gnome.png" nopin="nopin"/></a></div>
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This garden gnome has a brought a smile to the face of everyone who has seen it, especially the nephews and niece. He has become such a topic of conversation in the home that I have decided to keep the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00JUKGNK2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JUKGNK2&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=TATAKLKCXVSJDCW2">green army man garden gnome</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00JUKGNK2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> indoors where he and his bazooka will keep watch over the houseplants. My only critique of this gnome is that there aren't more figures. I'd love nothing more than a few more gnomes posed like the iconic plastic army man toys it is modeled after.<br />
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Need a gift idea for a gardener that will bring a smile to a face? Give them a green army man garden gnome and watch their eyes light up. But don't be surprised if they start playing with it and making shooting noises and calling for reinforcements. Big Mouth Toys gave me this garden gnome for free, but you can buy them at the links I have provided. If you purchase it at Amazon through this blog post, I'll earn a small commission on the sale.<br />
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Do you own a garden gnome, or are you one of those people who find them tacky, and wouldn't display one in your garden?<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-32179651848643545902014-12-05T09:32:00.000-06:002014-12-05T09:32:00.605-06:00A Grand Time at Grand Teton National ParkThe last day of #ALEX14 was very bittersweet. That morning we woke and the participants separated into two groups. The group I was on decided to take a horseback ride along the trails that surround <a href="http://www.togwoteelodge.com/" target="_blank">Togwotee Mountain Lodge</a>. I decided to take the horseback riding excursion because I had never been on a horse before, and I figured if I was going to ride a horse for the first time, doing it in the American West was pretty appropriate.<br />
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The trails around Togwotee were just as scenic and interesting as any hikes within the national parks themselves. I wish we had spent some time just wandering around because throughout the horseback ride, we kept spotting animal tracks, and I even saw some Indian Paintbrushes blooming. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castilleja_linariifolia" target="_blank">Castilleja linariifolia</a>, as it is properly know, is the state flower of Wyoming. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to take many photos during the ride since I was focused on staying on my horse, but I did get an opportunity to participate on the I’m on a <a href="https://instagram.com/p/tAunLovQB7" target="_blank">meme</a>, even if it was a few years late.<br />
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/tAunLovQB7/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">A video posted by @mrbrownthumb</a> on <time datetime="2014-09-16T15:27:04+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 9, 2014 at 8:27am PDT</time></div>
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Later that afternoon we met with a photographer from National Geographic and posed for a group photo before taking a boat ride. It was the anniversary of 9/11 and the American flag fluttered behind the boat as we go our first close-up view of the glacier at the top of the Grand Tetons. During <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-laurance-s-rockefeller-preserve.html" target="_blank">Day One of #ALEX14</a> we met Kevin Schneider, Deputy Superintendent of Grand Teton National Park, who said he considered the National Park Service to be an extension of the armed forces. In the way the military protects our country at home and abroad, the National Park Service protects the interior of our country.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqVVD3WGUoG8sJt1PHwPHvO1c1SlELgEiqagtkewcnU9xAVtkfSvGhr6L7K3aKNEkNtwqO9EoCFOk54eFR4zcU0c_Jlva-esLYu8mApN9ve5kcl4RaAjpheJle_Tk0WBFm7Cb/s1600/Grand-Teton-Glacier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqVVD3WGUoG8sJt1PHwPHvO1c1SlELgEiqagtkewcnU9xAVtkfSvGhr6L7K3aKNEkNtwqO9EoCFOk54eFR4zcU0c_Jlva-esLYu8mApN9ve5kcl4RaAjpheJle_Tk0WBFm7Cb/s1600/Grand-Teton-Glacier.jpg" /></a></div>
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I didn't understand it at the time, but that afternoon on the water, with the flag fluttering in the wind, I totally got it. Not only do the members of the National Park Service act as guides and interpreters of the parks, but they are there to protect us from the wildlife, the wildlife from us, and ensure that people and development don’t encroach on protected land.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZI80lW_32jRGNKs8HLuy0meRAQ7IO8KA_tWigusOSXLVCljgwB58QifSJpETP0HEK0MZ5ttkY89SFMJJNEQPjoIMMkHc0Ht1RpE0PEkNV1TrOjKTIWUSTRR4WWvdiInj1nr3i/s1600/Signal-Mountain-Sunset.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZI80lW_32jRGNKs8HLuy0meRAQ7IO8KA_tWigusOSXLVCljgwB58QifSJpETP0HEK0MZ5ttkY89SFMJJNEQPjoIMMkHc0Ht1RpE0PEkNV1TrOjKTIWUSTRR4WWvdiInj1nr3i/s1600/Signal-Mountain-Sunset.png" /></a></div>
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Later that evening we went to a sunset dinner where we met David Vela, Superintendent Grand Teton National Park, who is the first Latino to serve as a superintendent of a national park. It was fun hearing Superintendent Vela’s story of how to got to this point of his career, and the connection he had with Grand Teton National Park as a youth, and how his life has come full circle.<br />
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I thought the highlight of this dinner was going to be me going beyond my comfort zone and eating elk. I had no idea I would be meeting an historic figure, and that the superintendent would be swearing us in as Junior Rangers and giving us our own badges. Granted I’m a little older than Junior Rangers normally are, but this moment solidified what I had been feeling about national parks, and Grand Teton National Park in particular. I felt like the parks were part of me and that I was leaving part of me behind in the parks I had visited.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKDKm_PvyqsDEa58D2nJ49skcqWhb6PHAxCh4_VMiebkibnJ9d4Z2FUtCkbCU5iqOApPD3KxpUMd6W0YV3uMh52LAGi-Nf0LnmIbymDSBeJh60-jTExUOs3kG0epwAqY_D1pn/s1600/David+Vela.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKDKm_PvyqsDEa58D2nJ49skcqWhb6PHAxCh4_VMiebkibnJ9d4Z2FUtCkbCU5iqOApPD3KxpUMd6W0YV3uMh52LAGi-Nf0LnmIbymDSBeJh60-jTExUOs3kG0epwAqY_D1pn/s1600/David+Vela.png" /></a></div>
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<i> Sorry for the blurry David Vela photo of our swearing-in!</i></div>
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There is currently a lot of discussion about how the parks can be more inclusive and how park attendance can reflect the diversity of America. In the months that I've been back home from this trip, whenever I talk to people about it, they always mention that the National Park Service is desperate to reach new, diverse members. The national parks are prohibited by law from spending money on advertising--which I think is just ridiculous--so it isn't as a simple as saying they should create an ad campaign that targets a diverse pool of Americans, and their problems will be solved.<br />
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It's going to take a solution that is very nuanced, and some playing mediator between the different groups that may encounter themselves in national parks for the first time. <br />
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During one of our group meals there was an instance where a table of diners left the restaurant we were eating at because they said we were “too loud.” Granted we were a large group and some of the decibel levels could be attributed to Latin@s being naturally loud. If you come from a big family you learn early on in life that you have to make yourself heard or be forgotten. I wasn't offended by this slight. If anything, I was perplexed by the how quiet people were after spending a day seeing the most glorious scenery and wildlife. I felt like shouting about all the amazing things I had seen, not sitting quietly with the only other sound being the clinking of silverware on plates. The people around us sometimes acted as if they were at a funeral, while our group behaved more like we were at a birthday party.<br />
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There's going to have to be some outreach and cultural exchanges and understanding between people who are familiar with visiting national parks and those of us who are new to them. The National Park Service is going to have to convince many people who partake in the American tradition of vacation road trips in order to get us on the road visiting many parks a summer. But we'll get there, and the parks and our country as a whole will be better off.
This trip was described as being a once in a lifetime experience. I don’t see it that way at all. I came away feeling like I had been baptized into a new lifestyle and can’t wait to visit more national parks, and sharing experiences like this with members of my family, especially the younger children who I hope come to love the national parks. See <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-laurance-s-rockefeller-preserve.html" target="_blank">Day One of #ALEX14</a> and <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/10/jenny-lake-grand-tetons.html" target="_blank">Day Two of #ALEX14</a>, and <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/10/west-thumb-geyser-basin-yellowstone.html" target="_blank">Day Three of #ALEX14</a> if you are planning a trip to Grand Teton National Park on your next vacation.<br />
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What is #ALEX14 ? It is the hashtag of the <a href="http://alhf.org/" target="_blank">American Latino Heritage Fund Expedition</a> for 2014. In its second year, ALEX is an effort to introduce the national park system to a new generation of Americans who will in turn introduce the national parks to other Americans who have never been or are even aware that visiting national parks is even an option. Eight Latin@ blogger and social media influencers were selected by the <a href="http://www.nationalparks.org/" target="_blank">National Park Foundation</a> to tour the <a href="http://www.gtnpf.org/" target="_blank">Grand Teton National Park</a> and discover our role in the future stewardship of national parks. The trip was made possible through partnerships with <a href="http://gorving.com/" target="_blank">Go RVing</a>, <a href="http://www.aramarkleisure.com/" target="_blank">Aramark</a>, <a href="http://www.columbia.com/" target="_blank">Columbia</a>, <a href="http://www.alaskaair.com/" target="_blank">Alaska Airlines</a> and <a href="http://www.rei.com/" target="_blank">REI</a> who generously paid for accommodations, clothing, food and travel costs. <br />
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Are you planning on visiting any national parks soon?<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-9499441465693012902014-10-08T09:00:00.000-05:002014-10-08T17:16:08.786-05:00West Thumb Geyser Basin Yellowstone National Park Day Two of #ALEX14 was pretty inspiring, what with the hike up <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/10/jenny-lake-grand-tetons.html" target="_blank">Jenny Lake</a> to Inspiration Point. But it would pale in comparison to what the National Park Foundation had in store for the third day. On this day we would hit Grand Teton National Park and make our way up to Yellowstone National Park and spend the morning at the West Thumb Geyser Basin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvE_lxAaXJj_hdJq_OeZb52AhPFvjYZ8Y2leik7ynhW4eqDfG_veW_TWAGdsduNXia_SdE1TqaWWxrch-iBn5QxAcoFYknF-4ke61FxjFu38WdrPjvd8zM0Nm02SFcOezwMXnA/s1600/ALEX14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvE_lxAaXJj_hdJq_OeZb52AhPFvjYZ8Y2leik7ynhW4eqDfG_veW_TWAGdsduNXia_SdE1TqaWWxrch-iBn5QxAcoFYknF-4ke61FxjFu38WdrPjvd8zM0Nm02SFcOezwMXnA/s1600/ALEX14.png" /></a></div>
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After a hearty breakfast at <a href="http://www.togwoteelodge.com/" target="_blank">Togwotee Mountain Lodge</a>, we met with Sean Beckett a biologist and guide with the <a href="http://www.tetonscience.org/wildlife-expeditions/home" target="_blank">Teton Science Schools' Wildlife Expedition</a>. Sean is also a photographer and blogger. You can find his blog at <a href="http://www.thegreenmanblog.com/" target="_blank">The Green Man Blog</a>. In particular, check out his amazing series of posts on the <a href="http://www.thegreenmanblog.com/2014/10/the-yellowstone-phenology-project.html" target="_blank">phenology of Yellowstone</a>, since it coincides with this post. I don't know where those bears were when we went looking for them, but I'm glad to see them in photos at least.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoykvQVa60FT3hhOyV5tm2MPn5GJ2BCtt9CccWZ93ZubaxUJjmfnzHlHSvWV2sz_WI83os73iFm3mYSQ5u-nATC9O2voIqtO3PlRjRtfu_IUIQ5E3-JDbAqG_uKZwIdReOOg_D/s1600/Willow-Flats-Grand-Tetons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoykvQVa60FT3hhOyV5tm2MPn5GJ2BCtt9CccWZ93ZubaxUJjmfnzHlHSvWV2sz_WI83os73iFm3mYSQ5u-nATC9O2voIqtO3PlRjRtfu_IUIQ5E3-JDbAqG_uKZwIdReOOg_D/s1600/Willow-Flats-Grand-Tetons.png" /></a></div>
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This day would teach me that you can't visit an area like Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park and get everything out of the experience unless you are going with someone who knows the area like the back of their hand. So, if you're ever visit Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Park, I recommend booking guided trips with <a href="http://www.tetonscience.org/wildlife-expeditions/home" target="_blank">Teton Science Schools</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivis7zBpNilpTqq7-8i5A4JFIZLTMM3ulkDtIoodZGxLjvO5OZT1lVsdXERaaYArshDBYStadDpQRpNUMK6rHJNZW6Vs3CsPAiSUwcHucMLB3UYkHj3h_EVL8T4tlOaFKv8Dpm/s1600/Grand-Teton-Willow-Flats.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grand Teton Willow Flats" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivis7zBpNilpTqq7-8i5A4JFIZLTMM3ulkDtIoodZGxLjvO5OZT1lVsdXERaaYArshDBYStadDpQRpNUMK6rHJNZW6Vs3CsPAiSUwcHucMLB3UYkHj3h_EVL8T4tlOaFKv8Dpm/s1600/Grand-Teton-Willow-Flats.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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This day gave me the opportunity to try my new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00EFILHB4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EFILHB4&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=IEQMT5TJFC6F62EH">Canon PowerShot G16 </a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00EFILHB4" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> that I purchased to take pictures on this trip. All of the photographs of in this post were taken with the PowerShot G16. The photos I used in the posts for <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-laurance-s-rockefeller-preserve.html" target="_blank">Day One</a> and <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/10/jenny-lake-grand-tetons.html" target="_blank">Day Two</a> were taken with my phone, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00812YWXU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00812YWXU&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=GRMTHTDJPJSYLHKX">Samsung Galaxy S3</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00812YWXU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0007QKMQY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0007QKMQY&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=TRCHO7JK4H4AA4UT">Canon Rebel XT DSLR Camera</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0007QKMQY" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. We started the morning at Willow Flats, an area where you can actually see a lot of wildlife. Animals come down and give birth here and leave their offspring in the willow bushes. The willow bushes act like a Faraday cage for the scents of the babies. The bushes keep the scent of newborn calves down and out of the air where it could be picked up by predators. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29uerbDcn6mRJRsuPE5HIsbtJGxZT0WuhEBY90ftPwBIZ6Lp-JEoo7qQ1TT1GVOQKG-S0CE0i6JP8wrUhyuEm9HVNwrpSK42dyWqw6vbg3snb3MzreuSg-2vk1tfHoXuIc9WR/s1600/West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin-Yellowstone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29uerbDcn6mRJRsuPE5HIsbtJGxZT0WuhEBY90ftPwBIZ6Lp-JEoo7qQ1TT1GVOQKG-S0CE0i6JP8wrUhyuEm9HVNwrpSK42dyWqw6vbg3snb3MzreuSg-2vk1tfHoXuIc9WR/s1600/West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin-Yellowstone.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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A relatively short drive that morning took us to the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/westthumbtour.htm" target="_blank">West Thumb Geyser Basin</a> at Yellowstone National Park.<br />
