When I recently took a trip to Little Rock, Arkansas, as a guest of P. Allen Smith for his 3rd annual Garden2Blog event, I was blown away by a number of things. The knowledgable sponsors, the beautiful gardens and scenery, the energetic participants, old and new friends. But sometimes I like to take a step back and notice the little things that make something special. The details that enhance a meal, the touches that transform everyday things into elegant features — these are the things that mark our civility and create beauty in the midst of our lives.

So even though this isn’t really about gardening, it’s about noticing and appreciating the art around us, wherever we find it. Gardens, meals, homes — they all give us a sense of culture that we can create in our own spaces. I hope you enjoy these images.

Silver serving pieces

Artful books on a table

Flowers in the bathroom

Delicate, fine china

An incredible cup of coffee

Candles on a table

A beautiful chicken

Gorgeous bed linens

A plant on a side table

A beautiful flower

A gracious palm in a corner

Stained glass

Are these things necessary in life? Not exactly. But they are the things that make life more beautiful, more gracious, more precious to us. When life is a struggle, even when life is a joy, things of beauty and culture are like lights that draw us in and pick us up. Look around you; there is beauty everywhere. Everywhere.

“The ability to see beauty is the beginning of our moral sensibility. What we believe is beautiful we will not wantonly destroy.”

Rev. Sean Parker Dennison

I had THE. MOST. FANTASTIC. TIME. EVER. last week at P. Allen Smith’s Garden2Blog! Allen and his sponsors invite a couple dozen garden bloggers to his Moss Mountain Farm in Little Rock Arkansas every spring to talk about gardening, plants, soil, cooking from the garden, urban farming and garden trends. I was fortunate to be invited to the inaugural G2B back in ’11, and then overjoyed when I was asked to attend again this year. Aside from the fact that everyone there is interested in all things gardening — even though we each have our niches that we tend to hang out in — what makes this such a special event? People.

It’s always true, isn’t it? Events are fun, but it’s the people and the relationships you forge with them that really make the memories. This year, I was lucky to meet with some people for the first time in person after connecting with them for some time (years, even) in social media.

One person I was excited to meet was Carolyn Binder of Cowlick Cottage Farm — Carolyn and I are both a part of the Proven Winners Garden Gurus, and we have known each other online for well over a year now. We have dear friends in common in real life, but we’ve never seen each other before last week! I told Carolyn she better live up to all the hype about her, and she did — what a talented, smart and hysterically funny person she is! I just love her.

Laura Mathews, coincidentally, is also a Proven Winners Garden Guru with Carolyn and me, but Laura and I go way back. About 3 years ago a large group of garden bloggers met up at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, and Laura and I have been friends ever since. Her blog is Punk Rock Gardens, and if you met Laura, you’d love her almost as much as I do. She is kind, sensitive and is wickedly funny. Here we are in our floppy garden hats that all the chicas were given at G2B.

Two more awesome garden friends are Teresa O’Connor of Seasonal Wisdom, and Steve Asbell of The Rainforest Garden. Like Laura, I’ve known Teresa for several years through industry events, and she is so personable and warm, always looking to make a real connection with people. Steve is another friend that I’ve known online for probably two years but had never met in person — he is only 30 and is already so accomplished with his writing and garden illustrating that it makes my head spin. Dude is funny, too! Are you sensing a theme here? Most everybody I seriously connect with has a sense of humor. Here we are at the airport trying to look sexy. It didn’t work, but it was fun anyway. People thought we were nuts. We prolly are.

I have to first apologize for the photo quality here. This was our last night at Moss Mountain Farm and we were deep into our party. But really, wherever these two women are, it’s a party. Kerrie Rosenthal (right) and Carol Niec (left) are some of the  craziest, high energy people I’ve ever met. Ever. Right before I took this pic, Carol and Kerrie were pulling people out of their seats to get up and dance. As one song ended and another started, I asked Carol, “What song is this?” and she shouted, “Does it matter??” These two talented women own The Seed Keeper Company and were one of the awesome and generous sponsors of Garden2Blog. I’ve met them before at industry events, but this was the first time I was able to get to know them better.

On our last night of G2B, we were treated to an incredible dinner and music by The Salty Dogs. This photo, above, is the result of Mimi San Pedro running around from one table to the next grabbing people for instant photos.   Mimi is Allen’s Chief Operating & Marketing Officer, and is generally responsible (along with Allen’s incredible staff) for G2B. Mimi kept us all on the straight and narrow (well, she really tried, anyway) — she is a ball of energy with razor focus and cheerful humor. Mimi is in the middle, and the rest of the gang, from the left, is Barbara Wise of bwisegardening, Carol Niec of The Seed Keeper Company, Teresa O’Connor of Seasonal Wisdom, Laura Mathews of Punk Rock Gardens (front left), Diane LaSauce of  Home Garden Life, Mimi, Rhonda Fleming Hayes of The Garden Buzz, Kerrie Rosenthal of The Seed Keeper Company, Lynn Coulter of The Home Depot Garden Club’s The Good Seed column, and Carri Stokes of Read Between the Limes on the far right.

