A Writer’s Garden with Author Ryan Jo Summers

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's gardening blog, Author Ryan Jo Summers, Coffeecake Chaos, Food and Romance Go Together Anthology Vol. 1, garden pictures, romance with a twist, trees

 

Today’s gardener writer is Ryan Jo Summers, who will be talking about Emma and George—two trees in her garden. Welcome, Ryan Jo.

 

Thanks, Catherine

I have always admired formal yards and gardens, with sweeping terraces of blooms, multiple shades of different sized flowers, and natural rock gardens. Bonus drool for water features and koi ponds. Sigh….one day….

 

old steps with ivy and ferns spotted on one of my dog walks

As I write this now, a gentle rain is falling. The approaching growls of thunder chased me inside from where I was planting today’s shipment: Old-fashioned Bleeding Hearts in white and pink, another rose, and a Goji berry. I got as far as the pink bleeding heart when the approaching storm sent me inside to this instead.

squirrel and Oak leaf hydrangea

Two and a half years ago I bought my very own place here in the south. It’s a half acre, home of a 1920 cottage. I love it! There were already two flower beds installed, flanking the walkway, full of oakleaf hydrangea, forsythia, and endless daylilies. Plus a few odd bits that some I’ve yet to identify and others I’ve yet to decide whether to keep them or move them out.

split rail fence I installed, with ‘established in 2014’ plaque, planted with dwarf burning bushes, roses and black-eyed Susan

Two more beds had been established once upon a time, one held a rotten tree stump and some hostas and another forsythia bush while the other was depressingly empty. They held such promise! In the time I’ve lived here, I’ve added to both those gardens, slowly over each planting season, and added four more flower beds to the yard. (Five if you count the transplanted day lilies moved to flank the garage door).

stone steps alongside house, with assorted flowers slowly growing, just starting to peek over the lattice border

Now, I adore fences and random steps, almost as much as I like water features. For me, rustic is the way. Since I pet sit/ dog walk part time, I see a good bit of landscaping and gardens. I like snapping photos of scenes of stairs and fences that inspire or delight me. They don’t necessarily have to go anywhere, or hold anything in or out. Just simply being in the right place, with the right look, creating the right impression is an art all to itself. Like spotting a random painting in a gallery, not anything specific or unique about it. It just has that right look. It just is. Such is a good garden scene.

Emma — looking upward in the fall after her leaves were gone

Now, at my house are many tall, stately trees. In the courtyard in the back are two trees in particular, that have endured themselves to me in a special way. One, an oak, is right outside my kitchen window. I sense a femininity about it and call her Emma. I often ponder how old dear Emma is, for she is very tall and quite wide. Squirrels delight in racing up and down her weathered trunk.

— Emma’s roots outgrowing her allotted space

Doubtlessly, the courtyard slate stone was installed when Emma was still younger and more slender, as her roots and widening trunk have pushed the stones up and aside over the years. Poor planning on someone’s part.

Emma and her trunk having grown around a hanging hook

There is also a hanging hook attached to Emma’s trunk, about six feet up, for hanging pots, bird feeders, wind chimes or whatever. Unfortunately, and further proof of the lack of consideration people have shown Emma over the years, her trunk has grown over the hook, sealing it like a giant scab over a wound. I wonder how that must have hurt as her trunk grew and now the hook has become a permanent part of her trunk.

Mighty George

A few feet away from Emma stands George, a straight, noble-looking Pine. George is huge, both in height and circumference. He reminds me of royalty, like a king, hence his royal name. Scattered around him, at the height of roughly thirty feet or so are three of his off-spring.

curious wrinkles at the base of George’s trunk

English ivy grows rampant around the courtyard, and encircles George’s trunk like a green robe. Diligence on my part keeps the ivy growing around George, and not up his massive trunk. Unlike Emma, George has no blemishes or human fallacies to mar his noble stature.

Considering how long Emma and George have lived, and the house they saw built, the stories of the people who lived inside, and the relaxed under their branches, I wonder what stories these two trees could tell. As I watch my newly planted flower gardens grow, I also enjoy the richness of two special trees. Once upon a time they were but small saplings, and they have grown to leave an indelible mark in this place and on me. I hope the maple seedlings, plants, and flowers I am planting now will one day leave another mark once Emma, George, and I are gone from this life.

 

About the Gardener/Writer:

 

Ryan Jo Summers is a North Carolina author who specializes in writing romances with a twist. Love stories blended with inspirational, paranormal, suspense or time travel–or several at once. She also writes non-fiction for regional periodicals. Ryan’s dad is a songwriter and his aunt wrote poetry so she claims she came by her writing skill honestly. Apparently it’s in the genes.