Unfortunately, the road that leads to Old Faithful was closed during the trip, but the geysers here more than made up for it. I'd never seen anything so enchanting in my life. The colors at the hot springs and hydrothermal vents were mesmerizing. This was a cold morning and I'm glad it was that cold because we got the full effect of visiting hot springs. One moment your teeth are chattering, and then you're engulfed by hot steam rising from the spring and vents.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDJAh-2vllerG3m26gonnAg2V7-wYfJhNxCQeK9b23NRIT48-y7Q77fO2Y_5SFd_2HRv28luJzm904tfgP41NYzlAezX9rgY6QpkMqdRxPWbCrfw2u02Q6RYNNyN9U3laQnbO/s1600/West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="West Thumb Geyser Basin" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDJAh-2vllerG3m26gonnAg2V7-wYfJhNxCQeK9b23NRIT48-y7Q77fO2Y_5SFd_2HRv28luJzm904tfgP41NYzlAezX9rgY6QpkMqdRxPWbCrfw2u02Q6RYNNyN9U3laQnbO/s1600/West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5sK7pLjh7jSNs_DR82jsM4vzizTkfiHTWTdW6UtD0_tgXk011bJN6h56nY7438dlSCpePrIhrzkLGtJwgkkQ7Xr8fnZsaWGQ1OoWR1ipfnoTQcgMxurkRR1ZZMHESL7L5zHO/s1600/Yellowstone-West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yellowstone West Thumb Geyser Basin" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5sK7pLjh7jSNs_DR82jsM4vzizTkfiHTWTdW6UtD0_tgXk011bJN6h56nY7438dlSCpePrIhrzkLGtJwgkkQ7Xr8fnZsaWGQ1OoWR1ipfnoTQcgMxurkRR1ZZMHESL7L5zHO/s1600/Yellowstone-West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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The West Thumb Geyser Basin overlooks Yellowstone Lake, the largest lake at high elevation in North America. Every day the geyser basin pours 3, 100 gallons of hot water into the lake. Surprisingly, all of that hot water does little to change the temperature of the lake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxOTyzUmL14yq0eo6e1tABorZIzXf8SVSu_VabALzMHOpl5XTSaSAVpA5i2_f9FGqpDE2KMnN8s9B03NfmHbrTyNocuCksHLb63vDfepkPyEXA5r9fkLuplgTWG2dFSMTNAhM/s1600/Geyser-Basin-West-Thumb-Yellowstone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Geyser Basin, West Thumb" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxOTyzUmL14yq0eo6e1tABorZIzXf8SVSu_VabALzMHOpl5XTSaSAVpA5i2_f9FGqpDE2KMnN8s9B03NfmHbrTyNocuCksHLb63vDfepkPyEXA5r9fkLuplgTWG2dFSMTNAhM/s1600/Geyser-Basin-West-Thumb-Yellowstone.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Given how beautiful the area is, it was no surprise that there were busloads of tourists here that morning. Trying to take pictures when you’re surrounded by throngs of tourists is a little difficult so I forgot to make not of the names of all the springs and geysers as I was taking pictures. But I think this may be the Abyss Pool at the Geyser Basin. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYboeAzqcuATf36HpzSxBNuJN9enLoSAryx2Q5Mi9hNruw3kMvVbjOIdzRI0dRXuBmDmUXileBnEZiWsZlSHrHPGH2IfGLMocJ0d8BBDX9buMUi-3bZW6dq4rFA4pd1GjPTpP/s1600/Geyser-Basin-Water-Crust.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Geyser Basin Water Crust" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYboeAzqcuATf36HpzSxBNuJN9enLoSAryx2Q5Mi9hNruw3kMvVbjOIdzRI0dRXuBmDmUXileBnEZiWsZlSHrHPGH2IfGLMocJ0d8BBDX9buMUi-3bZW6dq4rFA4pd1GjPTpP/s1600/Geyser-Basin-Water-Crust.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Just look at these beautiful colors in the pools of the geysers. The colors are a result of the microorganisms that live in the waters. The crust at the pools is very fragile and you can quickly find yourself submerged in water reaching 200 F in some of the pools. We were told the boardwalk you use to traverse the geyser basin has to be regularly maintained because it breaks down really fast. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJDexAGG4o5DMiPDc4Tu_ZhX47xCj9vcOdsxVXRe1aY6r6OhgyhLHLsE55ML_0vuXVGntYmYYAa0Nw5z6Pza1MitpCEKVzzCljvSuTuOVQGNIfV2JVKL3b-w4WiZcLukTIBbf/s1600/Bones-in-Geyser-Basin-Yellowstone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bones in Geyser Basin, Yellowstone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJDexAGG4o5DMiPDc4Tu_ZhX47xCj9vcOdsxVXRe1aY6r6OhgyhLHLsE55ML_0vuXVGntYmYYAa0Nw5z6Pza1MitpCEKVzzCljvSuTuOVQGNIfV2JVKL3b-w4WiZcLukTIBbf/s1600/Bones-in-Geyser-Basin-Yellowstone.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Anyone thinking of a dip into these pools would quickly meet the fate of the elk that fell into the pool and was boiled last winter. Can you see the bones?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG3v0EjC1GtMpF43C0F_KSYKnP2GyVu_TiiGVjUrKRJYQF7kuK11cc8q45268ukSFCYcmUS8pKag1PoWgB5nuoG8wao4FWARi5Ykshyob2tEbDw5vCCDWVRb0G7TIJOjxq-73/s1600/Hot-Springs-Geyser-Basin-Yellowstone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hot Springs Geyser Basin, Yellowstone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG3v0EjC1GtMpF43C0F_KSYKnP2GyVu_TiiGVjUrKRJYQF7kuK11cc8q45268ukSFCYcmUS8pKag1PoWgB5nuoG8wao4FWARi5Ykshyob2tEbDw5vCCDWVRb0G7TIJOjxq-73/s1600/Hot-Springs-Geyser-Basin-Yellowstone.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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It's hard to depict how eerily beautiful it is to walk along the hot springs at this geyser basin. When the steam rises people can disappear and appear seemingly out of nowhere. See this <a href="http://instagram.com/p/s-w1EEPQMM/" target="_blank">Instagram video</a> I took at Black Pool to give you an idea.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_juqmndE5GULWL2H_G0KMv9DxtuuIAyAbuqDZZJnoueQQonNxEDxPKUqY7K5eNMGzTpJkqE6kSDCXFZl5vUpTefdp9358nH34qYxl5c2ORAd3PbZV_uksMNvSMA-6-qKCRULO/s1600/Big-Cone-Geyser-West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Big Cone Geyser, West Thumb Geyser Basin" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_juqmndE5GULWL2H_G0KMv9DxtuuIAyAbuqDZZJnoueQQonNxEDxPKUqY7K5eNMGzTpJkqE6kSDCXFZl5vUpTefdp9358nH34qYxl5c2ORAd3PbZV_uksMNvSMA-6-qKCRULO/s1600/Big-Cone-Geyser-West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Big Cone Geyser at West Thumb Geyser Basin juts out into Yellowstone Lake. Eruptions from this geyser are rare and only reach a couple of feet high. But you can see Big Cone letting of just a hint of steam in this pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk-2UWKwUGAVCKgDOrzaBlMb9rve9fHSxA-AMy7kuRN4kZUz_NsP_mS6gFlbSOWNq1lSYnH0UXhvvf-OMsUQsswzXStqlZaxC2YnzHtbIj4e3qTVfGK6RIQbXbj9641zYl3Wv/s1600/Yellow-Monkey-Flower.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yellow Monkey Flower" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk-2UWKwUGAVCKgDOrzaBlMb9rve9fHSxA-AMy7kuRN4kZUz_NsP_mS6gFlbSOWNq1lSYnH0UXhvvf-OMsUQsswzXStqlZaxC2YnzHtbIj4e3qTVfGK6RIQbXbj9641zYl3Wv/s1600/Yellow-Monkey-Flower.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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According to my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0898866731/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0898866731&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=CFXTTYRDUWZLP6AT">Mac's Field Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks: Trees & Wildflowers</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0898866731" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> this is a Yellow Monkey Flower, and they can even be found blooming among the geysers in winter because the warmer temperatures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WZ49KBIZbOdsyrXmSZMkvooV-MkuB2AdPDvN9knXTwKpzCM4Azp-eKh_UvzU_-70ozHtBoo_qB1ZOniGMfzlnO2bDQZ5GUd5BO9gzXuCRHb5dTxNm4AQk_R4raWIlPdosGS0/s1600/Fishing-Cone-Geyser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fishing Cone Geyser" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WZ49KBIZbOdsyrXmSZMkvooV-MkuB2AdPDvN9knXTwKpzCM4Azp-eKh_UvzU_-70ozHtBoo_qB1ZOniGMfzlnO2bDQZ5GUd5BO9gzXuCRHb5dTxNm4AQk_R4raWIlPdosGS0/s1600/Fishing-Cone-Geyser.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Fishing Cone geyser overlooking Yellowstone Lake. Back in the day, it was popular to fish at Fishing Cone geyser because you could catch a trout in the lake, swing your pole around, dip the fish into the cone and cook the fish without taking it off the line. Due to damage caused by fishing at Fishing Cone, fishing is no longer allowed here. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gMeD3Zqdb3jWGYFTVK1ppas6buXj1GnbXu9MO8ElSj15FCVZAJ3_xOG5qP_DBBhNYH4K-Hsj51ZvIdJNxaP81qKY_Vgkog6kXa77Kqv84zhwDbXMTtlK-Hnp6bXrtj14dsDD/s1600/Lakeshore-Geyser-West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lakeshore Geyser West Thumb Geyser Basin" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gMeD3Zqdb3jWGYFTVK1ppas6buXj1GnbXu9MO8ElSj15FCVZAJ3_xOG5qP_DBBhNYH4K-Hsj51ZvIdJNxaP81qKY_Vgkog6kXa77Kqv84zhwDbXMTtlK-Hnp6bXrtj14dsDD/s1600/Lakeshore-Geyser-West-Thumb-Geyser-Basin.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Lakeshore Geyser, West Thumb Geyser Basin. Although it often erupts a few feet, the last time this geyser erupted with any significant force was in the 1970s. The smaller of the two geysers is usually not exposed until mid to late August.<br />
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Sean told us that all the hot water that is sent into the lake allows the shoreline to be used by animals in the dead of winter. So you can go in winter and find animals drinking from the lake when it has frozen over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcJwbToV53Xc1hZqA4DXH1K0Dbja9IyRki35rc8wYHr5To_qdg2Kl3RPSdZMp_0Hw4eOqIuCIpHKNwY4AglqJFkMO1IUAqpqpOcw1U0sOaFnQZFxa6FWynSbatbTRogonNLzW/s1600/Seismograph-Bluebell-Pools-West-Thumb-Geyser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seismograph Bluebell Pools, West Thumb Geyser" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcJwbToV53Xc1hZqA4DXH1K0Dbja9IyRki35rc8wYHr5To_qdg2Kl3RPSdZMp_0Hw4eOqIuCIpHKNwY4AglqJFkMO1IUAqpqpOcw1U0sOaFnQZFxa6FWynSbatbTRogonNLzW/s1600/Seismograph-Bluebell-Pools-West-Thumb-Geyser.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Seismograph Bluebell Pools, West Thumb Geyser Basin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAuTqrG2LpsDSo0-a-LaEsmicvXxnnDSSQ3jriP-yPuExAGhyphenhyphenCdFilhghORJ6UASKvuChXgfFN2eg55ZF__zqt-SLYmBlc6BbDCFruV6WgRjqfQzcx3pfeB8I3bXr8_6EpSGJ/s1600/Seismograph-Bluebell-Pools.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seismograph Bluebell Pools" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAuTqrG2LpsDSo0-a-LaEsmicvXxnnDSSQ3jriP-yPuExAGhyphenhyphenCdFilhghORJ6UASKvuChXgfFN2eg55ZF__zqt-SLYmBlc6BbDCFruV6WgRjqfQzcx3pfeB8I3bXr8_6EpSGJ/s1600/Seismograph-Bluebell-Pools.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Seismograph/Bluebell Pools, West Thumb Geyser. These were renamed Seismograph Pools after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_Hebgen_Lake_earthquake" target="_blank">1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake</a>. Nobody is sure what changes occurred here to warrant a name change, but I like Bluebell Pools name better because there were bluebells blooming near here. The muddy pools are caused by the mud pot runoff nearby. <br />
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After a too short visit to the geysers, we stopped an had lunch before continuing with the rest of our adventure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UTiyKm_VwWzJoQ9pZ3oI6XfEb_i4EIBuCZ5652jPBy_SJuMgqj-xQlQsRQBt_fPFfGwNScCrsB6AZzyCOqqUjDge9AM1B2iZvrWBofWRWxLjBnb7Suy4P4-PvjQv9SdpqDqH/s1600/Grand-Canyon-of-the-Yellowstone-River.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UTiyKm_VwWzJoQ9pZ3oI6XfEb_i4EIBuCZ5652jPBy_SJuMgqj-xQlQsRQBt_fPFfGwNScCrsB6AZzyCOqqUjDge9AM1B2iZvrWBofWRWxLjBnb7Suy4P4-PvjQv9SdpqDqH/s1600/Grand-Canyon-of-the-Yellowstone-River.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Sean kept mentioning that we were going to the the "Grand Canyon" and I almost had to pull out Google Maps to make sure I knew what state I was in. It turns out that there is a Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Yes, Virginia, there is <i>another</i> grand canyon in America.<br />
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When we arrived here I was ready to pitch a fit because there were throngs of tourists on buses arriving. I had to push my way through people to get this picture. And then Sean says, "Come with me, I know a better spot for pictures."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNL1N-52gqbqX2XklDgpFJNF9CAn_QrREhQ27iWcemezjBjarcNXhBtK7YaFa6TnVSNXosW8p4KgavSWpGKtLz_z8LQxpwnT72SC6gWGxLwFgEoZdfmburIGOJ-iMXriCX2Cl/s1600/Yellowstone-River.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yellowstone River" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNL1N-52gqbqX2XklDgpFJNF9CAn_QrREhQ27iWcemezjBjarcNXhBtK7YaFa6TnVSNXosW8p4KgavSWpGKtLz_z8LQxpwnT72SC6gWGxLwFgEoZdfmburIGOJ-iMXriCX2Cl/s1600/Yellowstone-River.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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After a hike that seemed to take all of five minutes and we were at the top of the canyon looking down on the Yellowstone River from the top. It was secluded and quiet but I didn't manage to overcome by fear of falling into giant canyons to get really close. One of the other bloggers on the trip would later says that she had this odd desire of jumping into the canyon. Which I found funny because to me the canyon was very evocative of <i>something</i> in the way Georgia O'Keeffe paintings are evocative of <i>something</i>. It had an oddly inviting feel to it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlJdTPjbFgykerNW1KqRYyD1BrI_kG-aVcVu-GRZ5UpvdoPYXedoCTuQII6x-Nk_zQdqeT_geHAr_gJxNZLi1sAFNqHf2qZHuurM7qEdHS67cgkmQRI-LaOAVqinPw1yQ4RX5/s1600/Grand-Grand-Canyon-of-the-Yellowstone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlJdTPjbFgykerNW1KqRYyD1BrI_kG-aVcVu-GRZ5UpvdoPYXedoCTuQII6x-Nk_zQdqeT_geHAr_gJxNZLi1sAFNqHf2qZHuurM7qEdHS67cgkmQRI-LaOAVqinPw1yQ4RX5/s1600/Grand-Grand-Canyon-of-the-Yellowstone.png" /></a></div>
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Here's a panorama of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone that I took with my phone. I decided to include it even though it wasn't taken with the camera mentioned above because the pictures didn't quite depict the vastness of the canyon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2A0wFCivGhVyuL5DEompg1ueA6UfIKNLEHC1wRlvfCHq3Un6OOTYhkbYULS_6aW6rD_KSzaJK_HGfgFlXeO_4j7KONoz-rFBTzooGbGVuv_7TgETVJck0QzV9hdmZ9WXug7y/s1600/Lower-Falls-of-theYellowstone-River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2A0wFCivGhVyuL5DEompg1ueA6UfIKNLEHC1wRlvfCHq3Un6OOTYhkbYULS_6aW6rD_KSzaJK_HGfgFlXeO_4j7KONoz-rFBTzooGbGVuv_7TgETVJck0QzV9hdmZ9WXug7y/s1600/Lower-Falls-of-theYellowstone-River.jpg" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from the top of the canyon. On the way back to the car I found myself picking up candy wrappers and small pieces of trash that was left behind by the visitors on the tour buses. And I was feeling that same annoyance I feel when I pick other people's trash out of my garden. I guess this was the moment that I began to feel a sense of ownership of this land. I was <i>all in</i>, as they say. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeMLaQTwIgU" target="_blank">'This Land is Your Land'</a> played in my head on the car ride to the next location.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiREiSVWPd26VJVNtkvU73FbkCFYL3ydUYXqiEHVf7g07ZAMDs4dV8YildRirFCKGYZ5OQ8sLtiehwe0ju8ioUlFcORgoUKH0h-NoJ4CVtEcmsCTHjm-xi_eFTsNNautdm25D/s1600/Waterfall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waterfall" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiREiSVWPd26VJVNtkvU73FbkCFYL3ydUYXqiEHVf7g07ZAMDs4dV8YildRirFCKGYZ5OQ8sLtiehwe0ju8ioUlFcORgoUKH0h-NoJ4CVtEcmsCTHjm-xi_eFTsNNautdm25D/s1600/Waterfall.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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A short drive, u-turn, a quick hike down a woodland path, and Sean delivered us a pristine waterfall where many selfies were taken.<br />
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The day with an amazing sunset back where we started at the started and we even caught a glimpse of a bald eagle and a buck with his harem at the willow flats. It was a perfect end to an amazing adventure. I'm glad we had Sean and <a href="http://www.tetonscience.org/wildlife-expeditions/home/" target="_blank">Grand Teton Science Schools</a> with us this day because it felt like visiting an area with a friend who knew all the cool spots where you wouldn't be surrounded by tourists.<br />
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...this land is my land...<br />
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Don't miss my posts on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-laurance-s-rockefeller-preserve.html" target="_blank">Day One at the Phelps Lake</a>, <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/10/jenny-lake-grand-tetons.html" target="_blank">Day Two at Jenny Lake</a>. Have you ever been to Yellowstone National Park? Did you get a chance to see bears?<br />