Speaking of Carri Stokes, here she is with Amos the Buff Orpington rooster. I met Carri on Twitter several years ago, and what fun to finally meet her in real life! Carri is loads of fun — she seriously looks like the innocent girl next door, but don’t let that fool you. This one is subversively and delightfully in the middle of any shenanigans. Then, when you catch her, she has a “Who, me?” look on her cute face.

Here’s Laura Mathews again, but this time with Chris Tidrick of From the Soil. I met Chris a couple of years ago at in industry event in Chicago, and we’ve been good friends since. I love Chris’ deeply thoughtful yet burst-out-loud-laughing personality. He is such a genuinely good person and I’m so happy to have him as my friend. Plus, he’s a camera geek and IT guru, so I always know where I can turn when I have a problem.

And Laura Hayden! I didn’t know Laura at all — our connection was online because she is very good friends with Chris Tidrick. What a cool chick — very down-to-earth and quietly confident and, of course, very very funny. Did I say quiet? Laura is not the one with the lampshade on her head, but it’s the quiet ones you gotta look out for. Serious. Laura’s blog is Durable Gardening.

More wonderful people that I somehow did not get a pic of are Chris VanCleave of Redneck Rosarian, Janet Carson with U of A, Kelly Trimble of HGTV Gardens, Kenny Point of Veggie Gardening Tips, Kerry Michaels with About.com, Mallory Colliflower with HGTV Gardens, Mary Ann Newcomer with Gardens of the Wild Wild West, Robin Ripley Wedewer with Bumblebee, Amy James of Our Everyday Dinners and Teresa Byington of The Garden Diary.

Here’s the whole gang — and yes, that is me almost whacking poor Allen in the face.

And speaking of Allen — thank you so much, my friend, for inviting us to your wonderful home yet again! You bring people together, provide avenues of education about food and gardening, and create memories for countless people through your generosity and talents. As my mother would have said, “You’re a good one.”

Disclosure: My trip and expenses were provided by Allen and a group of fantastic sponsors — The Berry Family of Nurseries, Bonnie Plants, Star Roses, Jobe’s Organics, Laguna Ponds, Le Creuset, The Seed Keeper Company and Troy-Bilt. Any posts I write are my own thoughts and opinions.

Kylee and I are so excited to be celebrating the release of our book, “Indoor Plant Decor,” with a group of wonderful friends and colleagues! Since the release on April 15, we have been hitting the ground running — and we’re ecstatic to know that so many people are as passionate about houseplants as we are!

These friends have graciously and enthusiastically agreed to participate in our Virtual Blog Tour & Giveaway — visit each one of their sites and leave a comment to enter to win a fabulous garden-related prize. Caveat: I am composing this post on my iPad in an airport on the way to an industry event, using a new app — if there are errors or goof-ups, it’s totally due to my newbie app status, and I’ll fix them as soon as I am back on my trusty Mac.

Gossip In the Garden – Rebecca Sweet will be giving away a set of Moss Rocks!™ from Moss and Stone Gardens.

Gardening Gone Wild – Debra Lee Baldwin has a $25 Logee’s gift card for one of her readers. A photo from Debra’s home is featured on page 119 of our book!

Cowlick Cottage Farm – Carolyn Binder will be offering a Home Farmer Seed Saving Kit from The Seed Keeper Company.

Dirt du Jour - Charlotte Germane and Cindy McNatt have a 6″ x 12″ Living Frame planter from Succulent Gardens to give away.

Not Just A Housewife – Stacy Risenmay will be giving away a vintage-style cloche and saucer terrarium set with a begonia tuber for growing from Longfield Gardens. Stacy has a cool planting idea and photo featured on page 16 of our book!

The Impatient Gardener – Erin Schanen has a four-piece small tool set from DeWit Garden Tools that is perfect for houseplants that one lucky reader will win.

Digging – Pam Penick also has a tool set from DeWit Garden Tools to give away.

The Rainforest Garden – Steve Asbell has a super assortment of bookazines and magazines from Better Homes & Gardens for one lucky winner. Steve was the winner of our design contest and his idea is featured on page 36 of our book.

The Casual Gardener – Shawna Coronado is giving away a two-piece small pruner set from Dramm.

