Hydrangeas and Azaleas and Cinerarias -- OH MY

This time of year, we may receive a potted flowering plant as a gift... and grocery store and nursery floral departments are full of tempting blooming plants. With a little forethought and some care, you can enjoy many of these showstoppers for much longer than the few weeks they are initially in bloom.

Here's how to take some simple steps to guarantee beautiful bloom and greatest enjoyment from these lovely plants....


Hydrangeas:
These are often sold in criminally small pot sizes relative to the plants, and will dry out constantly. Once the plant wilts from lack of moisture, it is difficult to bring back. Repot (trying not to disturb existing rootmass) to a larger container with a multipurpose potting mix, and keep moist but not wet. These plants can be enjoyed outdoors later in the spring and may rebloom during the summer. Keep the pots in a semi shaded location. Most varieties will also adapt to being planted in ground in the garden. Make sure to place them in partial shade, in soil that stays on the moist side, and give them room to grow.

Azaleas:
These are usually sold potted in almost pure peat moss, which must be kept uniformly moist but not soggy. If peat dries out, it is almost impossible to re-wet it. Enjoy Azaleas indoors till the blooms fade, then repot into a larger container with all purpose soil mix. Keep them moist and in semi sun, they should thrive and can be brought back indoors at their next bloom cycle. Many varieties of Azalea can also be planted directly into the garden, but depending on your location and the specific variety, it may or may not be hardy through the winter. Azaleas are deciduous and will drop their leaves in winter....so watch for the new growth in spring to know whether your transplant was successful.

Cineraria: These are wonderful compact plants, covered with daisy like blooms in a variety of intense deep colors, often with a white band near the center of each bloom. They are difficult to rebloom and are not very attractive when not flowering. Enjoy the plant indoors while in flower. Keeping it in a bright but slightly cool location -- without direct sunlight -- will prolong the bloom cycle. When bloom is finished, discard the plant into your yardwaste bin or compost pile.

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Take TEN Minutes and....

Always know where your keys are.

Most of us have a 'default' location for our keys, but often not a specific home for them. A suprising amout of effort is wasted over time when one doesnt know exactly where the keys are. It's also much handier if all your various and sundry keys are stored together, rather than scattered in different locations around the house.

It seems like a silly thing, but can make a real difference....so take ten minutes and a couple simple steps, and make it easier on yourself!

Three large cup hooks and a good location will solve the problem. Place the hooks where convenient, but slightly out of the way. As shown in the photo, the end of a bank of kitchen cabinets above the refrigerator works perfectly.


Could also be next to a doorway, inside a kitchen cabinet, or even on the refrigerator itself if you get strong magnets with self hooks. If you dont want to attach the hooks directly into your surface, use a small picture frame with a piece of painted wood as the insert, attach the hooks to that, and hang frame on the wall.

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What's For Dinner?

30 Minutes to get supper on the table?
You can never go wrong with Spaghetti and a tasty-herby sauce, some French Bread, and a simple salad.
It's a nice weekday meal, comes together in a snap, and always feels warming and filling if there's a chilly spring day.
Watch your portion size, or use Whole Wheat noodles.

Start some water to boil in a large pot.
Saute about half a pound of ground beef till browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon (you can omit for meatless, or use sliced italian sausage instead),
add chopped onion and minced garlic, cook till transparent
and skim any accumulated fat.
Add a can or jar of your favorite prepared sauce....Classico or Hunts are both good brands. Adjust the seasoning to your liking, adding extra herbs if desired -- or give it a little zip by stirring in a frozen cube of homemade pesto (make some this summer, and you will have it on hand in the future).
You can wrap the bread in foil and warm in a 350 oven for a few minutes.
While the sauce simmers, Assemble a simple salad from what you have on hand in the crisper....
Cook and drain the pasta, serve with the sauce and parmesan cheese on the side.
Listen for the comments of "Molto Bello!!"

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Keep The Faith......

Summer will be here again soon....

The rose is Fountain Square, a Hybrid Tea with robust Gardenia looking blossoms, dark green foliage and good disease resistance. The blooms from this variety don't last long in the vase, so enjoy them on the plant.

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Plan Ahead For Jam

It's not too early to start thinking about making some homemade Jam this spring.

It is so little effort, and reasonable expense for a product that leaves even the best storebought products in the dust. There is also no better gift for a hostess or a friend!

All you need are a few simple tools and supplies, wonderful fresh fruit, sugar, and pectin.

Jam seems complex, but it is just a few simple steps....

prepare the fruit, cook with sugar,

add pectin, place into jars and process.

And what you can create is only limited to your imagination and the fruit at hand.

Raspberry Rhubarb, Strawberry Nectarine, classic Cherry Preserves....

Detailed instructions and recipes will post when the different fruits are in high season, but watch for canning jars on sale at the grocery store, and start accumulating some boxes of pectin -- You'll be ahead of the curve.

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