Her hobbies include bird-watching, houseplants (50 ish and growing), poetry and yard work. She loves to gather with friends, hike in the forest with her dog, paint ceramics and canvas and work on wiggly word find puzzles. She lives in a 1920 cottage with a menagerie of pets. Living in the mountains, she dreams of the shore and frequently uses the water as scenes for her stories.

WEBSITE: http://www.ryanjosummers.com/

BLOG: http://www.summersrye.wordpress.comm/

FB:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan-Jo-Summers-author-page/312875648810797

TWITTER:        https://twitter.com/RyanJoSummers

 Coffecake Chaos

by Ryan Jo Summers

Avianna Goodman and Sawyer Steele had been young lovers. Now she is a caterer, building her own business. Right now she needs cash to help her family. He’s being ordered to stop his wild ways and settle down to take over the family empire. His controlling mother has picked out the perfect heiress for him. Now they need the right caterer to launch the perfect engagement celebration.

 

 

 

 

Advertisements

A Writer’s Garden with Author Janis Lane

Tags

Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Cut flowers, cutting garden, Janis Lane. Whispers of Danger and Love, romance

---

Today Janis Lane is visiting talking about cutting gardens and cut flowers for all season. Welcome, Janis.

Thanks, Catherine.

It is possible to gather flowers for your vases without deliberately planting a cutting garden. Possible, but much more fun to set up a section of the garden for bringing the blossoms inside. Harvesting these blooms will not denude your carefully planned perennial landscape.

In Spring, Tulips, Daffodils, and Peonies are perennial friends who return year after year. One of the best cut flowers is Gladiola. Staggered planting of the bulbs (which are fairly inexpensive.) will prolong the harvest. In temperate climates, gladiola bulbs will renew, but pulling them up and storing will guarantee next year’s bloom. Other bulbs are simple and, again, fairly inexpensive.

Asiatic and Oriental Lilies and other in the same family are excellent mid-summer flowers. Day lilies may be used if you understand the stem must contain more than one bud as they open and close in one day. Sunflowers, Dahlias and members of the Rudbecia family are primo for late summer.

In the greenhouse we grow an exquisite plant, Lisianthus, for our commercial bouquets. Super valued for their longevity once harvested, they are not an easy plant to germinate. Grab a few if you find them at your florist or farmers market. They come in several colors: pink, rose, pastel yellow, and deep blue. I love the two-colored ones that are white trimmed with blue.

Last but certainly not least, Zinnias are an all-time favorite. Careful to choose the tall variety for your vases. Enjoy your flowers out and inside!

In Whispers of Danger and Love, the heroine, a landscaper, meets a challenge to create an instant cutting garden for a lady whose knowledge of gardening is next to nil. Cheryl chooses gladiolas and stakes them upright. The ruse works and her client is happily able to harvest her own bouquets. I admit I enjoyed working on this novel as it allowed the gardener in me to “play in the dirt” while I wrote the story.

About the Gardener/Writer:

Emma Janis Lane lives in Western New York where winter is snowy, spring arrives with rave reviews, summer days are long and velvet, and fall leaves are riotous color. She writes Regency Romance as Emma Lane, but also delights in dipping into a Cozy Romantic Mystery, pen name Janis Lane. Part owner of a plant nursery, she will answer gardening questions at her website. emmajlane.com   Connect with Emma on Twitter

When Cheryl realizes her new next-door neighbor is someone she loved as a young girl, she immediately puts the brakes on her emotions. Never again would she allow the gorgeous hunk of a man to break her heart.

Ruggedly handsome Detective David Larkin isn’t used to pretty ladies giving him a firm no. He persists, even as Cheryl fights her own temptations. The two struggle to appreciate each other as adults, even as they admit to deep feelings from their childhood.

 

A Writer’s Garden with author Sandra Ardoin

Tags

A Reluctant Melody, A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, blackberry lily, hellebores, Sandra Ardoin, volunteers in the garden

Today’s A Writer’s Garden guest is Sandra Ardoin talking about volunteers in the garden, and she doesn’t mean people who help you weed. I’d like to have some of those. LOL.  Welcome, Sandra!

 

Enough is enough. Maybe.

by Sandra Ardoin

They’re called volunteers because they “volunteer” to pop up in places and in numbers you never even considered.

No. Don’t thank them. They’re glad to do it.

Sometimes, these sprouts are a welcome addition to my garden and perfect for filling in little holes here and there. Often, all it takes is a slight shift in location. It certainly beats having to buy more plants, although for me, that is a fun hobby in itself. I love to rescue those poor babies left to wither on a sales rack.