The Personal Garden Coach – Christina Salwitz will be giving one of her readers a stainless steel watering can from The Master Gardner

I’ve always said that the transitions in a garden are the most difficult to plan out. What to do with that one space where your decomposed granite area meets up with river rock, grass and steel edging? How to move from your patio out to your hot tub area? What about weird colors that meet up suddenly in your established plantings, or two different garden styles (tropical and cottage) that bump heads? While I wish I could address all of these, I can’t — some things are a work in progress, and I’m learning all the time, too — here are my favorite YES! garden transition moments.

1. Your patio ends and the grass begins. Anyone can have a simple concrete patio edged with lawn, but that’s a little expected and seems a bit harsh to my eye. Transition from one to the next gradually by adding some concrete pavers in a somewhat random pattern, then add pieces of flagstone set into the grass. More visually interesting, more creative and definitely more cool!

2. One garden “room” butts up to another. Perhaps you have an entertaining area (pool, spa, patio) that is adjacent to your vegetable garden or a quiet meditation space. You don’t necessarily want these two spaces to be visible to each other, do you? Create an entryway that says, “You’re now leaving one area and entering another.” Stone pillars, a cool gate, matching planters standing sentry, a well-made fence with surrounding plantings are all ways to delineate spaces and create an entry. You don’t have to be as high-dollar as this example — use what fits your budget and your aesthetic best.

3. You’ve got natural rock in your yard but you also want pretty landscaping. Don’t fight what Nature gave you — make it a part of your landscape, or shine a light on it and feature it. This buried boulder was not going anywhere in this yard, so the homeowners went right around it. The landscape edging butts up to one side and continues on the other, making the bed look more natural and like it fits into its surroundings. Genius.

4. You want to use natives but hate the “regional” look. Whether that “regional” look is arid cactus gardens or billowy cottage gardens, you can have your natives and the style you want, too. It’s all in the design and layout. This garden marries formal design with Texas native plants by using symmetrical plantings, geometric shapes (the circular lawn area) and a graphic criss-crossing pathway. 

5. You have oddball plant colors that don’t necessarily “go.” There are a number of ways to deal with this one. If you have some orange flowers and pink flowers (not two colors I generally use together) and want to keep them both, add another plant that has both colors in it, like purple coneflower. Or use a third color that draws the eye and and creates interest, like the bright green coleus in this image. I wouldn’t necessarily put the strappy cordyline next to those red mums (nothing horribly wrong with it, just not something I would gravitate towards), but add in that shock of lemon-lime coleus and suddenly things go POP POP POP! It’s the horticultural bait and switch.

Most of us have our smart phones on us at all times — I use mine constantly to take pictures of interesting transitions and garden features outside my doctor’s office, driving home from the grocery store or walking through my neighborhood. You don’t have to totally dig the entire landscape to glean something from it, so stay alert and look for those moments where brilliant transitions do their job and figure out how to work them into your space.

Read more about transitions from my colleagues on the Roundtable:

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

Deborah Silver : Dirt Simple : Detroit, MI

Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT

Mary Gallagher Gray : Black Walnut Dispatch : Washington, D.C.

Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT

David Cristiani : The Desert Edge : Albuquerque, NM

In honor of Earth Day 2013 and in celebration of my book release with co-author Kylee Baumle (“Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants“), I’d like to take a moment to remind you all that houseplants aren’t just a pretty face, they actually work for their keep! There are a number that purify the inside, dusty, nasty stagnant air that we all breathe, whether we work from home or in an office cubicle.

Our indoor environments are well-sealed buildings and rooms that trap noxious chemicals from paint, pesticides, cigarettes, cleaning products, building materials and office equipment. Substances like formaldehyde, xylene, benzene and trichloroethylene can cause headaches, dizziness, sinus congestion and nausea — but never fear, there is something to be done about all this nastiness. Improve your air circulation, use non-toxic materials and choose some air-purifying houseplants like these:

1. Peace Lily (Spathifillum spp.): Peace lily attacks all the biggies: formaldehyde, xylene, benzene and trichloroethylene. Keep it evenly watered and give it a dimly lit area and it’ll thrive with glossy green foliage and white blooms. 

   photo from flickr audreyjm529

2. Snake plant (Sansevieria spp.): Also known as “Mother-in-law’s Tongue,” snake plant is a nearly indestructible plant that takes near total neglect. Water it once a month or so, give it low light conditions to brighter light near a window and watch it thrive. It attacks formaldehyde, which is common in cleaning products. 
3. Golden pothos (Scindapsus aures): Another formaldehyde attacker, pothos is one of those wonderfully low-maintenance houseplants with trailing green foliage. Set it atop a bookcase or entertainment center and give it twice a month watering and bright indirect light.

