Wednesday, November 28, 2012


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Everyone is in such a good mood suddenly. 
Must have something to do 
with the unexpected thrill of seeing  the first 
Christmas lights appearing on 
Main Street and knowing our beautiful village 
will soon be at its most endearing.

iwind

Or maybe it is the effect of the throngs of 
wonderful people continuing to
 pitch in in The Far Rockaways and Breezy Point 
and the many places hard hit by the storms. 
(Friends – you know who you are)

So, in the spirit of the season…
I suggest the following:

Be extra kind.

In the rush of preparation - don’t forget to pay extra attention to your dog(s) and all pets of any nature.

If you are interested in Shopping Local, one consideration should be LongHouse's InStore.

BlueSpears

We encourage these ideas: 
BUY Local – BUY Small – BUY Independent

And in that same spirit of feeling good and sharing 
with the gardeners in your life...

Our Dianne B Christmas Deal is made in heaven 
for those of you who want to give our handmade  
but pricey Dutch Tools and – and it goes 
without saying – the Monogrammed Shovel.  
(If you want to actually put the shovel under the tree, 
the order must be in our hands by December 3rd to guarantee delivery by Christmas).

DBGiftCert6135s

15% off Gift Certificates up to $50 and 
25% off Gift Certificates over $50.

We will (real) mail to you our smart looking  Gift Certificate if your Order is received 
before December 19th.

You can wait till the very last minute if you prefer everything electronically…

Happy Holidays!




Monday, November 19, 2012

That Sporadic Look....


THAT  SPORADIC  LOOK

So easy to imagine but so much work to achieve.
This word has
an entymological meaning – coming from the word spore
(you best know it from the underside of ferns)
where every little random dot might become another fern.

Well, planting the spring bulbs so that they look well,
here and there – a little irregular -
sporadic, if you will, takes patience
and precious garden space…

SporIMG_2355

SporIMG_2367

SporIMG_2389



CYCLAMEN DREAMS

Last month I received 10 Cyclamen plants from
Edelwiss Perennials in Oregon –  the state
(thank God it's a blue one)
 that seems to produce the best plants.
 
This is the 3rd or 4th attempt in my two decade plus gardening
career to re-create a field of blooming cyclamen once
seen under a great spreading tree in autumn
 somewhere in a wine region of France.
This somewhat hazy apparition haunts me.
My 1st order from Edelweiss looks very good and included a nice
personal note from the proprietor Urs Baltensperger,
which is always a turn-on .
The young plants were lusty…the leaves well-mottled and
I have a very good feeling 
that this time is the charm...

This is what I've got...

Cyclamen-GotP1010196

This is what I want--

cyclamen_coum


You can read this issue of DIRTIER in its entirety HERE!!






Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Please Vote Today!

Remember to VOTE today!




AND WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
 
This 20 foot wide 12 bottom plow is what makes our Favorite Farmer, John Hoff, just simply go over the moon.

JHoffTractor


He is our endeared Pure Steel Shovel maker and has gallantly made time in this hectic autumn season of planting and plowing to fill a superfast order for us…
If you are thinking of our one-of-a-kind lasts-forever
monogrammed high-gauge stainless shovel for your
gardening beloveds for Christmas …put in your orders now
and we will all be ahead of the game…

Nothing says
"look how I thought of you"
as endearingly as a Monogrammed Shovel
.

Dianne B Best Products 121


NO, I  CAN’T  BE  BOUGHT
 
But Preen Organic Vegetable Garden weed killer really works.
One of the few perks of being a garden writer, this kind of
company sends me big containers of its products to try.
Well – I figured if it is OK for vegetables, it would be OK around
my varied plantings, so I have tried it in some unlikely places, in almost full sun and almost deep shade – and it works.
The trick is that the area must be weed free when you sprinkle the 
little pellets on
(it doesn’t smell and it doesn’t kill weeds that are already there)
and sure, a few unwanted things peep up here and there but by
and large – it really works.

P1000886


MORE  GROUNDCOVER – don’t wince…

In preparation for my new book, on the unlikely subject of Groundcovers: The Garden's Carpet,  on and off I have been
giving you a few sneak previews of favored and enthralling combinations…Here are a few more:


Painters Palette and Epimedium are a smart combination
because they are interesting at opposite ends of the
seasonal spectrum.

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And, of course, Lamium, everyday violets, Japanese Painted
Fern and variegated Petasites go with everything

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Combinations are absolutely endless…more next time as this
idea knows no end...

And who said Groundcovers are boring....

To read this entire issue of DIRTIER--Click Here!