Other times … volunteers are not so welcome. Take my hellebores. PLEASE! Also known as Lenten Rose for their bloom time, these are prime plants for shade. They set off a winter garden in various muted colors, flowering when most everything else is brown, leafless, or hibernating underground.

A few years ago, I started with six rescued plants. Because I’m lax in deadheading, today I have what seems like millions but is probably only hundreds. They pop up all around the parent plant, but I also find them several yards away. In the next twenty years, I expect to see the fifty acres of woods behind us covered with hellebores. 😊

Since I have all of that particular plant I’ll need for my lifetime, my only choice has been to get down on my hands and knees—something not as easily done as in previous years—and beg pull the invaders out by the roots. It’s a hard thing for me to do. I don’t like killing plants.

It’s hard to tell, but all those little green spots are seedlings.

Hellebores aren’t my only invaders, though. Blackberry Lily is another plant with seeds that love to spread their wings and fly far and wide. Then there are native Columbines, and don’t get me started on the Bee Balm!

Even though I have more volunteers than I can use, my gardens wouldn’t be the same without them!

About the Gardener/Writer

Sandra Ardoin writes inspirational historical romance. She’s the author of The Yuletide Angel and A Reluctant Melody. A wife and mom, she’s also a reader, football fan, NASCAR watcher, garden planter, country music listener, and antique store prowler. Visit her at http://www.sandraardoin.com/ and on the Seriously Write blog. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Join her email community to receive occasional updates and a free short story.

A Reluctant Melody – 2016 Grace Award Finalist

Kit Barnes’ drinking ruined more lives than his own. Now sober, he wants to make amends by opening a mission for drunkards. The most suitable location belongs to Joanna Cranston Stewart, a love from his sordid past and the one person he hurt the most. A pariah among her peers, Joanna is all too eager to sell her property and flee the rumors that she sent her late husband to an early grave. But she will let the gossips talk and the walls of her rundown property crumble around her before she’ll allow Kit back into her life.  When a blackmailer threatens to reveal her long-held secret, she must choose between trusting Kit or seeing her best friend trapped in an abusive marriage.  Will Joanna risk another betrayal? Or will she find a way through the pain of the past to love and trust again?

 

A Writer’s Garden with Zoe M. McCarthy–Straw Bale Gardening

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, contemporary inspirational romance, Garden blog, Gift of the Magpie, Straw Bale gardening, Sweet romance, Zoe M. McCarthy

---

 

 

Zoe M. McCarthy is guesting on today’s A Writer’s Garden. I just love the post she’s got, too. I saw this gardening method at Disney World last summer at their Flower and Garden Expo and was intrigued by it. It’s great to get the low down from someone’s who’s actually used it.

Straw Bale Gardens are Just Right for Us City Folks

 John and I are retired city folks transplanted to the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. In this rural area, people have tractors to get their gardens ready for planting. We don’t have farm equipment, so we were attracted to the idea of straw bale gardening—no dirt, no plowing, and no squatting to harvest vegetables. This is the third year we’ve planted a straw bale garden following advice from Joel Karsten’s book, Straw Bale Gardens.

In straw bale gardens, the bales become ovens to germinate and grow fruits and vegetables. It’s important to use straw bales, not hay bales.

We knew our daily visitors would be problems, so we built an eight-foot fence that deer can’t jump and reinforced the lower fencing with smaller-holed chicken wire that bunnies can’t wiggle through. We laid landscaping fabric to discourage voles and moles.

Before we could complete the fencing, seven deer stopped by to sniff our bales and discuss among themselves what in the world we were doing. They seemed indignant at the chicken wire going up.

We performed a 10-day process to turn the bales into growing ovens. Fertilizing and watering. Again and again. Warm water only. On day five, we poked our fingers into the straw and felt the heat inside.

We ran soaker hoses on top of the bales. Timers attached to the hoses water the plants daily from our well. We can’t over water bales. It was nice to be able to travel and know that our plants would have plenty of water.

Then we planted seeds for cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, carrots, beans, edible sugar pumpkins, strawberries, and watermelons in a thin cover of potting mix (not soil—no dirt touches the roots) into thirty straw bales. We wrenched apart the straw a bit and inserted seedlings for some vegetables, such as peppers and tomatoes. We planted impatiens in the sides of the bales. All done.

Cabbages attracted worms, so we didn’t plant them again. Not a favorite anyway. This year slugs feasted on tender shoots, but they now drown in baby food jars filled with beer. Potatoes go in the sides of bales, but as yummy as they were, we only reaped a few. We harvested a few strawberries the first year so we didn’t plant them again, but they returned in washed down bale humps, and this year they came up again in those old humps and flourished!