   photo from flickr quinn.anya

4. Warneck dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’): This houseplant combats pollutants associated with oils and varnishes, and thrives in lower light conditions. It can grow to a staggering 12′ high if given the right conditions of indirect light and regular watering. Features beautiful striped leaves in clusters atop thin stems.

   photo from flickr ritesh3

5. Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum): This hard-to-kill houseplant battles benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene. It features green and white strappy foliage that produces babies or “pups” that can be clipped off and propogated. Give it bright indirect light, well-drained potting soil and regular watering, but it will also thrive when neglected and underwatered for awhile.

   photo from flickr valeriebb

I was lucky enough to attend Rebecca Sweet and Susan Morrison‘s now-famous pre-San Francisco Flower and Garden Show cocktail garden party this past Tuesday evening, and if it weren’t enough simply to see wonderful friends and tour Rebecca’s stunning garden, we were treated to Amy Stewart playing bartender to promote her new book “The Drunken Botanist” (Algonquin, March 2013).

Amy served two drinks from her wildly popular book, and I immediately gravitated towards one, the Lavendula Intoxicataea (recipe here). It features gin, which I love, and lavender, my favorite scent. What’s not to love about this drink?

Amy’s book offers insights into the myriad of plants/flowers/herbs that have been used to turn into alcohol, over 50 cocktail recipes, and growing tips for gardeners wanting to cultivate their own little cocktail garden. I’ll certainly be trying more recipes this spring and summer — my front porch is the Happy Hour spot for our friends and neighbors as the weather warms up. Let me know what cocktails you try, please! A girl can only drink so much at a time, don’t you know.

We’ve been planning to have chickens now for, oh, about 3 years — and now we finally have them! We built a chicken coop (post to come on that one) and then went to buy our chickens at Callahan’s General Store. They didn’t have the exact breeds we were looking for, so we came home with 12 chicks of the breeds they did have. (Turns out, you can special order the specific breeds you want, but most stores will have a minimum amount of, like, 20 — and we didn’t want that many. *Snort* keep reading to find out why that is funny).

Georgia Mae, my white Plymouth Rock

That was a little over 2 weeks ago. Then last Thursday, The Hunky Fiance came home with 6 more. Yes, six. I know we wanted these particular breeds, but 6 more? Now we have 18 chicks, capacity for our 8 x 10 coop. Here’s what we ended up with:

1. Plymouth Rocks (5): We’ve got one white, one Partridge (brown) and three barred (a black and white coloration). These birds are known to be friendly, good layers of brown eggs, intelligent, curious and tolerant of cold weather.
2. Black Breasted Red Kraienkoppes (3): Classified as a rare breed, these chickens are active foragers so will do best in a free range environment. They lay white eggs, are small birds (up to 4 lbs.) and can be a bit standoffish.
3. Gold Sex Links (4): Superior egg-layers but also a good dual-purpose chicken for both meat and eggs (we aren’t using ours for meat), these chickens are on the small side (4-5 lbs for hens), which is funny because these are our largest chicks right now. Maybe they just grow more quickly?
4. Rhode Island Reds (2): RIR’s lay extra-large brown eggs with good production, will still lay over the winter, have beautiful feathers but are sometimes described as aggressive towards other breeds. Roosters are more aggressive than the hens, and we don’t have any roosters, so I’ll take my chances.
5. Americaunas (2): These chickens come in many different colors, lay medium-sized blue/green eggs, are known for their friendly and docile personalities and do well in most climates.
6. Brahmas (2): These have adorable feathered legs and can grow ginormous (9-10 lbs.). These gentle girls lay brown eggs and are winter hardy, but can be diggers and have just average egg-laying.

Jolene, one of our Kraienkoppes

These little chicks are so snuggly and sweet, growing fast, and all getting along well. The only problem we’re having is that Pip, our 65-pound dog, likes to lick them. We can’t tell if it’s a maternal, protective kind of lick or a “Yum, you would feel really good in my tummy” kind of lick, but we’re willing to work with her.

We’ll keep you updated on our chicks as they grow — we are first-time chickens owners, so we are learning as we go. For right now, they are a bit of work until they are big enough to put out into the coop, but we are thrilled to have them. Probably not any more so than Pip, but anyway….

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the DeWit Potting Scoop — we had 79 people who really wanted it, but only one could win. Congratulations to Kathy Mayberry! If you would like your own scoop, you can order one here from the DeWit company. Many thanks to DeWit for providing the scoop, and to Shawna Coronado for designing it!