Pumpkin Spice Your Space with Homegrown Fall Scents with Tips from Associa

Fall is here, which means it’s time to prepare for brisk weather and changing leaves. It’s also time to enjoy pumpkin spice lattes, apple cider and the other delicious flavors we associate with fall. And these wonderful reminders of the season are only one step away when you grow seasonal spices right on your kitchen counter top.

You don’t need a yard to cultivate a garden — you can have it all indoors.

To “pumpkin spice” your home, all you need to do is pick your favorite fall-scented plants, find a space and choose your growing medium; soil, coco coir, sand, gravel or water.

Almost any plant can be grown indoors, as long as the growing environment is suited to the plant’s needs. And you’re not limited to herbs that love cold weather. Common herbs such as dill, parsley and rosemary thrive under grow lights and can provide flavorful flair all year long.

Starting an indoor fall herb garden is simple. Maintaining a healthy growing environment is the key to success.  Read these tips from Associa and Sunlight Supply to get started.

Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Decorating Tips

'Tis the season.  

Stores have become a flurry of green and red, the sound of Christmas tunes filling your ears, kids sitting on Santa’s lap… but wait – it’s still November! Stores may be setting up for Christmas early as per usual but we still have some time left until December and another holiday on the horizon! No, I’m not talking about National Cashew Day, I’m talking about Thanksgiving. On a beautiful day in 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated with the Indians by having a 3-day feast to thank God for a good crop. Then they proceeded to take their land… err, anyway… 

We now celebrate that day by giving thanks for the things we’ve been given and fill up on pie and turkey.  You might be looking for some quick and easy ways to decorate your home for your Thanksgiving feast. In this post you’ll find tips using live plants and wreaths to bring fall color to your home, to more unconventional things such as decoupage pumpkins.

An easy and quick way to bring in some fall color is picking up some live plants from your local garden center or big box stores. Some good suggestions are mums and variegated Crotons available from Costa Farms.

Take a walk and enjoy the fresh autumn air before winter takes over, while picking flowers and colorful foliage found along the way. Just don’t steal them from your neighbor’s yard…

Try dressing up your home with a new festive wreath, it’s a simple way to bring the fall into your home. And as an added bonus with the holiday season fast approaching you can easily change your fall wreath into a holiday wreath. Check out James Farmer’s new book A Wreaths for All Seasons for ideas on how to recycle your wreath all year long! And if time is an issue you can always buy wreaths from James' online store here!

Some DIY ideas include (courtesy of HGTV.com): 

Create a Fall leaf lampshade

Take those old plain lampshades of yours and give them a fall twist by stenciling in some fall leaves. 

Click here for a how-to

Decoupage Pumpkins

“Give faux pumpkins, leftover from Halloween, a fashion-forward makeover by covering them with strips of trendy fabric. Large decoupage pumpkins are a stylish addition to front porch fall displays while small pumpkins will add a graphic pop to your Thanksgiving centerpiece.”

Click here for a how-to

Decorate with fall foliage

Pick up some of those silk fall leaves at the craft store and decorate your home with them for a quick and easy fall look. You can also press real leaves found in your own backyard!

Let us know some of your fall decorating ideas! We’d like to hear them!

Have a happy Thanksgiving!
~ James
Garden Media Group

Cider donuts, pumpkins and plants

With the rich colors of the fall season, a visit to your local garden center makes it easy to add autumnal whimsy to your home's entryway, porch, patio or deck and seasonal touches indoors.

Piles of gourds and pumpkins along with corn stalks, hay bales and more are typically found at this time of year.

Ornamental grasses juxtaposed against textured orange and white pumpkins and colorful gourds, along with garden sculptures and paintings add seasonal interest.

Create containers of mini pumpkins and gourds. Try grouping by color for a monochromatic look that surprises when placed alongside a splash of vibrant mums.

Easy to grow herbs add color and a seasonal touch indoors and out.