We novices have been proud of our bountiful harvests. We make pumpkin soup, bread, and pies. The carrot cakes are to die for. I have fresh lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and carrots for my salads every day. We’ve learned how to freeze and can. The most popular for us is the jars of hot salsa.

Straw bale gardens are great for city dwellers. A few bales installed on a patio and they have a garden.

Is planting in straw bales something you’d consider? Why or why not?

 About the Gardener/Writer:

A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy, author of Gift of the Magpie and Calculated Risk, writes contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. Believing that opposites distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys her five grandchildren, teaching Bible studies, leading workshops on writing, knitting and crocheting shawls for a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, and canoeing. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Zoe blogs regularly at http://www.zoemmccarthy.com/ .

 Gift of the Magpie

Amanda Larrowe’s lack of trust sabotages her relationships. The English teacher and award-winning author of middle-grade adventure books for boys has shut off communication with friends and family to meet her January 2 book deadline. Now, in the deepest snow accumulation Richmond, Virginia has experienced in years, Camden Lancaster moves in across the street. After ten years, her heart still smarts from the humiliating aftermath of their perfect high school Valentine’s Day date. He may have transformed into a handsome, amiable man, but his likeability doesn’t instill trust in Amanda’s heart. When Cam doesn’t recognize her on their first two encounters, she thinks it’s safe to be his fair-weather neighbor. Boy is she wrong.

Gift of the Magpie is a contemporary inspirational romance; it’s romantic with kisses.

Gift of the Magpie Buy Link

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Creating Gardens with Writer’s Block with Author Erin Bevan

Tags

Catherine Castle’s A Writer’s Garden blog, Erin Bevan, Tank, writer’s block and gardening

 

Today I’m welcoming Erin Bevan to A Writer’s Garden. Erin’s being very frank about gardening and sharing an aspect of it I often feel when summer’s heat hits, and I don’t wanna go outside. Yet, she’s turned that I-don’t-want–to-do-it attitude into a way to break through something most writers face at some time—writer’s block. Welcome, Erin!

 

Writer’s Block. Some people believe in it and some people don’t. Fortunately, I’ll say I’ve been blessed with ideas since I started my writing journey. I have random notes scattered throughout my computer of different thoughts and plots. Maybe a scene, or a rough outline, but I do have ideas. However, I use the term loosely because sometimes these ideas, as good as they seem, don’t really seem to work well on paper. It’s kinda like the time I thought doing an at home wax kit on my bikini line was a good idea. Needless to say, a jar of peanut butter later, I never attempted that again.

My writers block works somewhat like that, minus the messy strips, wax reside, and peanut butter.

This past weekend, since I seemed to get nowhere with my writing, I chose to do something I could see results from almost instantly. I gardened, and let me tell you, I hate gardening. I know this is the gardening blog, and it’s probably very taboo to mention this aspect of myself here, but I hate it. There’s bugs, and it’s hot and dirty. Not my thing, but! I do love the beautiful, vibrant colors when it’s all said and done, and since it’s more instantaneous than seeing any of my book babies come to life, I may just have to start loving the laborious activity.

And while I’m riding on the euphoric wave a newly planted garden and of a story complete and now seeing the light of day, I’m also riding the doubt train as well. I didn’t know I could ride two things at once, but here I am, proving it. I’m super thrilled TANK is over and you can now read his and Annie’s story, but now it’s time for me to move on to the next book in the series. Really, it’s been time for me to move on to the next book for a while, but I couldn’t seem to figure out what happens next in the small town of Black Widow. It’s almost as if my mind really isn’t ready to leave Tank and Annie behind, even though I’m not leaving them behind, but just making room for more stories, more characters, and more romance.

Still, I’ll take one step forward with the characters or the plot and inadvertently move two, three, sometimes four or five steps back. And it’s during these times when I leave my computer and I work on something else. I often tell my friends you can tell when I’m having trouble on a story because I’m redecorating my house, or reorganizing, or decluttering, or even, in this case, gardening. I have to remove myself from the situation and pray that my subconscious is working on the details for me when I just can’t anymore.

So cheers, Green Thumbs!

 

About the Gardner/Author:

Six years ago and nothing more than a desperate housewife, Erin Bevan began her writing journey.

As a child, reading and writing were her nemeses. It wasn’t until she found herself almost utterly alone, in a different country, that she took up the act of reading for enjoyment. Her passion for writing was born not by reading the old classics, but by reading many new tried and true authors of today: Nora Roberts, Mary Kay Andrews, Nicholas Sparks, and Tracy Brogan to name a few.