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What is #ALEX14 ? It is the hashtag of the <a href="http://alhf.org/" target="_blank">American Latino Heritage Fund Expedition</a> for 2014. In its second year, ALEX is an effort to introduce the national park system to a new generation of Americans who will in turn introduce the national parks to other Americans who have never been or are even aware that visiting national parks is even an option. Eight Latin@ blogger and social media influencers were selected by the <a href="http://www.nationalparks.org/" target="_blank">National Park Foundation</a> to tour the <a href="http://www.gtnpf.org/" target="_blank">Grand Teton National Park</a> and discover our role in the future stewardship of national parks. The trip was made possible through partnerships with <a href="http://gorving.com/" target="_blank">Go RVing</a>, <a href="http://www.aramarkleisure.com/" target="_blank">Aramark</a>, <a href="http://www.columbia.com/" target="_blank">Columbia</a>, <a href="http://www.alaskaair.com/" target="_blank">Alaska Airlines</a> and <a href="http://www.rei.com/" target="_blank">REI</a> who generously paid for accommodations, clothing, food and travel costs.<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-64705302188784443962014-10-06T09:00:00.000-05:002014-10-09T14:16:08.491-05:00Jenny Lake Grand Tetons<a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-laurance-s-rockefeller-preserve.html" target="_blank">Day One of #ALEX14 at Phelps Lake</a> was filled with inspiring beauty and set the stage for the remainder of the trip. The second day of the National Park Foundation's expedition brought even more inspiring beauty, but outdid itself by introducing us to inspiring people at Jenny Lake in the Grand Tetons.<br />
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I have been writing about and photographing gardens and plants since I was in my 20s. Whenever I have met others outside of gardening and garden writing, I got the impression that people were often surprised by the amount of gardening knowledge I knew and how I communicate it to others. "He's so knowledgeable," I've heard people say. Sometimes they commented on how "young" I was, as if being young and knowledgeable were mutually exclusive traits. Honestly, sometimes I wondered if there wasn't some kind of racial or ethnic bias behind the surprised at my "youth" and experience.<br />
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On this trip I had the privilege of meeting two Latin@ Park Rangers at Grand Teton National Park. Day two of #ALEX14 had us exploring and hiking near beautiful Jenny Lake with Ranger Ricardo and Ranger Millie as our guides. And you know what? I found myself being impressed by their ability to interpret nature and how eloquent they were when speaking about the park, its flora and fauna, but just in general conservation too. Why? In the weeks since I've been back and I've heard young people in my neighborhood communicate with each other I've begun to understand why Rangers Rick and Millie surprised me. Young people around here don't know how to speak, it's a sad state of affairs.<br />
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When I learned that Ranger Ricardo came in on his day off to lead our hike to Inspiration Point I was once again impressed. During the hike Ranger Ricardo told us that the group of eight Latin@ bloggers he was leading were the largest group of Latin@s he'd ever seen at the park. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqBDMVmXuwNE-77bJ_EJ1iEcBmPWg4Xjj9e18Ge9WSZqDuXfe3x5uzegv1c3WEmj-grabeWppyEq3VAu-IabTK3o8N0s97U3lTRMZbn40zMYp6p7QLFEJ2EtZeW90aTNlpLQO/s1600/Jenny-Lake-Park-Ranger.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jenny Lake Park Ranger" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqBDMVmXuwNE-77bJ_EJ1iEcBmPWg4Xjj9e18Ge9WSZqDuXfe3x5uzegv1c3WEmj-grabeWppyEq3VAu-IabTK3o8N0s97U3lTRMZbn40zMYp6p7QLFEJ2EtZeW90aTNlpLQO/s1600/Jenny-Lake-Park-Ranger.png" /></a></div>
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Take a short walk from the Jenny Lake visitor center you find yourself at yet another pristine lake. On the shores of Jenny Lake Ranger Millie and our group of bloggers stopped to take pictures. You can hike around the lake and to the trail heads that take you up to Inspiration Point.<br />
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From the beach yo can see boats on Jenny Lake. At first I thought that these were just recreational boats, but I learned you can pay for a ride to the other side of the lake.<br />
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The Jenny Lake boat ride stops in the middle of the lake to give you the safety speech and some pretty spectacular views.<br />
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Jenny Lake Reflection.<br />
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The hike up the mountain is really pretty, but then you reach Hidden Falls and you're met with these beautiful waterfalls that are fed from the snow and glacier on the Grand Tetons. This particular spot was very crowded as dozens of hikers and tourists crowded around to take photographs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqtGvGZuOoPANtPsCmofLJJ7xK7-jZQBXjhzxtHpil4w1lxfvgoJg3r6L7E0WfkLpyKgOCKWFR_gHyWufKGp4Z_8jH6-aoX1bvQ8l7Kx5sBV17RggMV1xs1FnO-OR84ObQ8SW/s1600/River-Grand-Teton.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="River Grand Teton" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqtGvGZuOoPANtPsCmofLJJ7xK7-jZQBXjhzxtHpil4w1lxfvgoJg3r6L7E0WfkLpyKgOCKWFR_gHyWufKGp4Z_8jH6-aoX1bvQ8l7Kx5sBV17RggMV1xs1FnO-OR84ObQ8SW/s1600/River-Grand-Teton.png" /></a></div>
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Equally as impressive as the waterfalls, are the little rivers that flow down the mountain and into the lake below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNAja7MHHR_zvWkHnCip-oL4lNP1bUwf3e1ARxFLNLy76-J0iSBBBBmEMU4F9-JJ_QJomazhXlvFjqQx65i4vNBDLltrFzOYkDd4C6msJpkS59yoLFy-OtXqTaTDT0ZrAEJcY/s1600/Grand-Tetons-Jenny-Lake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grand Tetons Jenny Lake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNAja7MHHR_zvWkHnCip-oL4lNP1bUwf3e1ARxFLNLy76-J0iSBBBBmEMU4F9-JJ_QJomazhXlvFjqQx65i4vNBDLltrFzOYkDd4C6msJpkS59yoLFy-OtXqTaTDT0ZrAEJcY/s1600/Grand-Tetons-Jenny-Lake.png" /></a></div>
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I had to keep reminding myself to look up during the hike because there were these beautiful views of the Grand Tetons above Jenny Lake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOLc9jMJ8fiY61KjdeFTXpeUSiLEBwqsxKPE5bSP7tLfboVbdqxlsiRHvW6XKniyDnrw18TMqn9Z547Mkrx7tkNEL6QosR3pjP73gMy9T7PJPi1umjX2OgvtblXmzUNWgvpuu/s1600/Jenny-Lake-Trail-Restoration.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jenny Lake Hiking Trail Restoration" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOLc9jMJ8fiY61KjdeFTXpeUSiLEBwqsxKPE5bSP7tLfboVbdqxlsiRHvW6XKniyDnrw18TMqn9Z547Mkrx7tkNEL6QosR3pjP73gMy9T7PJPi1umjX2OgvtblXmzUNWgvpuu/s1600/Jenny-Lake-Trail-Restoration.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.gtnpf.org/initiatives/jenny-lake/" target="_blank">Jenny Lake</a> is the Grand Tetons most visited destination. We learned from the Grand Teton National Park Foundation that many of the trails are undergoing restoration because of the impact on the trails of 1 million yearly visitors. Many spots are degraded and they aren't accessible to people with limited abilities and hiking experience. And let me tell you, there are older people hiking up and down the trails at a pace that put many in our expedition (myself included) to shame.<br />
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Thousands of tons of rocks and stones were recently transported to Jenny Lake to restore trails. The work is being done by hand (and with limited tools) by young people through the <a href="http://www.gtnpf.org/initiatives/youth-engagement-initiative/" target="_blank">Youth Conservation Program</a>, a teen trail crew that works in Grand Teton for 10 weeks each summer. GTNPF gave us a tour of some of the closed trails so we could watch the kids at work. I spoke to a few of them and asked them what they did on their off time expecting to hear about drinking and partying, but they all seem to spend their time hiking and camping when they aren't at work. This seems like a great program if you're a teen or know of a teen that would like an incredible summer job next summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k2oQ2NWPMH74EeucJ6AvPDLTzUNjvun-Q27kho4bp6LupiCtNk3zD3b3fM3LwUlb_WOOV8SXkGbc09Aei94w0H38C-Z5zzru1FaSbBYDq2GXoi6ZEwEhu8EbyVwD142atrsc/s1600/Old-Mans-Beard-Lichen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old Man's Beard Lichen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k2oQ2NWPMH74EeucJ6AvPDLTzUNjvun-Q27kho4bp6LupiCtNk3zD3b3fM3LwUlb_WOOV8SXkGbc09Aei94w0H38C-Z5zzru1FaSbBYDq2GXoi6ZEwEhu8EbyVwD142atrsc/s1600/Old-Mans-Beard-Lichen.png" /></a></div>
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Ranger Ricardo points out Old Man's Beard lichen to us on the trail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitH4T4h8OF7moPs2rJwKmWisFnAVrGo2mwZbu2zDNbuyQZS8Ha0ye85DaYXJH4KLeZyLzy2ZUAMAM5fnOJSQUVqyWYCtRHB5usYKvxwi5kzt8Dn7u5NQWJ7wxz_LFQs3gyJs27/s1600/Ginger-Berries-Grand-Teton.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ginger Berries Grand Teton" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitH4T4h8OF7moPs2rJwKmWisFnAVrGo2mwZbu2zDNbuyQZS8Ha0ye85DaYXJH4KLeZyLzy2ZUAMAM5fnOJSQUVqyWYCtRHB5usYKvxwi5kzt8Dn7u5NQWJ7wxz_LFQs3gyJs27/s1600/Ginger-Berries-Grand-Teton.png" /></a></div>
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Ginger Berries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzPcLHNpWBccPooc2UJMiLxGlWZ1o6h_-1QLM8Vki_VO0StwVNnjlEF71pfns151o6Of8-mRyTj47_Iq4ejafiiMXMReNUwqwGw4nFQw2wMhZbKhAXGHxT6XkKXzNTQtwESnW/s1600/Huckleberries-Grand-Teton.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Huckleberries Grand Teton" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzPcLHNpWBccPooc2UJMiLxGlWZ1o6h_-1QLM8Vki_VO0StwVNnjlEF71pfns151o6Of8-mRyTj47_Iq4ejafiiMXMReNUwqwGw4nFQw2wMhZbKhAXGHxT6XkKXzNTQtwESnW/s1600/Huckleberries-Grand-Teton.png" /></a></div>
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Huckleberries were out of season by the time we arrived for the expedition, but we could still find clusters of them on the trails and just off the busier areas. I foraged as many berries as I could during the hikes for a tasty treat.<br />
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Lodgepole Pine cones that only open up and release seeds after being exposed to fire.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipC9bfXpxBULm9KD_rLXZamzRkMWBZjaFsLLEy_z9yAnzDItz-YVXrSUxNS7hU0icDzshyphenhyphenO2rnGj93y4o5VSGbB_tH1riy1bq5pXnoyoBaQ_0VYBtfil6EsQ1IieWZYU4fZnTA/s1600/Purple-Monkshood.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purple Monkshood" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipC9bfXpxBULm9KD_rLXZamzRkMWBZjaFsLLEy_z9yAnzDItz-YVXrSUxNS7hU0icDzshyphenhyphenO2rnGj93y4o5VSGbB_tH1riy1bq5pXnoyoBaQ_0VYBtfil6EsQ1IieWZYU4fZnTA/s1600/Purple-Monkshood.png" /></a></div>
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Near one of the waterfalls I came across a clump of Purple Monkshood among some other plants I couldn't identify.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIMRJQxIuoshjC8O8gxkVwiL9uCukMxKveVmKK_DWy8qFPQ5K5WcTjBK6UeXYUvY3rRo1Pml_n-BM2Z2wXQXtvYN7rS0v_JuyyXA3H4-lMmVkn0x2-Teqk1aQS3f__bB46QUh/s1600/Exclamation-Point-Jenny-Lake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Exclamation Point Jenny Lake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIMRJQxIuoshjC8O8gxkVwiL9uCukMxKveVmKK_DWy8qFPQ5K5WcTjBK6UeXYUvY3rRo1Pml_n-BM2Z2wXQXtvYN7rS0v_JuyyXA3H4-lMmVkn0x2-Teqk1aQS3f__bB46QUh/s1600/Exclamation-Point-Jenny-Lake.png" /></a></div>
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On the way up to Inspiration Point the trails you learned right away why Jenny Lake is undergoing a restoration project. The switchbacks up to Inspiration Point got pretty hairy, and I wish I had taken a moment to get over the fear of falling off the side of a mountain and taken some pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29jkEQug_kZhhYhYQScZrjdOvvm9AecPcqm3KsxQtdQ3Yh5nWE1vkvtei1Kc-bI5l8qx1YKrMThxJ2qASvBOOaG2BEYHabCM9fkqg-aMUjG_tcTQ1RJ5y-2QEAti-fzoKGtCP/s1600/Inspiration-Point-Jenny-Lake-Grand-Tetons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Inspiration Point Jenny Lake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29jkEQug_kZhhYhYQScZrjdOvvm9AecPcqm3KsxQtdQ3Yh5nWE1vkvtei1Kc-bI5l8qx1YKrMThxJ2qASvBOOaG2BEYHabCM9fkqg-aMUjG_tcTQ1RJ5y-2QEAti-fzoKGtCP/s1600/Inspiration-Point-Jenny-Lake-Grand-Tetons.png" /></a></div>
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I believe these two panos are of what the Rangers and guides from GTNPF jokingly referred to as "Exclamation Point." It's beautiful, but not as spectacular as as Inspiration Point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6lD9dJde72FjxGH4rbqRntSXBYdqZlvZ_pXwb_sMMm_xn6EI24yCmNoxXdJKR18dUkoBboZrcUepFXxIsp3_YYuKmAGwgmZm7hdZer4mavWrGWfXanGNvA5jNlB9KMUNgdhw/s1600/Inspiration-Point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Inspiration Point" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6lD9dJde72FjxGH4rbqRntSXBYdqZlvZ_pXwb_sMMm_xn6EI24yCmNoxXdJKR18dUkoBboZrcUepFXxIsp3_YYuKmAGwgmZm7hdZer4mavWrGWfXanGNvA5jNlB9KMUNgdhw/s1600/Inspiration-Point.jpg" /></a></div>
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Inspiration Point is at 7200 feet high. Definitely the tallest point I have hiked to. The hike that we were told should take an hour took our group three. I thought the trail up there was pretty crowded and scary, but we were told that it was nothing compared to an average day during peak season. And wouldn't you know it, I didn't stop and get a good picture of Inspiration Point save for a few selfies. I was too busy taking in the beautiful view so this half-panorama will have to suffice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLiAPpdJVKjR3YuN2RLe_Nxfn9jJquY-wzAfvMK6AJciPUCRiRPzHYIl9RVoxC3DGoi8_uLeR1F-D4uAu3KDcKZ197YAM1uKp4F7KWCRmHuwFpupjccY7FH9S6lxlBnLQJTm7/s1600/Grand-Tetons-Inspiration-Point.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grand Tetons Inspiration Point" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLiAPpdJVKjR3YuN2RLe_Nxfn9jJquY-wzAfvMK6AJciPUCRiRPzHYIl9RVoxC3DGoi8_uLeR1F-D4uAu3KDcKZ197YAM1uKp4F7KWCRmHuwFpupjccY7FH9S6lxlBnLQJTm7/s1600/Grand-Tetons-Inspiration-Point.png" /></a></div>
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Grand Tetons from Inspiration Point were even more beautiful. But that beauty masks some real dangers. I took this photo just as a storm hit the area, sending dozens of hikers scurrying down the mountain. The brisk winds and rain drops were very motivational. We got down to the boat in 30 minutes. After that hike, a few of us took a six mile bike ride to Moose, Wyoming to meet the rest of our group who had gone ahead in the RVs provided by <a href="http://gorving.com/" target="_blank">Go RVing</a>. When I got off the bike at Moose my legs felt like jelly, but I was grateful for the padded bike shorts I got from <a href="http://www.rei.com/" target="_blank">REI</a>. <br />
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Later that evening we stopped for yet another beautiful sunset, this time at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Lake_Dam" target="_blank">Jackson Lake Dam</a>.<br />
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During <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-laurance-s-rockefeller-preserve.html" target="_blank">Day One of #ALEX14</a> we learned that that heyday of national parks was during the 1950s when Americans could take weeks-long vacations and they would drive across the country visiting national parks. Today the average American vacation is only four days long and national parks aren't a priority. The average national park visitor is in his or her 50s and they visited the national parks as kids, but their kids are not returning to the parks.<br />
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The aging white population that frequents national parks was evident everywhere we went. On this particular day I saw an older African-American couple on the trail up to Inspiration Point, but they would be the only African-Americans I would see for that week outside of Salt Lake City. The city of Jackson has a burgeoning Latin@ population and we were lucky enough to spend some time with the kids from the <a href="http://www.latinorc.org/english/index.php" target="_blank">Latino Resource Center</a> programs who are living in the greater Jackson Hole and Teton County area. Although, the kids I spoke to that evening said they didn't spend much time walking, boating or hiking in these natural areas that are literally in their backyards.<br />
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On another occasion, I spoke to a tour guide who told me of local Latin@ youth who go four-wheeling in Jackson Hole who refer to themselves as "Trail Mex." So maybe the forecast of Latin@ youth spending time outdoors isn't as grim as you would think. But one thing is for certain, youth like Ranger Ricardo and Ranger Millie are rare. They can both name all of the Latin@s who work at Grand Teton National Park. And if national park system is to survive, not only to older whites need to make sure their kids are continuing the tradition of visiting national parks, ethnic minorities need to be introduced to the park system and shown that this land is also theirs, and that they have a role to play in its enjoyment and conservation. <br />