Achillea Millefolium is a pretty yarrow that is a perfect "companion" plant in your garden with pink flowering heads that look wonderful when dried out and displayed in an arrangement or tucked in a wreath. Festoon your wreath with other dried herbs and leaves, berries, apples and  pine cones; the possibilities are endless as the acres of pumpkins, gourds and mums.

Beside picking up plants, pumpkins, apples and cider, many garden centers carry a wide array of specialty products. I confess to a secret addiction to crunchy, still warm-from-the-oven fresh baked apple cider donuts that can only be found this time of the year.

My annual pilgrimage to the temple of  apple heaven is rewarded with bags of apples, donuts, and apple and pumpkin butter that I share with friends and family. 

As you're meandering through corn mazes and enjoying haunted hayrides with your kids, don't forget to ask the garden center experts what shrubs, trees and bulbs are perfect for fall planting in your landscape. After the heat and drought many states experienced this year, cool weather is an ideal time to plant.

Share your favorite find at your local garden center along with your creative decorating tips. We'd love to see your images.

~Lynne

Garden Media Group

photos: Linvilla Orchard, GMG

For the love of birds in your backyard habitat

Ah, fall. A glorious patchwork of vibrant colors splashed like a sunset across landscapes. I'm a fall junkie. Love the changing leaves, hearty soups, fall bounty and harvest celebrations. Plus, it's a great time to plant before old man winter visits.

When planning your landscape, consider plants that provide habitats for birds and other wildlife that are integral players in the delicate ecosystem. 

The National Audubon Society suggests planting native plants that provide nuts, seeds, fruit and nectar.  Browse the site for shrubs, grasses, vines and trees that provide shelter and food sources for specific birds along with great tips and resources you and your family can enjoy together.

Chickadees, cardinals and finches love seeds found in coneflowers, asters, grasses, fir and maple. 

Yellow-rumped warblers and bluebirds will flock to fruit-bearing shrubs like elderberry, blueberry and pokeberry and hummingbirds hover for nectar around columbine, lobelia, Bee Balm and the new Bloomtastic! butterfly bushes Lavender Veil and Purple Splendor. 

Majestic trees like walnut, hickory, chestnut and oak provide shelter and nuts for nuthatches and more.

Prepare your garden now and you can have spectacular year round color and beauty and a perfect habitat for wildlife.

                                                 

Let us know your favorite birds and what you've planted to attract them to your backyard habitat

Lynne
Garden Media Group

photos: landscapes: American Beauties Native Plants; Bloomtastic! Buddleia Lavender Veil; Nuthatch: WikiCommons

Summer drought may signal fall color in northeast

The summer drought has been devastating for many gardeners.

In the northeast, the summer was blisteringly hot; the milder temperatures a welcome relief. According to an article in Science Daily, along with crisp fall air, those of us living in the northeast may be in for a blast of spectacular fall color.


The dry conditions we've encountered this summer along with a recent number of cool nights could spell a colorful fall. The article explains how fall leaf color is affected by the amount of rainfall an area gets, the number of sunny days, and cooler night temperatures. Reminds me a bit of Mickey Mouse, as the Sorcerer's Apprentice, stirring up a magic potion in a cauldron. Chemistry of sorts.

This morning, after a night of rain, I was greeted by a mix of bright yellow and orangey tone leaves splattered haphazardly on my windshield. Too early? I mused. Apparently, not.

Although it's still summer, school buses are chugging down the roads, and for many, school's already in session. Football practice is in full swing and mums are packed tightly in neat rows in front of supermarkets.

But for me, the right of passage from summer to fall is always the changing of the leaves. With the splash of color greeting me today as I walked to my car, I guess it's time to say good-bye to summer, hello to fall.

So, for the weeks we endured of temperatures that hovered near 100 degrees without rain, and plants that were lost to the drought, the promise of dazzling fall color is Mother Nature strutting her stuff, and perhaps making amends.

Send us your favorite fall color images and we'll post the best!