Clinging to books for friends in a land where not many spoke the English language, she found a secret passion she didn’t know existed inside of her. With nothing more than time on her hands, she honed in on the craft of writing until she finally worked up enough courage to let other people read her stories.

She spends most of her time juggling her three little people and trying to keep everyone’s lives flowing as smoothly as possible. When she isn’t using her super powers to wipe sticky goo from her children’s faces, she spends a little time dabbling in her writing career.

 Connect with Erin Bevan online. www.erinbevan.com  www.facebook.com/erinbevanwrites

 

Tank

Tyler Wilde moves to Black Widow, Texas, to join the Blue Guardians, a local biker club that helps abused women and children. He’s intent on starting his life over, but a small piece of his past collides with his present when he runs into the local waitress, Annie Carter.

Annie’s the girl of his boyhood dreams, and Tyler can’t wait to get reacquainted with her. Only problem is, Annie’s engaged. But what has Tyler more troubled than the diamond on her finger is the bruise that graces her arm. To make matters worse, Annie’s abuser and intended husband is also the town’s Chief of Police.

Tyler is determined to offer Annie a safe haven, but she refuses his help until her life is hanging by a thread.

 Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Tank-Black-Blue-Book-1-ebook/dp/B06ZZCZQ8N/

Notice to readers of sweet romance, Tank contains language and open door love scenes.

 

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden– Gardening Down Under with Author Cindy Tomamichel

Tags

action adventure time travel romance, Australia gardener, Catherine Castle’s A Writer’s Garden blog, Cindy Tomamichel, Druid’s Portal, Growing Australian, Roman Briton romance setting, The Potting Bench

Today we have Cindy Tomamichel on the blog today. Cindy’s an Aussie gardener/writer from “down under.” Welcome to the blog Cindy. I think you might be my first Aussie gardener guest. I’m anxious to see what you’ve got to tell us today.

Catherine, thanks for having me! What a great idea to find out about a garden from a writer’s perspective. I do enjoy reading about other people’s gardens, so I hope that my garden from Australia has some interest for others as well.

I am a member of a local gardening group that promotes growing Australian plants in suburban gardens. This has many benefits, in helping provide food and shelter to wildlife, they need less water than exotic imports, and they are generally hardier. However, I cheated a little with some of my favourite exotics in the back yard!

I planned out the garden to encourage visits and hopefully nesting of native birds. As you can see from the photo at the top of the post, I am often visited by cheeky lorikeets that love the grevillea flowers. So for birds, they need food such as grass seeds, nectar from flowers all year around, and also insects. Every year I have several wattlebirds come in to clean up spiders in hanging baskets, so they can feed their babies. I also have several water trays out and keep them filled. Summers in Australia can get very hot, and all manner of creatures such as birds, insects, lizards and possums will need a drink.

Insects can be regarded as a pest, however I have found most plants will recover from an insect attack. I encourage the predator insects, so I don’t use pesticides. Insects do however need a few things, such as shelter in spots where you don’t clean up too much, water, and a food source of nectar. I have found a mix of herbs, fuchsias, native plants and succulents provide a year round source of nectar for birds and insects.

The picture above shows one of the Australian blue banded bees on a fuchsia. The fuchsia fairy bells is my favourite. I have also included a Sturts desert pea with a preying mantis below.

I enjoy propagating plants, and here exotics have the advantage for they are much easier. Herbs such as rosemary and fuchsias are my favourites, and succulents are also easy. I have been propagating for some time now, and it’s a great way to fill up your yard with generally tough plants.

Gardens have made it into a few of my short stories, and I often get inspiration from insects, or some new fact about herbs. One of my favourite quotes is from Cicero “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” There is nothing better than sitting down in winter with a good book, a cat on your lap and watching the rain bring the garden to life.

I also blog on Australian native plants as ‘The Potting Bench’ at http://www.apswilsonparkberwick.org.au/ which also appears in ‘Growing Australian’ magazine.

 

About the Gardener/Author:

Cindy Tomamichel is a writer of action adventure romance. The heroines don’t wait to be rescued, and the heroes earn that title the hard way.

She can often be found wandering about gardens, photographing insects, flowers and fungi. Will try and propagate anything.

Her first book, Druid’s Portal: The First Journey will be out with Soul Mate Publishing on May 17^th, 2017. An action adventure time travel with a touch of romance set in Roman Britain. Its genre is time travel romance with some violent scenes, and a moderate heat level.