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What is #ALEX14 ? It is the hashtag of the <a href="http://alhf.org/" target="_blank">American Latino Heritage Fund Expedition</a> for 2014. In its second year, ALEX is an effort to introduce the national park system to a new generation of Americans who will in turn introduce the national parks to other Americans who have never been or are even aware that visiting national parks is even an option. Eight Latin@ bloggers and social media influencers were selected by the <a href="http://www.nationalparks.org/" target="_blank">National Park Foundation</a> to tour the <a href="http://www.gtnpf.org/" target="_blank">Grand Teton National Park</a> and discover our role in the future stewardship of national parks. The trip was made possible through partnerships with <a href="http://gorving.com/" target="_blank">Go RVing</a>, <a href="http://www.aramarkleisure.com/" target="_blank">Aramark</a>, <a href="http://www.columbia.com/" target="_blank">Columbia</a>, <a href="http://www.alaskaair.com/" target="_blank">Alaska Airlines</a> and <a href="http://www.rei.com/" target="_blank">REI</a> who generously paid for accommodations, clothing, food and travel costs. <br />
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See my post on Day One at the <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-laurance-s-rockefeller-preserve.html" target="_blank">Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve</a> and Day Three at the <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/10/west-thumb-geyser-basin-yellowstone.html" target="_blank">West Thumb Geyser Basin</a>.<br />
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If you plan on visiting Grand Teton National Park, pick up a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1566952964/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1566952964&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=74B3TO5BXZHYS746">Grand Teton National Park - Trails Illustrated Map # 202</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=1566952964" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-89476730379324016302014-09-29T10:30:00.000-05:002014-10-09T14:15:37.663-05:00The Laurance S. Rockefeller PreserveDay one of the National Park Foundation's #ALEX14 expedition was a good indicator of what I would be expecting on this trip. The National Park Foundation and the American Latino Heritage Fund conceived and organized an amazing experience in a national park for eight Latino bloggers of various backgrounds and niches. I was the only gardener on the trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1KbXazbWarLZyDv4d1H7GAyUuaZoyl6dliTWHaOcBrjQA4T56NxoTmsevZiGaVurh1_DZDd_6wVU68hXoJgHSrNhU2ILyfPoKFnRiXVC2uo7FmYcTTgO9V-AURr1mHG2xcn0/s1600/National-Park-Foundation-%23ALEX14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="National Park Foundation #ALEX14" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1KbXazbWarLZyDv4d1H7GAyUuaZoyl6dliTWHaOcBrjQA4T56NxoTmsevZiGaVurh1_DZDd_6wVU68hXoJgHSrNhU2ILyfPoKFnRiXVC2uo7FmYcTTgO9V-AURr1mHG2xcn0/s1600/National-Park-Foundation-%23ALEX14.png" /></a></div>
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The day before #ALEX14 officially started I had traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles and then to Salt Lake City to meet the rest of the bloggers that would be part of the expedition.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicO87HLlOIvD6qjd9pDDQQKav1_PD7o6qI5Stya53XlnLgdhlU6JOzdQY2L-SJwIavg0ichkBzpDQD8MxpLOd4ICVkf0L42WVoyNK69RtNV_RGZzb3Rq43bQdMOkHuoASORJfl/s1600/Million-Dollar-Cowboy-Bar-Jackson.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Million Dollar Cowboy Bar Jackson" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicO87HLlOIvD6qjd9pDDQQKav1_PD7o6qI5Stya53XlnLgdhlU6JOzdQY2L-SJwIavg0ichkBzpDQD8MxpLOd4ICVkf0L42WVoyNK69RtNV_RGZzb3Rq43bQdMOkHuoASORJfl/s1600/Million-Dollar-Cowboy-Bar-Jackson.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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The evening before Day 1 we arrived in the charming town of Jackson, Wyoming. I wish I had been able to spend more time in this town because there were so many missed photo opportunities. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar really deserved to be photographed a lot more. From Jackson, we drove about another hour in the dark to <a href="http://www.togwoteelodge.com/" target="_blank">Togwotee Mountain Lodge</a> which would be our "base camp" during the expedition in <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm" target="_blank">Grand Teton National Park</a>. The Teton Range are referred to as the "Mountains of Imagination" because of what the name alludes to, but at night they certainly play with your imagination. Even though I couldn't clearly see them that night driving up to Togwotee, I could feel them. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzaevB8lF5OPXKtNzkUhXGZNk75s5NAm16J5MdH0PkpgegloG3xPFeoxbWENizTBR0r9v74gFFH6eO6neP12yyMpeFBBbZX-PXcRpuMtzWoOGuu9_8cee8vUNzHs5hbMC3pV0/s1600/Togwotee-Mountain-Lodge-Cabin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Togwotee Mountain Lodge Cabin" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzaevB8lF5OPXKtNzkUhXGZNk75s5NAm16J5MdH0PkpgegloG3xPFeoxbWENizTBR0r9v74gFFH6eO6neP12yyMpeFBBbZX-PXcRpuMtzWoOGuu9_8cee8vUNzHs5hbMC3pV0/s1600/Togwotee-Mountain-Lodge-Cabin.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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I was told we would be sharing "rooms" at Togwotee. What I didn't know going in is that I would be sharing an awesome little cabin that would reignite my desire for a tiny house. This was my first time sleeping in a cabin and spending a night in the woods. The morning I took this photo I was pleasantly surprised I had survived without a bear attack or a spree killer breaking in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEhPUxN1Vt2MektYAPjPPz5Z_lbHum-V5hFIAzWLr_hflBzre2hHTKMkAMqrXsD0gI_o59i63Ru6roq9edu2GlYXXiwOxPrJG_jaxOF07E2e_ORC4krhFBIg5bedjb8H-Ep3D/s1600/Grand-Teton-Morning.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grand Teton Morning" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEhPUxN1Vt2MektYAPjPPz5Z_lbHum-V5hFIAzWLr_hflBzre2hHTKMkAMqrXsD0gI_o59i63Ru6roq9edu2GlYXXiwOxPrJG_jaxOF07E2e_ORC4krhFBIg5bedjb8H-Ep3D/s1600/Grand-Teton-Morning.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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The first day I woke up early. Watching the sky brighten, the sun rise and spill through the lodgepole pine trees, I finally understood why so many ancient civilizations worshiped the sun. It was one of the most glorious sights I have ever been witness to. It was a sign of things to come.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij28RoJsihh8iZqcR5W46HNskhZSiksrpd9fl7ymHYJH0eUP6fH-YjA4NHT1rDzASZSE0Omzdy4rNfqdhIgpFBVAE2btdYEIcMmrKCPAZVRJ7y2BL9JKPY712tFG7XzP7w62gs/s1600/Laurance-Rockefeller-Preserve-Profile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Laurance Rockefeller Preserve" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij28RoJsihh8iZqcR5W46HNskhZSiksrpd9fl7ymHYJH0eUP6fH-YjA4NHT1rDzASZSE0Omzdy4rNfqdhIgpFBVAE2btdYEIcMmrKCPAZVRJ7y2BL9JKPY712tFG7XzP7w62gs/s1600/Laurance-Rockefeller-Preserve-Profile.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Later that morning we arrived at the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/lsrpvc.htm" target="_blank">Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center</a>. Today we are more familiar with the Kardashians than we are with the Rockefellers. But there was a time where every move made by a Rockefeller was documented with the same obsession. The Rockefeller family is probably glad they are no longer in the spotlight, but it should be noted that without their generosity, this 1,106-acre preserve at the southern edge of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phelps_Lake_(Wyoming)" target="_blank">Phelps Lake</a> would not be possible.<br />
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John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased much of the land in the area starting back in the 1920s. It boggled my mind that anyone could have once "owned" the land I was walking on. It just seems to immense and an impossible feat. Imagine someone telling you that someone own the galaxy we reside in. That's what it felt like to me when the park ranger explained how the preserve came into existence. <br />
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This photo of Aspen tree bark may not look like much. I know it didn't look like much to me until after the park ranger explained how we could interpret the scarring on the tree's bark. Can you see it for yourself? The tree shows a lot of scars from being scratched by bears. Those long lines are made by the bear's claws. The threat of seeing bears in the Teton Range never materialized for our group. We kept hearing of bear sightings, but we never actually saw any. <br />
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There were so many paths, bridges, turns and bends where I was sure a bear would step out, but they never did. I wonder if there were time when we were very close to a bear and just didn't know it.<br />
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Here Alanna Sobel, Communications Manager for the National Park Foundation, stops to see if I'm being attacked by a bear. Moments before I took the photo I remember yelling something to the effect of "OMG, I can't believe this!" The reason was that the scene of the bloggers walking up ahead and through the trail looked like something out of a commercial for an organic, gluten free, fair trade, artisanal energy bar. I would have many moments where I was struck dumb by the beauty of the Grand Tetons. <br />
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Of the eight bloggers and social media types the National Park Foundation chose to go on #ALEX14 I was the only one that had anything to do with gardening. I must have missed about 30% of the entire trip because I was too busy looking at the ground hoping to spot plants and flowers. Unfortunately, early September is too late in the season for much flower-spotting, but I did see these charming blue bells quite often on the hikes.<br />
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And there were lots of rocks with lichen. So much lichen.<br />
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Although, I was really surprised by the mushrooms everywhere. I mean, they were everywhere! There must have been a rain event in the days prior to our arrival because there were fungi sprouting everywhere. It made me wish I was a mushroom blogger because I would have had a field day. <br />
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This was my first real hike, and the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve spoiled me. There was no shortage of scenery and things to marvel at and photograph.<br />
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They say you never forget your first, and I'll certainly never forget Katie, my first park ranger. She taught us a lot about the preserve, the edible berries on the trail, the animals, and that drinking water is the best thing do to when you are out of breath because it replaces oxygen in your body. The hike to Phelps Lake is probably easier than it seemed to this hiking newbie, but I didn't have much to complain about given this view.<br />
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After hiking up and through what seemed like a forest that would never end, we reached a clearing where the Grand Tetons where in sight.<br />
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Every few feet was another view of the Grand Tetons that was worthy of being a postcard. And it just didn't stop until we reached the beach.<br />
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At Phelps Lake we stopped and had lunch and Katie kept dropping knowledge. These photographs don't do the view justice. I wish there was a way to present just how immense and fake it seemed. It looked as if an artist had been commanded by Hitchcock to paint the perfect background and he had come back with this. <br />
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I felt as if I could walk out to a point in the lake and I would touch a wall or the canvas this had all be perfectly painted on. How can those mountains looks so perfect all the time?<br />
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Remember the Rockefellers and donated land I mentioned above? Just a few years prior I would not have been able to stand on this beach and take this photograph of a photograph. Remember, this was all private property and owned by the Rockefellers and used as a vacation spot. When they donated the land they moved over 30 structures to allow for the land to be restored. Can you imagine just being able to pick up your vacation compound and moving it?<br />
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This view here at Phelps Lake was just so spectacular. I felt like at any moment a giant hand would remove a larger photo from in front of the photo I was holding and reveal this wasn't real. The water was so clear, the mountains so perfect, and save for the noise created by our group, there was no noise. I don't think I've ever had a more perfect lunch spot.<br />
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I commemorated the event by taking my first ever national park selfie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nf3n0m7huQrHMsKj5LYnjbof7UjdQrGTjnN1vI9YqZNUoxt6VPd-VXGvHsd6Je3cy-njgqV9EmgWye0_xPqDSQaAGk0mxSZlY7SA3_WqKW-PZ5o6eiwYt8DMjpUpabBpIgX_/s1600/Rockefeller-Preserve-Visitor-Center.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rockefeller Preserve Visitor Center" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nf3n0m7huQrHMsKj5LYnjbof7UjdQrGTjnN1vI9YqZNUoxt6VPd-VXGvHsd6Je3cy-njgqV9EmgWye0_xPqDSQaAGk0mxSZlY7SA3_WqKW-PZ5o6eiwYt8DMjpUpabBpIgX_/s1600/Rockefeller-Preserve-Visitor-Center.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Back at the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/lsrpvc.htm" target="_blank">Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center</a> you can learn more about Mr. Rockefeller's legacy of conservation stewardship. The center features composting toilets and is the first LEED certified property in Wyoming. Ranger Katie told us that someone once asked Mr. Rockefeller why his father left him that land and he answered that because his father must have known he would do the right thing with it.<br />
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I'm glad both of the Rockefellers understood the importance of this piece of land because it is something that everyone should experience. The attention paid to detail in returning this land to as near pristine condition as possible is amazing. The site of the old Rockefeller ranch was bio-remidiated with seeds and plantings collected from nearby the site. Now that this is part of the national park system, many generations will be able to walk these trails and sit on the edge of Phelps Lake and wonder if the mountains at a distance are real.<br />
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What is #ALEX14 ? It is the hashtag of the <a href="http://alhf.org/" target="_blank">American Latino Heritage Fund Expedition</a> for 2014. In its second year, ALEX is an effort to introduce the national park system to a new generation of Americans who will in turn introduce the national parks to other Americans who have never been or are even aware that visiting national parks is even an option. Eight Latin@ blogger and social media influencers were selected by the <a href="http://www.nationalparks.org/" target="_blank">National Park Foundation</a> to tour the <a href="http://www.gtnpf.org/" target="_blank">Grand Teton National Park</a> and discover our role in the future stewardship of national parks. The trip was made possible through partnerships with <a href="http://gorving.com/" target="_blank">Go RVing</a>, <a href="http://www.aramarkleisure.com/" target="_blank">Aramark</a>, <a href="http://www.columbia.com/" target="_blank">Columbia</a>, <a href="http://www.alaskaair.com/" target="_blank">Alaska Airlines</a> and <a href="http://www.rei.com/" target="_blank">REI</a> who generously paid for accommodations, clothing, food and travel costs. <br />
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If you plan on visiting Grand Teton National Park, pick up a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1566952964/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1566952964&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=74B3TO5BXZHYS746">Grand Teton National Park - Trails Illustrated Map # 202</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=1566952964" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> And a laminated copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0898866731/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0898866731&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=CFXTTYRDUWZLP6AT">Mac's Field Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks: Trees & Wildflowers</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0898866731" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> to help you identify the trees, plants and flowers you'll encounter.