~Lynne
Garden Media Group
photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

Apples! Apples! Apples!

Fall is a wondrous season. Flaming leaves, gourds and pumpkins, hayrides and harvest festivals, and my favorite...apple season. Loads of sweet, juicy, crunchy varieties are brimming over displays in supermarkets and farmers markets tempting us with their apple allure.

We eat them off the vine and transform them into heavenly apple torts, crisps, muffins, pies and pastries.
From Abermarle Pippin to Yellow Transparent there are well over 75 varieties to explore and experience, like 'Jonagold' - a cross of Jonathan and Golden Delicious.

Last weekend, as I was shopping for produce, I finally broke out of my comfort zone of automatically reaching for McIntosh, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples to recognize I was stuck in an apple rut.

Yes, I love the crisp sweet/tart taste of McIntosh and the tang of Fuji but 'Sheep Nose' "Seek No Further' or 'Wealthy'? Hmm. Admittedly, I'm stumped. Never tried 'em. 'Wealthy' is described as a "superb all purpose apple with perfect texture and complex flavors." Sounds like a fine wine.

Yes, friends, it's apple season, and this year I vow to discover new varieties of the Biblical "forbidden fruit" and share my thoughts on what new apple was divine or "fell far from the tree." Let me know your little-known apple favorites and why you love 'em! And don't forget to share your best apple recipes!

~Lynne GMG

Photos credits Wikipedia Commons

Which Top 10 Fall Festivals are you going to?

Terrain at Styer's

Its that time of the year again to wear a light sweater, carve pumpkins, enjoy a cooler breeze, ride on an old-fashioned hayride and indulge in warm apple cider...YUMMY!

The Fall Festivals are upon us. The next few weekends are usually filled with lots of great outdoor time enjoying the change in scenery and taking part in many family-oriented events.

I've gathered some of the TOP 10 lists of Fall Festivals below...(you can add some of your own below.)

• Top 10 Must-See Festivals
• Top Fall Festivals in the Washington, DC Area
• Fall Festivals & Pumpkin Patches in Southwestern Pennsylvania - 2011
• Fall Festivals, Pumpkin Patches, Harvest Fairs, Corn Mazes and Hay Rides Right Here in New York City 2011
• The Best Fall Food and Wine Events - October 2011
• Looking for a Music Festival? 
• Fall Festival and Country Fairs in New England
• North Carolina Festivals

Which ones will you be going to? I'm sure there are many I don't know about and that means I am missing out on some great fall experiences. Please share the inside scoop on great festivals in your area by leaving a comment below! Who knows? I might just see you there!

-Karen
GMG

Gardening Tips for September

It's hard to believe that the kids are back in school and football season has begun! I'm still wondering where the summer went!


Now is really a great time to evaluate your garden successes and plan ahead for next year. I found some helpful hints for things to do this month on the Old Farmer's Almanac website. 

Check them out here and let us know if you have any other fall gardening tips to share:

*Compost should be watered during dry periods so that it remains active.

*This is the best time to plant dormant evergreen trees and shrubs.

*Correct any soil deficiencies you've noticed. Healthy soil is crucial to healthy plants.

*Young trees should be staked to prevent the roots from being pulled by fall and winter winds.

*If you haven't brought your houseplants in yet, do it before you have to start heating your home. This gives them a chance to adjust. Wash them thoroughly before bringing them in to rid them of any pests and eggs.

*As perennials fade away, mark their locations with small sticks. Some might not be apparent after the winter and might be disrupted by spring cultivating.

*Plant spring bulbs as long as the ground is workable. Plant the following bulbs soon: trout lily, narcissus (including daffodil), snowdrop, winter aconite, starflower, and crown imperial. For crown imperial, add a little lime to the soil.

*Take cuttings from such outdoor plants as impatiens, coleus, and begonia. An early frost can ruin your chances for cutting at a later date.

Well, that's all I have for today. Looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me!

-Stacey
GMG