Learn more about Cindy on her Website:

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden with Linda Bradley

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Catherine Castle's garden blog, garden memories, garden quote from Monet, Linda Bradley, Maggie’s Way, Monet’s garden, women's fiction

Today I’m welcoming author Linda Bradley and her garden memories to A Writer’s Garden. Welcome, Linda!

Thanks, Catherine.

Once upon a time, my garden was my refuge. Each spring I’d plant annuals amongst the perennials. I’d anticipate the blooms of color welcoming my favorite season, summer. If I count correctly, my garden was home to eight peony bushes, six rose bushes that grew like mad, a fence line of daffodils, one bleeding heart, a patch of iris’, lilies resembling sunbursts, sweet lily of the valley, and wild geraniums. When I first moved into my Calvin house, it was the middle of winter and I had no idea what slept beneath the drifts of Michigan snow. As I look back, the scenario fittingly represents that sliver of time in my life. It was a time when uncertainty shrouded me. I wasn’t sure how life would evolve or what life had in store for me until the chill from a broken heart melted and opportunities blossomed around me.

Toiling with the Calvin garden upkeep never bogged me down. The soft pinks, vibrant yellows, sharp fuchsia, creamy purples, and crisp salmon hues were like a balanced canvas. It wasn’t a canvas I painted, but luckily inherited. This unexpected bounty brought back sweet memories of my childhood and peace. Its beauty awakened something that slept inside me.

Four years ago, I said goodbye to the lovely garden at my Calvin house. I miss the greenery, the unmistakable garden scents, and beautiful flowers, but I’m reminded of the days I’d baked in the sun while turning soil as I stroll along on my new journey accompanied by a sweet rescue dog, Maisey. She occasionally stops along the way to smell the blooms, too. The aroma of lilacs transports me back to my childhood, whereas the scent of sweet roses conjures images of laughter, rough housing, bikes on the lawn, rollerblades in the drive, and a string of boys hungry for their next snack. As Maisey’s nose twitches, my does, too.

Claude Monet said, “My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” Even though he lived in a different era and gardened on the opposite side of the world, the premise of sanctuary links his grandeur to mine. Each garden representative of the gardener at hand. Someday, I’ll settle down and when I do, I’ll remember the gardens from my past and the gardens I’ve passed along the way. I’ll also remember Monet’s words. While I believe he was referring to the relationship of harmonious color and balance of composition created in nature, I’ll smile knowing that joy created by something as elementary as a garden, color splashed on a canvas, or words delivering a heartfelt story, is universal.

 

About the gardener/author:

Linda’s inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her women’s fiction with a thread of romance highlights characters that peel away outer layers of life to discover the heart of their dreams with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her writing integrates humor found in everyday situations, as well as touching moments that make readers connect with her characters. Linda’s books are not spicy, are pretty tame, with a little kissing. Writing does elude that characters are intimate. Linda enjoys painting scenes from the gardens in her memories and travels. You can find her at Twitter Facebook Website

Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/2bakz7T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden Memories with Author Donna Alice Patton

Tags

Catherine Castle’s A Writer’s Garden blog, Diamonds are Blue, Donna Alice Patton, Garden blog, garden memories, mystery-thriller romance, Roses are Red, Sweet romance

Today’s gardener/writer guest is Donna Alice Patton, who will be telling us about her garden memories. I don’t know about the rest of the gardeners on this blog, but like Donna, when I look at my garden I see memories of past gardeners, family, and friends who have contributed to my garden with remembrances and plants. Welcome, Donna!

A Garden of Memories

The yellow iris bloomed this month in my flower beds – an abundance of yellow iris among the white and purple and one special pink. Each bloom reminds me of my friend, Jean, who gave me the bulbs. While I was admiring their sunny splotches throughout the yard – I noticed the pink and white peonies had also burst into bloom. Those reminded me of Lizzie, the lady who owned this house before me. Every spring the peonies gladden my heart and spirit even though Lizzie is long gone. The few remaining purple iris were hers, as well as the daffodils and crocus that come up faithfully every spring.

As I thought about Jean and Lizzie, I remembered more of the people and events my gardens bring to mind. There are the ‘Hen and Chick” plants that belonged to a very old priest in Chicago. Jean brought those to me. A bright yellow coreopsis was a Mother’s Day gift from my niece, Cindy. The glorious rainbow of tulips were planted by my dad. There are twin maple trees – giants now. My nephews, Jarrod and Jeremiah planted them as twigs when my Aunt Margie downsized her yard. At the side of the house – pastel pink, white and purple Rose of Sharon bloom – seeds dropped by the parent plant Aunt Bobbie gave me. All faithfully reminding me of an aunt who left us too soon, twenty years ago. The salmon colored lilies? A birthday gift from Theresa.