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See my post about Day Two at <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/10/jenny-lake-grand-tetons.html" target="_blank">Jenny Lake</a> and Day Three at <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/10/west-thumb-geyser-basin-yellowstone.html" target="_blank">West Thumb Geyser Basin</a>.<br />
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Did you know that the national park system is prohibited by law from spending tax dollars on advertising? If they can't advertise like amusement parks and other travel destinations, how are new generations of Americans suppose to know learn about national parks? Have you ever been to Grand Teton National Park?<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-92152882325487137002014-06-04T08:59:00.000-05:002014-09-29T20:14:12.607-05:00Chicago Parks in Vintage Postcards Chicago's motto "Urbs in Horto" translates to "City in a Garden" and there is no best example of this motto than the our collection of public parks. While our collection of parks today is nice, it was once impressive. As you'll see from these Chicago parks in vintage postcards depicting Washington Park, Garfield Park, and Lincoln Park Conservatory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvUPUaZ-0Pfbypsno6Snize9i8NPiPomOaovvtWBI2Kas3B-zx6gslocXrhyphenhyphenoFTRXaUL_H0lJ2bWkO9ZzqGQIvY5DOeI5FgoJaW2odzIURY820R8j598S7thDT81euLtGGpeS/s1600/Washington-Park-Chicago-Conservatory-and-Flowerbeds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Washington Park Chicago Conservatory and Flowerbeds" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvUPUaZ-0Pfbypsno6Snize9i8NPiPomOaovvtWBI2Kas3B-zx6gslocXrhyphenhyphenoFTRXaUL_H0lJ2bWkO9ZzqGQIvY5DOeI5FgoJaW2odzIURY820R8j598S7thDT81euLtGGpeS/s1600/Washington-Park-Chicago-Conservatory-and-Flowerbeds.png" /></a></div>
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This vintage postcard reads: "Washington Park, Chicago, Conservatory and Flowerbeds. Oldest South Side park, area 371 acres."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47ivnVEP-IeFQVXkRd8a6oUxfEts7iQMRiOMvUjJtkv3R4GkFNUOrKZ6SXukBIw3scXdf8Y9jAa-VwKSbW_DV1ylIuU8452E7ydM1gQBiwejy4_Olr6NgX66LMxa6d7DgHONY/s1600/Washington-Park-Lagoon-Chicago.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Washington Park Lagoon Chicago" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47ivnVEP-IeFQVXkRd8a6oUxfEts7iQMRiOMvUjJtkv3R4GkFNUOrKZ6SXukBIw3scXdf8Y9jAa-VwKSbW_DV1ylIuU8452E7ydM1gQBiwejy4_Olr6NgX66LMxa6d7DgHONY/s1600/Washington-Park-Lagoon-Chicago.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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This vintage postcard reads: "Washington park, Lagoon, Chicago."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvaQGqz7M-nM-nkqjYAo6DB4B7-5M7F6xoYXzipY6BNUaUJQXWPeNKY4DPPfC4O2sLfpVs2BkhpCdab_twPEd-PmCBKjeDyh-9KXggf0gbOpOYgv7pCg5FcDQCjOUY3w6r4AD/s1600/Boat-House-Washington-Park-Chicago.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Boat House Washington Park Chicago" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvaQGqz7M-nM-nkqjYAo6DB4B7-5M7F6xoYXzipY6BNUaUJQXWPeNKY4DPPfC4O2sLfpVs2BkhpCdab_twPEd-PmCBKjeDyh-9KXggf0gbOpOYgv7pCg5FcDQCjOUY3w6r4AD/s1600/Boat-House-Washington-Park-Chicago.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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This vintage postcard reads: "Boat House, Washington Park, Chicago."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHxCnNuSHTO_bX2ni2VkoHdnJcDmIBj1bGdO7BfK-bSVEfJ_xScGSBjsUOMrKXFjx147k52qHaU_4Wj-mt7sepP51Ujb6ov3bUlLiRGhOI6lXU-OjHP6EJ-sjwe1TDY_847WW/s1600/Lincoln-Park-Conservatory.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lincoln Park Conservatory" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHxCnNuSHTO_bX2ni2VkoHdnJcDmIBj1bGdO7BfK-bSVEfJ_xScGSBjsUOMrKXFjx147k52qHaU_4Wj-mt7sepP51Ujb6ov3bUlLiRGhOI6lXU-OjHP6EJ-sjwe1TDY_847WW/s1600/Lincoln-Park-Conservatory.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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This vintage postcard reads: "Lincoln Park Conservatory."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYqgCxHTL2rF2N9x8KTy_aSS8C2yDJ8_asPILEIySastJw-oQv3j3Q4jpBCX0UZ4ZWahU8pbzjMnlhShdC9q73EVO-OTpAacg_03cgTWxlwnkBJ6sgDTiJBGljKBhdjjeV4EU/s1600/Lincoln-Park-Conservatory-Chicago-ILL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lincoln Park Conservatory Chicago" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYqgCxHTL2rF2N9x8KTy_aSS8C2yDJ8_asPILEIySastJw-oQv3j3Q4jpBCX0UZ4ZWahU8pbzjMnlhShdC9q73EVO-OTpAacg_03cgTWxlwnkBJ6sgDTiJBGljKBhdjjeV4EU/s1600/Lincoln-Park-Conservatory-Chicago-ILL.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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This vintage postcard reads: "Lincoln Park Conservatory, Chicago ILL" I believe this postcard and the postcard above depict the same greenhouse in the conservatory, but from slightly different angles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubJqDIdA3rR4jsoZwO9v3fAMoECJCZK3NqwGur9uGC0gzwbYdhSJJ7lyGqQWB9LjPFuChnBjxcNyeGypYC6EsnaZYZGNCMzIepYfiRjrW_WHLcT2c8B8CKEqVONof-8PAHuxb/s1600/Lincoln-Park-Conservatory-Chicago.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lincoln Park Conservatory Chicago" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubJqDIdA3rR4jsoZwO9v3fAMoECJCZK3NqwGur9uGC0gzwbYdhSJJ7lyGqQWB9LjPFuChnBjxcNyeGypYC6EsnaZYZGNCMzIepYfiRjrW_WHLcT2c8B8CKEqVONof-8PAHuxb/s1600/Lincoln-Park-Conservatory-Chicago.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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This vintage postcard reads: "Lincoln Park, Conservatory, Chicago." Based on the two postcards above, I think this one shows the same greenhouse in the Lincoln Park Conservatory but from the opposite direction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTo0grunAXev9-rz67zMlLhayrDOBjsuEeWOKZ27fcEVyI81cjTCrwACh-b5VTqTAyQfVETdBSIOubU9FjXsofDG-ftDei-M91k9PeLSG3xcgGNuMLYN0m88bB96r0w7r-mDs/s1600/Garfield-Park-Conservatory-Chicago-ILL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Garfield Park Conservatory Chicago Ill" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTo0grunAXev9-rz67zMlLhayrDOBjsuEeWOKZ27fcEVyI81cjTCrwACh-b5VTqTAyQfVETdBSIOubU9FjXsofDG-ftDei-M91k9PeLSG3xcgGNuMLYN0m88bB96r0w7r-mDs/s1600/Garfield-Park-Conservatory-Chicago-ILL.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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This vintage postcard reads: "Interior Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago,Ill."<br />
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Unfortunately, the conservatory in Washington Park no longer stands because it was demolished in the 1930s after falling in disrepair. Today you can still visit the <a href="http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/garfield-park-conservatory/#.U45wHXJ7CSo" target="_blank">Garfield Park</a> and <a href="http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/lincoln-park-conservatory/" target="_blank">Lincoln Park</a> conservatories if you live in Chicago or just come to visit. They're free and open to the public and I can't recommend visiting them enough.<br />
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It's interesting to see Chicago parks depicted in these vintage postcards because they give us a glimpse into the past when the appreciation and maintenance of these green and public spaces was at their all time high. It's also interesting to see how horticultural tastes have evolved from the days when plants were appreciated by being potted up and raised up the eye level of the visitors. If you visit today, you'll notice that the plantings are more natural and reflect Jens Jensen's approach to interior landscaping. Walking through our conservatories feels a lot like taking a stroll through giant terrariums.<br />
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Learn more about the history of Chicago's parks in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0979412501/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0979412501&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=FO3KU7MULHC2SWMA">Inspired by Nature: The Garfield Park Conservatory and Chicago's West Side</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0979412501" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1935195220/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1935195220&linkCode=am2&tag=mrbr04-20&linkId=6MCKUFUTFVWVWMWE">The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago's Parks, Second Edition (Center for American Places - Center Books on American Places)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrbr04-20&l=am2&o=1&a=1935195220" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<i>Have you visited the Garfield Park and Lincoln Park Conservatory before? </i> </div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-26162468655517899752014-04-21T09:00:00.000-05:002014-04-21T09:00:09.347-05:00How to Make Seed BombsUndoubtedly you have heard of guerrilla gardening and seed bombs. The most popular seed bomb recipe was invented by Japanese farmer, Masanobu Fukuoka. If you would like to beautify an empty lot or neglected planters seed bombs are the perfect option. With a bit of clay, soil and seeds you can create seed bombs in an afternoon that will sprout plants and flowers in hard-to-reach areas. I call my method of making seed bombs, the lazy guerrilla gardener’s way of making seed bombs, because the ingredients do not require mixing, and you don’t need water. See the video and photos below on how to make seed bombs for all the details.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM5ZM52_F6U3zt4I0CASO2O2aJbItBpkU_KjyjPE4xHZYxWD910RJ_1CkF1oZo6CUZLII5ud5yr0jrtK_t1Xu5TJ-VmVFXOrfFQx_dcXbfk8geCy7NNPqK02GbREcQe_2qgoL/s1600/How-to-Make-Seed-Bombs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Make Seed Bombs" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM5ZM52_F6U3zt4I0CASO2O2aJbItBpkU_KjyjPE4xHZYxWD910RJ_1CkF1oZo6CUZLII5ud5yr0jrtK_t1Xu5TJ-VmVFXOrfFQx_dcXbfk8geCy7NNPqK02GbREcQe_2qgoL/s1600/How-to-Make-Seed-Bombs.png" /></a></div>
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Guerrilla Gardening Seed Bomb Video</h3>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/APpb53ugnrA" width="640"></iframe><br />
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I've held hands-on workshops where I've taught urban gardeners how to make seed bombs at seed swaps and events in Chicago like a Prince concert (yes, that Prince) and at Macy’s Flower Show. Here's a video demonstrating how I make guerrilla gardening seed bombs really quickly and easily. Please note that in the video I accidentally say morning glory when I meant marigolds. :0)<br />
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Guerrilla Gardening Seed Bomb Recipe</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0BXY2pwbOu3qIVH_lHGNoIV2kN7n-aM_J-DKdRWiPlPdpkuohe69Q8btbS-ZkKoEnme0Fvar0T8fOnZL3QnVERcswmbYHUckHL9Zz2xz5SjsFJma9DvQjiW9rpiepNR9d7ya/s1600/Seed-Bomb-Clay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seed Bomb Clay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0BXY2pwbOu3qIVH_lHGNoIV2kN7n-aM_J-DKdRWiPlPdpkuohe69Q8btbS-ZkKoEnme0Fvar0T8fOnZL3QnVERcswmbYHUckHL9Zz2xz5SjsFJma9DvQjiW9rpiepNR9d7ya/s1600/Seed-Bomb-Clay.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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The traditional seed bomb recipe calls for mixing clay, soil or compost, water and seeds. In my lazy seed bomb recipe, I skip the mixing of ingredients by purchasing a block of potter's clay at the craft store. This is just natural clay that doesn't need a kiln or an oven to dry. It will dry out by itself once exposed to air. Take a pinch of your seed bomb clay in your hand and flatten it out like in the picture above.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRxxtV1_6cCKEoUgT0iPL1vOxM4kRsXZdWSmFrgckcj38C1fNC1DeVg-OyscopvPXwdEe02NN8uvDNIzehea-rxHlk-Jds76_1qQwm8DhZgASu7g6JX53IknaosTAo_ybafbO/s1600/Seed-Bomb-Soil.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seed Bomb Soil" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRxxtV1_6cCKEoUgT0iPL1vOxM4kRsXZdWSmFrgckcj38C1fNC1DeVg-OyscopvPXwdEe02NN8uvDNIzehea-rxHlk-Jds76_1qQwm8DhZgASu7g6JX53IknaosTAo_ybafbO/s1600/Seed-Bomb-Soil.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Next, place a pinch or more of seed bomb soil in the center of your flattened-out piece of clay. The type of soil you use should not be a big concern. This is a mixture of potting soil mix, seed starting mix and some organic material like coir that I had left over from the previous growing season. Feel free to use compost or any growing medium you have on hand. You don't need anything special because the medium is just there to help keep the seed(s) moist when they are exposed to moisture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEyo8pnjDKDvibo1WguJe7W4vd9vPJURxCgNFnulEZLK-gwJpM_6a2PikcmEZvGc-QXqTlK1LJ85iSx3tJimMW7KdpcPgb1RTKUVnYbMxDyPqX4k9TJvNStZMmFRQYSa_TF65/s1600/Seed-Bomb-Seeds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seed Bomb Seeds" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEyo8pnjDKDvibo1WguJe7W4vd9vPJURxCgNFnulEZLK-gwJpM_6a2PikcmEZvGc-QXqTlK1LJ85iSx3tJimMW7KdpcPgb1RTKUVnYbMxDyPqX4k9TJvNStZMmFRQYSa_TF65/s1600/Seed-Bomb-Seeds.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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In this example I am using peas for my seed bombs. Seeds that are hard, round, and small work best for this method of making seed bombs because there is little chance of them breaking when you are rolling up your seed bomb.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0igwNB7nINn9EAWiCj2xNu-IYB4F4YwtdV2WEdEdpeRtwsuenNYEXwbuENh6MCfMMO-JxTblYitq2LQQpLXVctPo9vCNLp_ofVKluxu4a5eVpFwnrzr_QXqTgpHmOiEufy6g8/s1600/Making-A-Seed-Bomb-.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Making a seed bomb" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0igwNB7nINn9EAWiCj2xNu-IYB4F4YwtdV2WEdEdpeRtwsuenNYEXwbuENh6MCfMMO-JxTblYitq2LQQpLXVctPo9vCNLp_ofVKluxu4a5eVpFwnrzr_QXqTgpHmOiEufy6g8/s1600/Making-A-Seed-Bomb-.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Once you have added soil and seeds to your piece of clay it is time to start rolling it into a ball. Start making a seed bomb by folding it as if you were making a pierogi, empanada, or wanton. Once you have the seed bomb soil and seeds safely enclosed in the clay start to work them into the shape of a ball with the palms of your hand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG7LVEZ3Jm-8kMWTMjdSq-YCVzodE-8c6EzkMkHua69Juojq_PElmUboiO8XitYllbRtWzUrqmJRbbv4Zrk6iTjt7BjEskwFMJv6acwMHqBvBeZv5rzDDC08MwyTlF_xwcgA5/s1600/Rolling-A-Seed-Bomb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rolling a Seed Bomb " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG7LVEZ3Jm-8kMWTMjdSq-YCVzodE-8c6EzkMkHua69Juojq_PElmUboiO8XitYllbRtWzUrqmJRbbv4Zrk6iTjt7BjEskwFMJv6acwMHqBvBeZv5rzDDC08MwyTlF_xwcgA5/s1600/Rolling-A-Seed-Bomb.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Keep rolling the seed bomb ingredients and working them into a ball shape in the palm of your hand. If you find that some of the soil starts to break through the clay, just keep rolling the ball into your hand and incorporating the soil back in the ball. That's all there is to rolling a seed bomb.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNK29N1vbHsCmvCtJN0b2hZZ1lmroI3MMrCD7sfMp90GUFyxDBw1tDUcAn6_nFCTh-d7sw0-WYkU_m7LpTzLRyZDyZtrdN2Tg9SYQ_10VeZ1_NSFDw6CIHsibOyoqfmeX_EO9g/s1600/Seed-Bombs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seed Bombs" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNK29N1vbHsCmvCtJN0b2hZZ1lmroI3MMrCD7sfMp90GUFyxDBw1tDUcAn6_nFCTh-d7sw0-WYkU_m7LpTzLRyZDyZtrdN2Tg9SYQ_10VeZ1_NSFDw6CIHsibOyoqfmeX_EO9g/s1600/Seed-Bombs.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Here are two seed bombs that I made. On the right is a seed bomb that I left to dry in the open air on my porch for a couple of days, and on the left, a seed bomb I just rolled. After you guerrilla garden with your seed bombs in the spot where you want to grow some plants, the clay is washed away by water and moisture, exposing the soil inside and the seed to moisture which helps it germinate. As I mentioned above, the kind of soil here is not very important. You can use cheap potting soil, or expensive seed starting soil, or you can use your own homemade seed starting compost. The soil inside is only there to help keep the seed(s) inside moist and help with germination.<br />
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Best Seeds for Seed Bombs</h4>
