Why do we love gardening?

What is it that draws me to the dirt when my family is inside playing Rockband?
Well, for one thing, as much as I am a massive music lover, I have zero hand-eye coordination. Besides, I can’t sing and have no musical talent whatsoever- so tapping my fingers is as good as it gets for me. Plus I don’t dedicate the non-stop time to learn how to play Iron Man, so my kids mop the floor with me every time I play!

Alas, my passion lies in the garden, not sitting in front of a big inanimate square box. I am the happiest when I am playing in the dirt, surrounded by my plants. I do believe there is no better way to start the morning than with a good cup of coffee in hand, meandering through my garden.

We (the general gardening geeks) are freaks of nature! But that’s okay. If you are one of those freaks…you are amongst friends.

I happen to believe there is no better profession and no better hobby than gardening– except maybe spending the afternoon in my salt water aquarium-which is simply under water gardening!

We garden because we love it. We garden because some of us happen to love a good, honest hard day’s work, which turns into an amazing masterpiece when we are done at the end of the day.

So cheers! Here’s a hearty AMEN to you all who love playing in the dirt, bending over tirelessly until your poor back looks like a question mark, and to those who manage to get dirtier than me! You are my heroes! Keep up the hoeing, shoveling, digging, and amending out there…I will be here in the Great Northwest…wanting and waiting to get out in my garden, but being halted BY THE SNOW IN APRIL!!!!!! AGH!!!!

Rockband…here I come!

Fran

>www.stepables.com

Plants, Plants, Plants… its spring and the garden centers are loaded with all kinds of goodies to entice you. What to buy, what to buy? Where to put this one and where to put that one? What to move so you can buy that one and what to junk so there is room for this one? Sound familiar???

How does anyone ever make these choices?

Selecting a plant for your garden is indeed a big decision. Many plants become just like extended members of our family. You put them in the soil when they are just a little thing and watch them grow year after year. You nurture them, protect them from the cold and give them medicine when they need it.

Is it any wonder why pondering over the purchase of a plant is such a big decision in one’s life? Will is live? Will it die? Did I pick the right plant for that location? How big will it get? Will it grow too much? When will it flower? Will it play nice with the other plants? Will it attract bees? GOSH! How many questions do you need to ask before you pick the right plant for the right spot?!!!

Well, I can honestly say that by asking all of these questions, your newest member of your family will grow into a big, strong strapping mature plant in no time. On our site at www.stepables.com, we created this really cool questionnaire that helps people figure out what they need to ask before they plant, so they can be successful gardeners with STEPABLES®.

www.stepables.com

Here is a sampling of the questions every gardener needs to ask:

• Where are my STEPABLES® going to be placed in the landscape?
  Will it be around roses, beneath a tree, along a sidewalk or over flower bulbs?
  This is very important stuff here folks! Picking the right plant requires you to survey the area and THINK about ALL of the parameters of that spot.
• How much light does the area get?
• Will the area be automatically watered or will you water it by hand?
• How much foot traffic will the area get?
• Will Fido be prancing on the plants??
• Will Billy or Susie use it as their Hop-Scotch area, or will it be solely for the sheer delight of your own bare feet?

The more questions you ask, the better your plants will perform…and this goes for all plants, not just STEPABLES®. Ask and you shall receive! Plants are no different than your loving little pooch–they simply want to please.

All of this seems insane and it really is when you think about it. We love our plants. We worry over them incessantly. We brave the winter cold to cover them with sacks when a cold snap comes and we await their rebirth (looking for any sign of life) every spring like children waiting for Christmas morning. However, when it comes to purchasing plants, it is an instantaneous, love at first sight, impulsive buy. “I don’t know where I am going to put this…but it’s too pretty to pass up and I just love that color!”

So go ahead…buy that super cool, fuzzy pink thing…just remember; It will only grow if it has a happy home that is just right for it. Do your homework, survey your area and you plants will in kind give you years of unconditional love.

Have an awesome weekend and go get dirty!

Until next time,

Fran

>www.stepables.com