The gardens also remind me of events. Planting the grapevines with Jarrod. The sweaty hours we spent trying to dig a strawberry bed and keep the weeds out. Picking strawberries and blueberries with the new crop of “greats” nieces and nephews. Remembering many years ago when my niece, Heather, ignored the pink cosmos, butter yellow marigolds and stunning roses to pick her ‘favorite’ flower – the daisy-like weeds I pulled up without thinking. She called them “fairy-winkle” flowers. To this day when they come up in my garden, I dig them up and replant them along the creek bed. And how can I forget my continual struggle to maintain flower boxes on the porch. The cats love to sit on the railing and the flower boxes were always an ‘extension’ of their sleeping space. Many times I’d chase them out of the petunias or find a cat covered in dirt and the remnants of petunias.

As I looked at my gardens this spring, I had to laugh at all the memories – good, poignant and sometimes bittersweet. While I see the beauty of the blooms, I also see the faces of family and friends and remember those tiny snippets of moments. Like three little girls on a rainy day – rejoicing in the blooming lilies.

 

About the Author:

Donna Alice Patton loves gardens and the memories they evoke! Her newest book is a mystery/thriller – Roses are Red, Diamonds are Blue. It’s a mild romance, suitable for teens and up, available in June, 2017 http://www.donnaalicepatton.com/

 

A Writer’s Garden with Author Claire Gem

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Catherine Castle's garden blog, Claire Gem, ghost story, orchids, paranmormal romance, pictures of orchids, Spirits of the Heart

Today’s writer/gardener guest is author Claire Gem talking about a flower we’ve not yet seen on the garden blog–Orchids. Welcome, Claire.

My World for an Orchid

 

Everyone has their favorite flowers, and I wonder sometimes what this might say about a person. Each flower stands for something, right? Even the flower’s color has special meaning. Although some are obvious—the Forget-Me-Not means “remember me forever”—not all are as intuitive. A Gladiolus represents strength of character, while the Snapdragon means presumptuous. A red Rose signifies passionate love, while a yellow one symbolizes friendship. A comprehensive list of these flower meanings can be found Here.

Which brings me to me. I am a collector of orchids. This flower stands for delicate beauty, which I don’t think describes me at all! Perhaps it’s what I strive for, or maybe it’s just that the delicate beauty of the orchid inspires me to care for and protect it.

pictures from Pixabay

I have a room with a south-facing window which makes it a perfect place for the Phalaenopsis variety of orchid to live. This, the most common variety, is hardy and comes in a variety of colors and patterns. But many people, upon buying or receiving an orchid, assume that once the magnificent blossoms wither and fade, the plant is dead. I’d like to clear up this horrible misconception.

The orchid bloom can live from a few hours to six months, depending on the variety and its living conditions. But just because the flower dies, the plant is far from dead! Some types of orchids can live survive for up to 100 years—they just don’t always flaunt their lovely Sunday-best dresses. Fossil evidence supports the theory that orchids have existed in our world for over a hundred million years.

And talk about variety! The size of orchid blooms can range from 2 mm to 2.5 meters. Some display amazing coloration variations, from mimicking a snowy owl, to a monkey face, to a bee. Check out the awesome photos at this website to see them: http://www.flowerweb.com/en/article/190242/15-Amazing-Facts-About-Orchids

So, what draws me to orchids? I wish I could explain it, but I will admit I have become somewhat obsessed. As of right now, my “Circle of Life Room” (which is what my son calls my plant and aquarium room) sports over a dozen orchids in various stages. Some are plain-Jane, in their dormant phase: just thick, glossy green leaves with their fleshy rhizome roots crawling over the edge of their pots. Others are just now sending up spikes with tiny buds, the promise of new blossoms to welcome spring. Others still are in full, glorious bloom, looking for all the world like silk flowers in their perfection.

The garden staff at my local Home Depot calls me the “crazy orchid lady.” Periodically, I will peruse the store’s stock of orchids—mostly Phalaenopsis—but sometimes miniature or more unusual varieties. Do I pick the ones with the most buds? The healthiest looking leaves and spikes? No. I look for the ones who look neglected, forlorn, or ill-used. These may or may not come at a discount, but one thing is for sure: When these orchids leave the garden center at Home Depot to come home with me, they believe they’ve died and gone to heaven.

I admit it. I adopt abused orchids.

I have nursed many of these failing orchids back to life. Some remain blossom-less for months—one didn’t bloom for over a year. But what a rewarding feeling as I watch shriveled, yellowed leaves plump and turn dark green. And it’s a celebration day indeed when I find that, while I slept, a plant has thrust a bud-laden spike up toward the sun.