If you use this method of making seed bombs, I would recommend sticking to smaller seeds. Seeds that are round. And seeds with a hard coating so you don't worry about breaking the seeds. However, if you would like to use seeds that are flat or papery it is still possible. See the seed bomb making video I included above for a trick on how to use seeds like zinnias.<br />
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There are a lot of recipes and directions for making seed bombs on websites, blogs and garden books. All of them work just fine. This way of making seed bombs works for me because it doesn't require any mixing or water. Eliminating those steps makes this an ideal project for garden workshops because it's quick, easy, and I can easily carry all of the seed bomb recipe ingredients in backpack on the bus or trains around Chicago. I purchased the brick of clay at a Michaels arts and crafts store, and used a 40% off coupon. So the clay costs me less than $5.00.<br />
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Whether you call them seed bombs, or seed balls, they're the same thing. A seed delivery mechanism employed by <a href="http://www.guerrillagardening.org/" target="_blank">guerrilla gardeners</a> to beautify our surrounds. Thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masanobu_Fukuoka" target="_blank">Masanobu Fukuoka</a> there are now a lot ways of making seed bombs. If you're wondering how to makes seed bombs with kids, follow this seed bomb recipe as it requires a lot less cleanup afterwards. And don't forget to watch the seed bomb video for tips on making seed bombs of small and fragile seeds. Feel free to add more soil to your seed bomb than I did, or to start with a flatter piece of clay.<br />
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<i>Have you ever made or tossed a seed bomb? </i></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-64982249997204393452014-04-18T17:57:00.000-05:002014-04-18T17:57:03.430-05:00Resurrection Plant Rose of JerichoIf you're the kind of gardener that likes to grow holiday-themed houseplants, allow me to introduce you to resurrection plant, also known as Rose of Jericho. The Easter Cactus, and Easter Lilies are grown this time of year because they have come represent rebirth and hope. While a resurrection plant isn't as pretty as the aforementioned plants, the way it springs to life when exposed to moisture makes it a great representation of the season.<br />
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Resurrection plant is a bit of a novelty plant. I picked mine up at a flea market a few years ago. As such, I don't know whether this Rose of Jericho is an <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastatica_hierochuntica" target="_blank">Anastatica</a></i>, or an <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selaginella_lepidophylla" target="_blank">Selaginella lepidophylla</a></i>. Considering that I picked it up a flea market popular with the Mexican community of Chicago, and <i>S. lepidophylla</i> is native to the Chihuahuan Desert, I think it's safe to assume this plant is <i>S. lepidophylla.</i><br />
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Watch Resurrection Plant Come to Life</h3>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="440" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6Xy0ohoiBDo" width="600"></iframe>
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Here's a quick time lapse video I recorded of me bringing my resurrection plant to life for the Easter holiday. Vendors at local flea markets and swap meets usually sell these plants around the Easter holiday for about $1.00 a piece.<br />
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This is what your resurrection plant will look like when you bring it home. The plant looks like a small tumbleweed, and by the looks of the plant you wouldn't believe that anything will happen when you get it home, but have faith. In its native habitat the plant goes through extreme periods of drought and will curl-up into a ball until the rains return. In the photo above there are actually two plants attached together. <br />
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Place your Resurrection Plant is a shallow container with plain tap water with the roots just barely touching the water's surface.<br />
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Within a few minutes your resurrection plant will become hydrated and start to unfurl as the stems become hydrated and reach their normal size and shape.<br />
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It took my resurrection plant about 12 hours to go from the tightly bound shape to splayed-out form you see in the picture above. It's pretty fascinating to watch the plant come to life when it comes into contact with water. If you want to speed up the process, place your resurrection plant in a bowl of water and weigh it down with a stone or a plate. The plant will open up a lot faster when submerged in water, but in my opinion the fun is in watching it spring to life and turn green slowly.<br />
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My resurrection plant is treated like a terrarium plant during the summer. I'll place it is an enclosed jar with a little water and close it up. In the fall, when the light levels drop, I open it up and allow it to dry up and close itself up into a ball until the next Easter.<br />
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Dinosaur plant, resurrection moss, and stone flower are some other names that you'll find resurrection plant being sold as. Whatever the person selling it calls it, it's still an interesting and easy houseplant that you can add to your collection--and the most fitting of all the plants that you can grow indoors for Easter.<br />
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<i>Do you celebrate Easter? What are you favorite plants to grow to decorate your home for Easter? </i></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-48904478636310656882014-03-22T16:46:00.004-05:002014-04-21T16:35:00.555-05:00Macy's The Secret Garden Flower Show Macy's annual flower show opens opens Sunday, March 23 and runs through Sunday, April 6 2014. This year's theme is "The Secret Garden" and something you don't want to miss. Here are some photographs of the garden vignettes and plants at the Macy's State Street store in Chicago taken during the media preview while the exhibits were still being planted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1D7tuXnMyC0w5PLjWtoaScRfvgpH5ZUFsdSICL_FOBeYQQIbs_S2IX20K8nFOQo86jBBQ0Jewkv4JLMkYgN6rUUDgLc8ZCtBtNkFaGSmWkVy0_UKOx8aQ-sxd3FHB3H8LVD2O/s1600/Macys-Secret-Garden.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Macy's The Secret Garden flower show" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1D7tuXnMyC0w5PLjWtoaScRfvgpH5ZUFsdSICL_FOBeYQQIbs_S2IX20K8nFOQo86jBBQ0Jewkv4JLMkYgN6rUUDgLc8ZCtBtNkFaGSmWkVy0_UKOx8aQ-sxd3FHB3H8LVD2O/s1600/Macys-Secret-Garden.png" /></a></div>
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I won't show you all of the gardens so as not to spoil "The Secret Garden" displays but the entrance to the flower show is pretty spectacular. It features a tall mannequin in a living dress composed of hundreds of leafs and some plants. When completed it will look like she's picking up a garden while dragging her dress through the garden. Oh, and there's lots of topiary for those of us who love the art of topiary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNqqQpVMFikHIsGlhAISHcUX6UVloDwLZLfAF09MlR_MtP9AO6gfY7X2YIEhvw8FI-SdaqJptR6SQRMXUsR0Bn_krI_Ke9kdXWXrNMygRJXwnIGFK8HUO4uTd_gFR12_0FREw/s1600/Bike-Garden-Planter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bike Garden Planter" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNqqQpVMFikHIsGlhAISHcUX6UVloDwLZLfAF09MlR_MtP9AO6gfY7X2YIEhvw8FI-SdaqJptR6SQRMXUsR0Bn_krI_Ke9kdXWXrNMygRJXwnIGFK8HUO4uTd_gFR12_0FREw/s1600/Bike-Garden-Planter.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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A charming antique bicycle planted with Gerbera daisies is part of Salvador Dali inspired garden that is really surreal.<br />
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A blue mannequin planted in the surreal garden makes an impact. It looks like Doctor Manhattan had an accident while working in the garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7xcASD5gYesCikQvd4Rc2frEBvYILmzARXlqLTUkYDw1_9eCONaSxvbKtw-itW3hQP1r4m8mmWfrqxIHJVbSRqGlUc857f2smFOQdsK9uIU4TeZsUZgCTynpJ2fqE4AeQjLe/s1600/Planted-Piano-Macys-Secret-Garden.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Planted piano, Macy's The Secret Garden " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7xcASD5gYesCikQvd4Rc2frEBvYILmzARXlqLTUkYDw1_9eCONaSxvbKtw-itW3hQP1r4m8mmWfrqxIHJVbSRqGlUc857f2smFOQdsK9uIU4TeZsUZgCTynpJ2fqE4AeQjLe/s1600/Planted-Piano-Macys-Secret-Garden.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Another antique element in the surreal garden. This piano is planted with various colorful bromeliads.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbiyGWbIv-QfmSxz9PQgoPmZww0tNlXqV69Nld2xoRf-n356WTaMyVOJ3SRnxM5REEjizJMt9bki8vKJGImzJRzNdTJTRcvMxJb4y4SBNtB6Pil8GrXQTXx6nAGCtxojM1OQw/s1600/Japanese-Maple-Hanging-Upside-Down.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japanese Maple hanging upside down" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbiyGWbIv-QfmSxz9PQgoPmZww0tNlXqV69Nld2xoRf-n356WTaMyVOJ3SRnxM5REEjizJMt9bki8vKJGImzJRzNdTJTRcvMxJb4y4SBNtB6Pil8GrXQTXx6nAGCtxojM1OQw/s1600/Japanese-Maple-Hanging-Upside-Down.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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A Japanese maple planted upside down. I don't think this photo does justice to just how striking this feature of the surreal garden is.<br />
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One of my favorite garden exhibits is the urban garden that showcases some interesting small-space garden ideas. Here's a seating area with a vertical garden planted with succulents.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXNIz3edlxuzP0oTQRF52lgbZyxYlSvD9h2V1CJfpv-pD4olfsdFW2V9xS7sOdlWrEnFg7xqy3pMCgqfwIJDyQ_rC2AXWeMmRopLmxuz5INn_DuYJM47yx021iqv84eNAmm-H/s1600/small-space-urban-garden-planters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Small-space urban garden planters" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXNIz3edlxuzP0oTQRF52lgbZyxYlSvD9h2V1CJfpv-pD4olfsdFW2V9xS7sOdlWrEnFg7xqy3pMCgqfwIJDyQ_rC2AXWeMmRopLmxuz5INn_DuYJM47yx021iqv84eNAmm-H/s1600/small-space-urban-garden-planters.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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The same urban garden with colorful tire planters populated with succulents among some colorful garden bed ideas. On the right is a metal tub acting as a raised bed.<br />
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The garden also features a living roof planted with various succulents like <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2007/12/echeveria-black-prince-propagation.html">echeverias</a>, crassulas, gasterias and some stapelias. Make sure to get a good look at the stapelia blooms if you visit the flower show.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvtJPwl6oeAC87UG2ZU4j5toVCO6-QzxjRKX57rxfqeHqeA7oSNNx2_qChSl_kUGzNp5odOKPtMl46u-X3EY_DhPYlp_7zu9yoa4aRH76qbquAIfmjp0H0mgcriRaLxDDXHkT/s1600/Potted-Herb-Topiary-Garden.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Potted herb topiary garden" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvtJPwl6oeAC87UG2ZU4j5toVCO6-QzxjRKX57rxfqeHqeA7oSNNx2_qChSl_kUGzNp5odOKPtMl46u-X3EY_DhPYlp_7zu9yoa4aRH76qbquAIfmjp0H0mgcriRaLxDDXHkT/s1600/Potted-Herb-Topiary-Garden.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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There's a really neat Mediterranean-inspired garden with some charming potted topiaries from common herbs. Don't have room for a traditional herb garden? I bet you have room for some potted herbs like this. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XeeM8TXi9DCi_aV_1Wrz9BCeMxWjaZaSrhbM55OrlcCb5vxz7sDNxbFT-NSPzo63EpspBzSlERI1mM6jY7u3o9S8U2zqt6LX69-ijUU0Bey6M6hCISrHTqEEkYpssexrewG0/s1600/Zen-Garden-Macy-Secret-Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Zen Garden, Macy's The Secret Garden" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XeeM8TXi9DCi_aV_1Wrz9BCeMxWjaZaSrhbM55OrlcCb5vxz7sDNxbFT-NSPzo63EpspBzSlERI1mM6jY7u3o9S8U2zqt6LX69-ijUU0Bey6M6hCISrHTqEEkYpssexrewG0/s1600/Zen-Garden-Macy-Secret-Garden.jpg" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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A peek at the Asian influenced Zen garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6eg7pAO1ZxnuZrjLSUmbyWTq0Yp1dhN8F9LqOv2tYFrlz-p8t0NF9ZGtNdTZoYuDgRbj4yXc8_VPM9s5Fq2kfKLdCCZwNTmLL0RaGngHubXHtl0mip4zuyk0fnAZwNRHO72w/s1600/colorful-garden-macys-secret-garden.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Colorful garden, Macy's The Secret Garden" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6eg7pAO1ZxnuZrjLSUmbyWTq0Yp1dhN8F9LqOv2tYFrlz-p8t0NF9ZGtNdTZoYuDgRbj4yXc8_VPM9s5Fq2kfKLdCCZwNTmLL0RaGngHubXHtl0mip4zuyk0fnAZwNRHO72w/s1600/colorful-garden-macys-secret-garden.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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I forgot to make note of the style of garden this was, but the garden art makes me thing it is some kind of seaside garden. There is so much color in this garden that it took my breath away. After a miserable winter in Chicago I could imagine myself standing in this garden on a warm summer day watching the ships cruise by in the distance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaw0tj2hJobXrcxpxyqL7ce-XTIMZ3-FN7m1xpH0nO3-B9XDT16RjhKR7o7DX-zxxURd5foP1mXHTg4lLrCVVC6Bts-6enngUilj7oHciGYUnbZsPnLOnKGYQelrjex-fcwLis/s1600/Topiary-Chess-Pieces-Macys-Flower-Show.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Topiary Chess pieces Macy's Flower Show" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaw0tj2hJobXrcxpxyqL7ce-XTIMZ3-FN7m1xpH0nO3-B9XDT16RjhKR7o7DX-zxxURd5foP1mXHTg4lLrCVVC6Bts-6enngUilj7oHciGYUnbZsPnLOnKGYQelrjex-fcwLis/s1600/Topiary-Chess-Pieces-Macys-Flower-Show.jpg" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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Faux topiary chess pieces in an English cottage themed garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjd1Q17rv6S_RmVgz9PJPCHVwnMC94x7Qm9RYpYJUW02fnSTTqUlEA4St9_CfY5VVsg_RDZqU26PNjk0zmlP2G6kBfJI10suwsAqvOJsMt2UkfJzjUSxy0YEiduUoOoBxuDfM/s1600/Dali-Garden-Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Salvador Dali garden art" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjd1Q17rv6S_RmVgz9PJPCHVwnMC94x7Qm9RYpYJUW02fnSTTqUlEA4St9_CfY5VVsg_RDZqU26PNjk0zmlP2G6kBfJI10suwsAqvOJsMt2UkfJzjUSxy0YEiduUoOoBxuDfM/s1600/Dali-Garden-Art.jpg" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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And here's our friend Salvador Dali in flower form in the surreal garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TbQKQipxdZ8if07goC61nGsHGS4UjUoXC-MKUL2p009nGfLSyXK1WMZESvpHt2J5wYOAB1SbPLKGnsGcZbS3BiMj6SOx6Sw7-E5dsB-ngtC4vDYyR6A0wgpFW9gHofDrf7yf/s1600/Garden-Topirary-Dress-Macys-Secret-Garden.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Garden topiary dress, Macy's Secret Garden" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TbQKQipxdZ8if07goC61nGsHGS4UjUoXC-MKUL2p009nGfLSyXK1WMZESvpHt2J5wYOAB1SbPLKGnsGcZbS3BiMj6SOx6Sw7-E5dsB-ngtC4vDYyR6A0wgpFW9gHofDrf7yf/s1600/Garden-Topirary-Dress-Macys-Secret-Garden.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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A closer look at the girl in the flower dress that dominates the entrance to the flower show. And what the flower girl statue looked like after it was completed for the flower show.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMMA92Dbx9iak-YbkNiOcbNWaVILq62-44giQNZeGMB8VjVnmJR560jUT47EuH1BaHEWtsE32OilraSL4tdzr8-1qphKe_WtkZ4T_QrLbj4ceunSyqVpbh4N4tZS-xZxfarQe/s1600/Macys-Secret-Garden-Flower-Girl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Macy's Secret Garden Flower Girl" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMMA92Dbx9iak-YbkNiOcbNWaVILq62-44giQNZeGMB8VjVnmJR560jUT47EuH1BaHEWtsE32OilraSL4tdzr8-1qphKe_WtkZ4T_QrLbj4ceunSyqVpbh4N4tZS-xZxfarQe/s1600/Macys-Secret-Garden-Flower-Girl.png" nopin="nopin" /></a></div>
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There's a matching figure in the Walnut Room but her style is more French and the dress is a lot more flamboyant.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Walnut Room at Macy's on State Street has a flower girl. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23macyssecretgarden&src=hash">#macyssecretgarden</a> <a href="http://t.co/prr7Aaau5e">pic.twitter.com/prr7Aaau5e</a><br />
— mrbrownthumb (@MrBrownThumb) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrBrownThumb/statuses/447143542083690496">March 21, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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Here's a photo of the statue in the Walnut Room that I posted on Twitter to give you an idea. When you attend "The Secret Garden" make sure to check out the girl in the dress there while sampling the themed cocktails and food created for the show.<br />
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During the show there will be various demos, talks and workshops featuring everything from gardening to floral arranging and cooking.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatdi7GlcyWkXKIj3hRuhuMFsBZUZ1O7RCvy-X9QoAwFU-MkpyLLPjbBiv2yP4igTh-nKYfckHTZ95jOak2vdx2431lPi7pfqP8vAco2r6PiEjA_Igx2prXqOP6Vu_gWrh1FZv/s1600/MacysSecretGardenFlowerShow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Macy's Secret Garden Flower Show" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatdi7GlcyWkXKIj3hRuhuMFsBZUZ1O7RCvy-X9QoAwFU-MkpyLLPjbBiv2yP4igTh-nKYfckHTZ95jOak2vdx2431lPi7pfqP8vAco2r6PiEjA_Igx2prXqOP6Vu_gWrh1FZv/s1600/MacysSecretGardenFlowerShow.png" /></a></div>
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I'll be hosting a hands-on workshop on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-to-make-seed-bombs.html" target="_blank">making seed bombs</a> on April 1st and 12pm at the Macy's State Street store in Chicago. If you're in the Chicago area consider this your personal invitation to attend and get your hands dirty with me. Visit <a href="http://macys.com/Flowershow">Macys.com/Flowershow</a> for details of "The Secret Garden" exhibit in your area. I'm told while all of the participating stores follow the same theme, some of the garden details will be unique to the various stores hosting the flower show.<br />
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I'm so ready for spring to finally arrive. Do you visit flower shows to get inspiration for your own garden?<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com15111 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60602, USA41.8838906 -87.62756430000001716.3618561 -128.93615830000002 67.4059251 -46.318970300000018tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-31767630810344148722013-10-28T09:10:00.000-05:002014-05-31T13:58:51.887-05:00Layering Spring-Flowering Garden BulbsMoving bulbs and plants around the garden in the fall gives me an opportunity to correct one of the garden mistakes I committed early on. When I was planting bulbs I dug them into the ground without giving much thought to one day expanding the garden or rearranging plants. Learn from my mistake and get in the habit of layering spring-flowering garden bulbs today. Whether you have a small urban garden, or you're gardening on a balcony and want to plant bulbs in containers, you can stack bulbs deep to get more blooms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_vGxLExHUt1_FwOcJ3metWxKPq1WEAyztLgpBZFp6pbHqSwgpX4urBerX2Xr8OQCF7uasRaqrlSLoMSR8i-Hk9S6ZKCqXdaffo5tfwCW2UXzUyg-YwDg0a30X6rjAM2oWGJm/s1600/How-to-Layer-Garden-Bulbs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to layer garden bulbs" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_vGxLExHUt1_FwOcJ3metWxKPq1WEAyztLgpBZFp6pbHqSwgpX4urBerX2Xr8OQCF7uasRaqrlSLoMSR8i-Hk9S6ZKCqXdaffo5tfwCW2UXzUyg-YwDg0a30X6rjAM2oWGJm/s1600/How-to-Layer-Garden-Bulbs.png" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>In the post on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2013/10/miniature-garden-bulbs-for-small-space.html">miniature garden bulbs for small-space gardens</a>, I recommended some of my favorite small bulbs. But I mentioned that I also grow larger bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Look around this garden blog and you'll come across other large bulbs like alliums, <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2011/10/transplanting-oriental-lily-bulbs.html">Oriental and Asiatic lilies</a>, and they all live pretty much in harmony in a very small urban front yard. Below I'll give you my tips on how to layer garden bulbs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfsNbL-MC6kcrslbj9DCtesFi26tX-QEbBbOlPGT154IZ_qyIiB5HURGbWN5Qq1WKkpyYBvi5w0K-vIk377hvsr-OoaR2T_LUkRSiBrN-Is1wJTzkt9DWYupnRfIzgLwMJhPu/s1600/How-to-Plant-Spring-Blooming-Bulbs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Plant Spring-Blooming bulbs" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfsNbL-MC6kcrslbj9DCtesFi26tX-QEbBbOlPGT154IZ_qyIiB5HURGbWN5Qq1WKkpyYBvi5w0K-vIk377hvsr-OoaR2T_LUkRSiBrN-Is1wJTzkt9DWYupnRfIzgLwMJhPu/s1600/How-to-Plant-Spring-Blooming-Bulbs.png" /></a></div>
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How to Plant Spring-Blooming Bulbs by Layering:</h3>
Ignore the roots in the photos of my bulbs. These bulbs were already growing in my garden when I decided to condense the plantings by layering the bulbs. When you buy your bulbs from the garden center, they will not have roots and that's perfectly fine.<br />
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Visit your local garden center and buy all the bulbs you're interested in planting in your garden. Choose a sunny, well-draining section of the garden you want to plant your bulbs in. Take the largest bulbs like <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2011/06/caring-for-tulips-after-blooming.html">tulips</a>, <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2013/06/caring-for-daffodils-after-blooming.html">daffodils</a>, lilies and hyacinths and plant them at the recommended planting depth on the packaging. Did you toss the packaging before reading the planting depth suggestion? Well, I generally plant them about twice as deep as they are tall. You can also plant them as deep as the blade on your garden trowel. Can't find your garden trowel? Just plant the bulbs about 6-8 inches deep.<br />
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Once you've planted in your large bulbs, cover the bulbs with about 1-2 inches of the same soil you dug out of that hole. Directly over that, you will plant your miniature narcissus, crocus, grape hyacinths, scilla and any other small bulbs that caught your fancy at the garden center. Now fill in the hole with the rest of the soil. It may be a good idea to leave some kind of plant tag or garden marker over newly planted bulbs to remind you not to step or dig there.<br />
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In the spring the small bulbs will break dormancy first and begin to flower. By the time the small bulbs have stopped blooming it will be time for the larger bulbs to put on show of flowers in the garden. Keep in mind that bulbs look better planted in masses so don't plant just one or two bulbs per hole. Plant your larger bulbs in groups of four or more.<br />
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Are you gardening on a balcony or patio and don't have ground you can plant bulbs in?Layering spring-flowering garden bulbs in containers and raised beds works too. Although, if you're <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-plant-iris-rhizomes-in-your.html">planting or transplanting iris rhizomes</a>, I do not recommend layering any bulbs below them as iris clumps need more room and will quickly outcompete any bulbs planted below them. Plant them in a separate spot.<br />
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Do you layer garden bulbs in your garden or containers? What's your favorite combination of bulbs to plant together?<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-25993255833288435832013-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-31T13:58:31.634-05:00Miniature Garden Bulbs for Small-Space GardensEvery garden should have spring-blooming bulbs, and small space gardens are no exception. Fall is the perfect time to plant bulbs in the garden if you are looking for spring interest and color in your garden. Here are six miniature garden bulbs for small-space gardens that I recommend you make room for in your garden even if your garden is the size of a postage stamp.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7X4cVnXH5E6L5sHU2eAD_vUYy_FQhDS1tIuEnzu_LOVWfAvwBLwGHbmf1BadaIuTfFGQiXIAuJGOewnpNnGWFWlY4tSOiPfE04lh1BJly9yg1cQOQPoXstibqUw4-crCOgDl/s1600/Small-space-garden-bulbs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Small Space Garden Bulbs" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7X4cVnXH5E6L5sHU2eAD_vUYy_FQhDS1tIuEnzu_LOVWfAvwBLwGHbmf1BadaIuTfFGQiXIAuJGOewnpNnGWFWlY4tSOiPfE04lh1BJly9yg1cQOQPoXstibqUw4-crCOgDl/s1600/Small-space-garden-bulbs.png" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>While you don't have to have a small garden to plant these spring bloomers, these small-space garden bulb suggestions are fantastic alternatives to larger bulbs like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Bulbs, corms and tubers--that are not much larger than your finger--can pack a big and colorful punch.<br />
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1. Muscari/Grape hyacinth
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZKMYriGrUaenKSWcMSwlGVVrIZgiqNunz7n5c1V7elZ4yMVa-voF9uoB13IRE3caQm7AIX9zkmzJ4L6P3r_L5sJb7oF5khnGVMPP5D8MHrDMeIqFQECpK_MRm6-48LnoRP4A/s1600/Muscari-bulb-flowers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Muscari bulb flowers" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZKMYriGrUaenKSWcMSwlGVVrIZgiqNunz7n5c1V7elZ4yMVa-voF9uoB13IRE3caQm7AIX9zkmzJ4L6P3r_L5sJb7oF5khnGVMPP5D8MHrDMeIqFQECpK_MRm6-48LnoRP4A/s1600/Muscari-bulb-flowers.png" /></a></div>
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Grape hyacinth is the common name of Muscari genus of perennial bulbs. The blue varieties are the most commonly seen planted in gardens, but there is a white variety that is just as nice. Often times these tiny bulbs are planted in masse to create undulating rivers of blue in landscapes to great effect. A few handfuls of these bulbs are a great alternative to hyacinths, which are more costly. The small, strappy foliage is easily hiddens or mixed in with grassy paths.<br />
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2. Species tulips
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXvhwqTqEVtJF7lBxa-J02p9jaqtD4ki04qqwTiktWffDyPoHyTp2hAd1tE8InJJL9Y_z7yCv3oK2A7d4_s982v16MrsfJwsR3jqLCP9oSRn4S1yr12rPJcIqpTQHazqo6oar/s1600/Tulipa-polychroma-flowers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tulipa polychroma-flowers" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXvhwqTqEVtJF7lBxa-J02p9jaqtD4ki04qqwTiktWffDyPoHyTp2hAd1tE8InJJL9Y_z7yCv3oK2A7d4_s982v16MrsfJwsR3jqLCP9oSRn4S1yr12rPJcIqpTQHazqo6oar/s1600/Tulipa-polychroma-flowers.png" /></a></div>
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I like large, dramatic and colorful tulips as much as the next gardener, but I have to admit that dealing with the <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2011/06/caring-for-tulips-after-blooming.html">ugly foliage of tulips</a> every summer gets to be a pain. So why not plant some species tulips instead? Species tulips are the wild tulips that all of our modern hybrid tulips come from. And while not as popular as the flamboyant hybrid tulips, they provide the same spring color and interest, but in smaller, more compact flowers and foliage. There is enough diversity in species tulips that the creative side of you will not feel constricted. Unlike the hybrid tulips, these tulips will not die out after a few years and need to be replaced. With proper care, these easy-to-grow tulips will naturally propagate and you'll get many free bulbs.<br />
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3.Crocus
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRb3wsDHhZAeJZWYzmyrB3gy0Xk5RFpHytigm7HgD_cWIP-hSHdxhyphenhyphen5XWypCTVJyoQWo6dRnO95r7NemUl70inKNcPne4KGaSr4ScGCE0RRW10y_hFY3wWDG_Os2DaQCJTzIo/s1600/Crocus-flowers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crocus flowers" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRb3wsDHhZAeJZWYzmyrB3gy0Xk5RFpHytigm7HgD_cWIP-hSHdxhyphenhyphen5XWypCTVJyoQWo6dRnO95r7NemUl70inKNcPne4KGaSr4ScGCE0RRW10y_hFY3wWDG_Os2DaQCJTzIo/s1600/Crocus-flowers.png" /></a></div>
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Crocuses are flowering corms in the iris family. Crocus blooms are among some of my favorite of any flowers you'll find in the garden. The "bulb" I'm holding in the picture at the top of this post is a crocus corm. Can you believe that from such a tiny and unattractive things spring these jewel-toned beauties? A big plus, in my book at least, is the grass-like foliage that remains after the bulb has stopped flowering. It looks so much like grass that you can plant crocus bulbs in masse in a lawn and it will make your lawn look lush and alive before its time.<br />
<h3>
4. Chionodoxa
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Chionodoxa, better known as glory-of-the-snow--because it is hella easier to pronounce, is another small bulb that doesn't get enough attention by gardeners that plant spring-blooming bulbs. They come in blue, white and pink varities that look like floating stars in the drab spring garden. It's amazing to walk into the garden and see these cheerful little blooms when there's still snow on the ground in the garden.<br />
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5. Dwarf Narcissus
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BU0N7d6xuqXaA17pktIH5Szv0qJi7WC0kAc1bWAnaVAflKzkfXfkywfPBvTwlkDp8BVZQ6zLZvScBj9g0lWyqgVY6Y1C5N5tmsO1am6BpZu66MQZmPD3XmSfa4d5laY-fDNS/s1600/Dwarf-Narcissus-Flower.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dwarf narcissus flower" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BU0N7d6xuqXaA17pktIH5Szv0qJi7WC0kAc1bWAnaVAflKzkfXfkywfPBvTwlkDp8BVZQ6zLZvScBj9g0lWyqgVY6Y1C5N5tmsO1am6BpZu66MQZmPD3XmSfa4d5laY-fDNS/s1600/Dwarf-Narcissus-Flower.png" /></a></div>
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Dwarf Narcissus bulbs are a fantastic alternative to growing daffodils. Like tulips, the <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2013/06/caring-for-daffodils-after-blooming.html">dead foliage of daffodils</a> just creates an unnecessary garden chore in the summer. There are many cultivars of dwarf narcissus bulbs to choose from and they provide the same rays of color at a fraction of the size of their larger counterparts.<br />
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6. Scilla</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ve5vpEAy59sYaUZpC3sK7v2Ld38920dbIDQ0WOfWwT5-CZlCpNbQ0oPpWmN8tS4QAOptPt0YQ5EXM4xJk7u2Gk0ghiPvJ2CmjrUQtp4gf9xuFdpmF5MpBMP5V_QhREKaRyQA/s1600/Scilla-mischtschenkoana.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scilla" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ve5vpEAy59sYaUZpC3sK7v2Ld38920dbIDQ0WOfWwT5-CZlCpNbQ0oPpWmN8tS4QAOptPt0YQ5EXM4xJk7u2Gk0ghiPvJ2CmjrUQtp4gf9xuFdpmF5MpBMP5V_QhREKaRyQA/s1600/Scilla-mischtschenkoana.png" /></a></div>
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Scilla, sometimes called squill, is another genus of dwarf flowering bulbs that you should plant in your garden. Planted in masse, these petite blue or white flowers can create a striking carpet of blooms in the spring garden.<br />
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These minature garden bulbs for small-space gardens are just as attractive as larger bulbs, but their tiny sizes look more proportionate in small and urban gardens. They're easy-to-grow, don't have as messy foliage, fit nicely in pockets of alpine gardens, and planted in masse can put on a flowering show to river large varieties that everyone else in your neighborhood is growing. If you don't plant garden bulbs, and you should, look for a <a href="http://www.bulbsociety.org/" target="_blank">bulb society</a> near you to get acquainted with what you're missing out on.<br />
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What are your favorite miniature garden bulbs to plant? I'm particularly interested in learning about small garden bulbs in climates that don't experience snow in winter, so feel free to speak up.<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-71074746826632180142013-09-09T09:00:00.000-05:002013-09-11T22:35:46.814-05:00Tomato Hornworms and Parasitic WaspsAfter squirrels and deer, the tomato hornworm may be the bane of a tomato grower's existence. Fortunately, tomato hornworms and parasitic wasps go together like tomatoes and basil. Finding a tomato hornworm in your garden is not the end of the world if you catch them early, and if you employ natural gardening techniques, they garden is brought into balance by bracondid wasps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oEITE5X3eHqG3leBXve0zEJcGKVG50y2lIZ_wq3furbtHmr9ugjD_hI6nd0WlLQHTYxaCQDCPRkWIlBJXkbAf_BFyGeB_A1rHec4VFMkYPfJ-4cwYjT3U87FDHuACnTFRehW/s1600/Tomato-Hornworm-in-Urban-Garden.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tomato hornworm in urban garden" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oEITE5X3eHqG3leBXve0zEJcGKVG50y2lIZ_wq3furbtHmr9ugjD_hI6nd0WlLQHTYxaCQDCPRkWIlBJXkbAf_BFyGeB_A1rHec4VFMkYPfJ-4cwYjT3U87FDHuACnTFRehW/s1600/Tomato-Hornworm-in-Urban-Garden.png" /></a></div>