Easy to care for, most Phalaenopsis orchids thrive on just 3 ice cubes a week—yes, I said ice cubes. This allows for the water to trickle ever so slowly over the rhizomes, giving them time to absorb exactly the right amount of water. I’m such a fanatic I won’t even use tap water to make those ice cubes, since our town water is so bad I can’t drink it. I use filtered spring water, and have two special ice cube trays in my freezer labeled “orchid food.”

Sound crazy? Perhaps. But remember, the orchid doesn’t stand for insanity or mental instability. It stands for delicate beauty. And delicate beauty deserves careful, delicate treatment. Why don’t you think about adopting an orchid and giving this delicate beauty a try?

 

About the gardener/author:

Claire Gem is an award-winning author of five novels in the genres of contemporary romance and supernatural suspense. A New York native, Claire has lived in five of the United States and held a variety of jobs, from waitress to bridal designer to research technician—but loves being an author best. She and her happily-ever-after hero, her husband of 38 years, now live in central Massachusetts.

 

Her latest novel is the supernatural suspense, Spirits of the Heart, is set in an abandoned mental asylum in the town where she grew up.

An addiction counselor & a security guard struggle to free two, lost spirits trapped inside an abandoned mental asylum.

Laura Horton returns from college to move in with an old friend & start her career. But her homecoming is jarring. Her friend’s moved out, leaving Laura alone with the gorgeous but intimidating ex-boyfriend—in a house that snugs up to an ancient graveyard. Officer Miller Stanford is a man with a shattered past. His alcoholic dad destroyed their family, a weakness Miller is terrified will consume him too. The last thing he needs is a sexy, blonde addiction counselor watching his every move. When he begins to see specters in the dark, he starts questioning his own stability. But Laura sees her too—a pathetic child-spirit searching for her father. Can they unravel the mysteries of Talcott Hall without jeopardizing their love—and lives—in the process?

 Note to readers of sweet romance—Spirits of the Heart has been labeled steamy by some reviewers and may not be suitable for readers looking for sweet romance.

 Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/1QreCAY

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jt6k1p

You can find out more about Claire and her work on her website: http://www.clairegem.com/

 

 

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden with Author Carole Ann Moleti

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Carole Ann Moleti, Catherine Castle’s gardening blog, Garden blog, hostas, paranormal romance, pictures of hostas, pruning, Storm Watch, trimming, Unfinished Business paranormal romance series

---

 

 

Today, we have gardener/author Carole Ann Moleti on A Writer’s Gardening with some beautiful pictures oh her hostas, and talking about garden clutter and getting rid of it. Welcome, Carole Ann

Thanks, Catherine,.

In gardening, as in writing, I find it difficult to get rid of things. The clutter sneaks up and gets out of control. I just can’t discard “my darlings” be they plants taking over a plot, escaping a border, or clever phrases and lush description concealing a storyline. So I reduce, reuse, and recycle everything.

A couple of years ago, my Black-Eyed Susans took over the front yard, and I culled several of them to fill in my mother’s flowerbeds. I edited more than 20,000 words out of my upcoming novel: flowery sections of prose that smothered the storyline. They’re being used as teasers bonus content for my newsletter subscribers.

This year, the Hostas are choking out the groundcover and daylilies. They’re dangling over the border onto the patio and into the driveway. My colorful accents have become a monotonous behemoth. So I grabbed a shovel and filled about fifteen pots with the lush foliage, giving most of them away to friends, saving some for our upstate cottage that needs things the deer do not favor (I let them sample the corn and crab apples).

Now the sculptures can be seen, the dead leaves hiding under the leaves are composted, and the Cana lilies are poking through the canopy. Next week, I’ll take a spade to the massive pinwheels of color spinning out of control in the front yard before they roll over the lilies of the valley and the remaining Black Eyed Susans.

My new novel, Storm Watch, the third book in the Unfinished Business Series of paranormal romances, is being released on June 28. Back to work.

 

About the Author:

 Gardener/writer Carole Ann Moleti has been gardening since she was old enough to remember. Her favorite things about gardening are the sense of peace and oneness with nature, bees buzzing, butterflies alighting, the fragrance of flowers, the field mice, frogs, and toads. When she’s not gardening, Carole is writing in a variety of genres including spicy paranormal romance, gritty urban fantasy, memoir, and nonfiction that range from the sweet and sentimental to the snarky and irreverent. You can see her portfolio at http://amzn.to/23KBru8 and find out more about her at http://caroleannmoleti.com/