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Here's a tomato hornworm in my urban garden happily munching away on the foliage of one of my tomato plants. This caterpillar get's its name from the vicious-looking horn at one end of the body. In this photo of the hornworm, you can see the horn on right side. This caterpillar, should it be allowed to live, pupates into the <a href="http://this%20caterpillar%2C%20should%20it%20be%20allowed%20to%20live%2C%20pupates%20into%20the%20five-spotted%20hawkmoth--a%20brown%20and%20gray%20hawk%20moth--in%20the%20sphingidae%20family./" target="_blank">five-spotted hawkmoth</a>--a brown and gray hawk moth--in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphingidae" target="_blank">Sphingidae family</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmafbQUhWzP_YAq1FlycxzZyvpqBDHtu4KFEHOtGtJpnFg7rd2aaLGw1Z4HEyS05lESVkchHp0TdEgGwUtqgk0wsEgWpyAWYgf-xb6gH0GVbgdLLkFdB3nVpMqBifv4heyFl5/s1600/Tomato-Hornworm-Poop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tomato Hornworm poop" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmafbQUhWzP_YAq1FlycxzZyvpqBDHtu4KFEHOtGtJpnFg7rd2aaLGw1Z4HEyS05lESVkchHp0TdEgGwUtqgk0wsEgWpyAWYgf-xb6gH0GVbgdLLkFdB3nVpMqBifv4heyFl5/s1600/Tomato-Hornworm-Poop.png" /></a></div>
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Identifying Tomato Hornworms</h3>
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It took years of gardening before I ever spotted a tomato hornworm in my garden. And when I finally did see them growing on my tomato plants I wasn't upset. On the contrary, I was rather excited to see this garden pest in my garden. I like bugs, and bugs happen when you garden. If you're hunting hornworms on your plants the first sign you may see is the caterpillar's poop. For a rather small bug the hornworm leaves behind some rather large poop trails. They look a little like mouse droppings and you'll see them on the leaves of your tomato plants, or if you grow tomatoes in containers, you'll see a lot of them on the ground around your pots. Tomato hornworm poop is really hard to miss. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBX0Hv0WeAHYRG3S8hNSxpT-XXlis_Kj2QyJM5oSNjqJtpmN2mrFq7hE-cfq9roCteRysc9EmI3TMsnHyVyTPsmPEKgNl2fCq_esOpnKXeYyvHWdotJoELoFuqWchxk7gMVU75/s1600/Parasitized-Tomato-Hornworm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Parasitized tomato hornworm" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBX0Hv0WeAHYRG3S8hNSxpT-XXlis_Kj2QyJM5oSNjqJtpmN2mrFq7hE-cfq9roCteRysc9EmI3TMsnHyVyTPsmPEKgNl2fCq_esOpnKXeYyvHWdotJoELoFuqWchxk7gMVU75/s1600/Parasitized-Tomato-Hornworm.png" /></a></div>
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A parasitized tomato hornworm in my garden this year. Notice the the tomato hornworm is covered with cocoons of pupating braconid wasps. The braconid wasp is a parasitoid of the hornworm because it kills the hornworm as it pupates. If you look closely, you'll see a drop of something emerging from the left side of the caterpillar and from among the cocoons. I'm not sure if the secretion is something the caterpillar does normally, or if it's occurring because of the wasp eggs. But this year I noticed a high presence of wasps on my tomato plants and after observing them, they seemed to be drawn to the sticky secretion. So a high number of wasps and bees on your tomato plants is another sign to look for when identifying and locating tomato hornworms on your tomatoes.<br />
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Eliminate and Control Tomato Hornworms </h3>
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Don't go with your instinct and reach for any bug sprays or synthetic chemicals if you spot tomato hornworm damage on your plants. You are, after all, going eat those tomatoes at some point. Instead, pluck off the hornworm by hand and dump them into a bucket, pail or glass of soapy water. Alternately, you cut them into pieces and feed them to birds that visit your garden, or see if your backyard chickens would like a fat, juicy treat. Some chicken growers I've talked to said their hens turn their nose up at the hornworm, but the chickens and roosters that live in the parking lot of the laundromat I use seem to love them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5Va0DriNeJ2qILV7OpXgFS9-3ssgHNRmhtIDcacjIqVW8_DijE3fSRgRpRyoxZqH5rBniBdMgZSjqrVZ2cSpsxd37Nvas3HTAjvZErIfAOtIDSbycdO82mW6B4UJW47mXuF6/s1600/Hornworm-Tomato-Pest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hornworm tomato pest" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5Va0DriNeJ2qILV7OpXgFS9-3ssgHNRmhtIDcacjIqVW8_DijE3fSRgRpRyoxZqH5rBniBdMgZSjqrVZ2cSpsxd37Nvas3HTAjvZErIfAOtIDSbycdO82mW6B4UJW47mXuF6/s1600/Hornworm-Tomato-Pest.png" /></a></div>
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My absolute favorite method of controlling hornworms on my tomato plants is to save a few of these caterpillars and let nature take its course. Pull the hornworm from your plants and place it inside a jar or plastic bottle without a lid to allow for ventilation. Every couple of days add a few <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2013/08/rooting-tomato-cuttings.html">tomato cuttings</a> to the container to allow the caterpillar to continue to eat. And then sit back and watch as the hornworm is eaten from the inside by the pupating parasitic wasps. It's so disgusting, but it's so much fun to watch. This has the added benefit of ensuring that there will be parasitic wasps around your garden the next season to help you eliminate and control tomato hornworms on your plants.<br />
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How do you handle the tomato hornworms in your garden? Do you pluck them, or do you leave them for the parasitic wasps to devour?<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-13942016105765363802013-08-26T09:00:00.000-05:002013-08-26T09:00:01.199-05:00How to Save Coreopsis SeedsCoreopsis is a genus of popular garden plants native to North, Central and South America. These cheery blooms make great additions to the garden when you'd like some low-maintenance color that last throughout the summer. Seeds for Coreopsis are easy to come across, and the seeds will germinate readily. An established colony will produce thousands of seeds. Here's how to save Coreopsis seeds from your garden. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBLRYXiNWU06BHUACSR6-ookYEKdRPwfmc3wyJ37a7mCKFAxFlwbiWYETF05cZM4LiV4Xnc0q6AY2XejdHov1FY5En9FNhGJyMf2TcLlkKibRNdsxemPM59u4ZZ1shEJKU7-6/s1600/Collecting-Saving-Coreopsis-Flower-Seeds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Collecting and Saving Coreopsis flower seeds" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBLRYXiNWU06BHUACSR6-ookYEKdRPwfmc3wyJ37a7mCKFAxFlwbiWYETF05cZM4LiV4Xnc0q6AY2XejdHov1FY5En9FNhGJyMf2TcLlkKibRNdsxemPM59u4ZZ1shEJKU7-6/s1600/Collecting-Saving-Coreopsis-Flower-Seeds.png" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Most Coreopsis that you grow from seed are clump forming plants that will reach 2-3 feet. They hold daisy-like flowers on tall stems clear above the foliage. This growth characteristic makes it easy to enjoy the blooms in the garden, and to collect seed from your plants. No digging around the foliage looking for seed heads like with some other decorative garden plants. Collecting and saving Coreopsis flower seeds couldn't be any easier.<br />
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How to Save Coreopsis (Tickseed) Seeds</h3>
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Here's a quick garden video on how to collect and save Coreopsis seeds. You can watch this seed saving tutorial in lieu of reading the post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q5Ln2T3M3iRJwsNWWyTedY9zrAEGveOSCjnLS5eTfKutF4XPmWFD8_oKBR1p3_i5dPz4ffUMuxyclRVZIj-c2AOynFCeobW5jFBdHUeVtY49_R7wEzlR1xpg0sNxdSsRXl7P/s1600/Coreopsis-flower-and-seed-heads.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coreopsis flower and seed heads" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q5Ln2T3M3iRJwsNWWyTedY9zrAEGveOSCjnLS5eTfKutF4XPmWFD8_oKBR1p3_i5dPz4ffUMuxyclRVZIj-c2AOynFCeobW5jFBdHUeVtY49_R7wEzlR1xpg0sNxdSsRXl7P/s1600/Coreopsis-flower-and-seed-heads.png" /></a></div>
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Shortly after the flowers have been pollinated the flower petals will fall and leave behind green 'buttons' where the seeds are forming. If you would prefer more blooms than seeds, deadhead the blooms by pulling off the spent flowers heads. Otherwise the seeds will begin to develop and soon the seed head will open up and out will spill the seeds. Coreopsis flowers and seed heads will grow at the same time on plants. So there is no "right" time of the year to harvest seeds. Collect your seeds are they develop on the plant. Don't wait until it has stopped blooming.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xzOmWZsEaOr6mrxmvHAjxZnW-A2F8RSDn5m_F8LGnULlkFgLNoAd6NkuV2zR7HQJBJXeS9SzgLUK8uZefC60tGOwtsKoFsiTJi0SXIIOVXJZjHCsYQtPMuTtHJfXk8z4efPe/s1600/Coreopsis-seed-heads.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coreopsis seed heads" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xzOmWZsEaOr6mrxmvHAjxZnW-A2F8RSDn5m_F8LGnULlkFgLNoAd6NkuV2zR7HQJBJXeS9SzgLUK8uZefC60tGOwtsKoFsiTJi0SXIIOVXJZjHCsYQtPMuTtHJfXk8z4efPe/s1600/Coreopsis-seed-heads.png" /></a></div>
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Here's a picture of two Coreopsis seed heads at different stages. On the left, is a seed head that has fully opened and the seeds have been dispersed. On the right, the seed head is just at the right stage of development for saving the Coreopsis seeds inside. The seed head is still tight enough that it is holding all of the Coreopsis seeds inside. To collect the seeds, just snip off the entire seed head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuFGYMLUVaXUiGJzGi1Q0jFg5FIhzvus_Bmi-rPYAm1W2SfUA0IOUj72AOA8SgYNrQX4f3OIx32HggQ37cR49SOOrk-9ZUKZD06l3C7OqqhyphenhyphenLCN5Rn7hyRytjpat2ae1lmvfJ/s1600/How-to-Save-Coreopsis-Seeds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to save coreopsis seeds" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuFGYMLUVaXUiGJzGi1Q0jFg5FIhzvus_Bmi-rPYAm1W2SfUA0IOUj72AOA8SgYNrQX4f3OIx32HggQ37cR49SOOrk-9ZUKZD06l3C7OqqhyphenhyphenLCN5Rn7hyRytjpat2ae1lmvfJ/s1600/How-to-Save-Coreopsis-Seeds.png" /></a></div>
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You can pry open a Coreopsis seed head and carefully extract the seeds, but just crushing the seed head between your fingers is good enough. Inside there will be dozens of semi-flat, brown to maroon seeds. They supposedly remind people of ticks, which is why many call the plant "tickseed." And now you know how to save Coreopsis seeds in your garden.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-51673121451670914922013-08-19T09:00:00.000-05:002013-08-19T09:00:06.348-05:00Saving tomato seeds? Isolate Tomato Flowers for True SeedsIf you're growing a particularly great heirloom tomato in your garden, chances are you will want to grow that tomato again, or maybe even share your tomato seeds with gardening friends and family. <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-save-tomato-seeds.html">Saving tomato seeds</a> is easy, but there is one step that you, as a new seed saver, may not know you should take. Make sure you isolate tomato flowers for true seeds. <br />
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Gardeners with large yards are at an advantage when saving tomato seeds because they can isolate tomato plants by placing them far enough apart from each other that they won't accidentally cross-pollinate and create seeds for a hybrid tomato. There is absolutely nothing wrong with hybrid tomatoes, but if you're growing an heirloom tomato, chances are you're doing so because of some unique characteristic to that particular tomato plant. Maybe it's the color, shape, taste or history behind the plant that calls you to grow it. Whatever your reasons, you are now a steward of the history of a tomato and you want to continue the line.<br /><br />Small-space, and urban gardeners, like myself, don't have the luxury of being able to grow several tomato varieties and plant them far apart to keep the seeds true. Our cramped gardens may require us to either grow one heirloom tomato variety a year, or get creative and find a way to keep the blooms from being accidentally cross-pollinated by bees and other garden pollinators.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72OIWGwkruBkCIejH1uCHwo1tQ-4Tm74axw5nYEKdiTUdeLfSmLYUHSiAh4Qgm9cDNaAakf9HPbdd9pono2TEMobAqJY1a2eYx-MYiHQWhIhu8oLIQLTkdByUWUFnKHaorgnn/s1600/Isolating-tomato-blossoms-for-seed-saving.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Isolating tomato blossom for seed savinng" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72OIWGwkruBkCIejH1uCHwo1tQ-4Tm74axw5nYEKdiTUdeLfSmLYUHSiAh4Qgm9cDNaAakf9HPbdd9pono2TEMobAqJY1a2eYx-MYiHQWhIhu8oLIQLTkdByUWUFnKHaorgnn/s1600/Isolating-tomato-blossoms-for-seed-saving.png" /></a></div>
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The same year I grew <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2011/09/osu-blue-tomato.html">OSU Blue tomatoes</a> I was growing other tomato varieties all on the porch garden. The porch garden is smaller than a jail cell so I needed a way to protect the OSU Blue tomato flowers from being cross-pollinated. Tomato flowers are self-fertile and unless you're really serious about ensuring your heirloom tomatoes remain true, you won't need this step. But if you want to be as close to 100% sure as possible that your heirloom strain is pure, you should isolate the blooms. Somehow I found myself with a number of teabags in my backpack after a camping trip and realized that the little bags were perfect for enveloping a tomato flower or two and protecting it. What you're creating is a little tomato flower chastity belt.<br /><br />After you have isolated as many tomato flowers as you want. Give your tomato plant a good shake or two every morning for about a week. What you're doing is mimicking the vibrations caused by honeybees and bumblebees when they visit the blooms and dislodge the pollen that fertilizes each flower.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0J3NlZh4JD27qIKa1xVSInc8ZE1q-2jPmdbO9bh0tbNOiHSUCBGGTkzS13WBVlBCieUCF-dTexWFpVQvc13dwyjbUJtLej0Lv_xeZGuouzCSWxs17c_06EUO2dN_bd_QQOFe/s1600/Tomato-fruit-tomato-seed-saving.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tomato fruit seed saving" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0J3NlZh4JD27qIKa1xVSInc8ZE1q-2jPmdbO9bh0tbNOiHSUCBGGTkzS13WBVlBCieUCF-dTexWFpVQvc13dwyjbUJtLej0Lv_xeZGuouzCSWxs17c_06EUO2dN_bd_QQOFe/s1600/Tomato-fruit-tomato-seed-saving.png" /></a></div>
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After a week you should see the little tomato fruit starting to form at each of the flowers. Don't forget to tie a string or plant tag around the tomato flower you isolated to help you remember which one was protected if you don't isolate each and every bloom on a tomato plant. Also, you want to place your tomato chastity belt on the flower(s) before it has a chance to open just to be on the safe side.<br /><br />Seed savers have been saving tomato seeds for eons without going to lengths like this, but I do it because I know the disappointment that comes with growing a variety you're excited about only to discover that it accidentally crossed in someone's garden. I feel a moral obligation as a seed saver to try my best to ensure the tomato seeds I swap with other gardeners are true. If you're thinking of saving tomato seeds, isolate tomato flowers for true seeds. <br />
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Have you grown tomato seeds you got in a swap only to realize they were not as described? What's your favorite heirloom tomato seed to give to gardening friends?<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com">MrBrownThumb</a> a blog about indoor & outdoor gardening, plants, plant propagation and gardening tips.</div>MrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.com4