Finding Nem-aterial!

Do you remember the line from ‘Finding Nemo’ when Dory said, “This is the Ocean, silly, we're not the only two in here.” First, glad you spotted us and stop in here. Plus a big ‘Thank you’ for reading our blog posts and taking time out of your busy day to check out our social media pages. Whether it’s once in a while, on a daily basis or maybe you just happened upon us in the big fish pond. We really do appreciate it!

But believe it or not, as much as I love to write this daily blog, it’s that time of year for a quick battery recharge. Keeping things fresh and interesting five days a week can be a challenge, especially when you’re not the only two in here. But don’t be surprised if I float to the surface on Monday, whichever one it may be. I’ll be sure to post somewhere (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest) along the way. In the meantime, enjoy the many posts from the archives and if you have garden and design questions, you know how to reach me!

Image and Design by Bilowz Associates Inc.

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

It’s Always Winter Somewhere

If sizzling summer temperatures have you and your garden feeling a bit tired, it may be a good time to venture off to a cooler climate. A couple of pics just sent to us from our friends living in New Zealand might give you a refreshing blast of cool air, even if getting there might be a bit of a travel stretch.

Reality check for those folks not jet-setting to another part of the world - Maine can sometimes be an option for cooler temps. Just in case anyone is heading near or to the Mount Desert Island area, here’s a quick link to a Washington Post article about the renowned landscape architect Beatrix Farrands and a peek at her gardens. If your vacation plans land you near the Arcadia National Park vicinity, you may want to take in a few of these garden treasures, all connected to Farrands. Her private garden, open to the public in the summer months is by reservation only with just a few slots left. But give it a go; you may get lucky and take advantage of a cancellation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/secret-garden-one-of-several-near-maines-acadia-preserving-designer-beatrix-farrands-legacy/2012/07/18/gJQABnUvtW_story.html

As the French novelist, Marcel Proust once stated, “A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.”  I’ll be looking for a quick temperature change myself soon. And if you have a favorite garden to travel to, hope you’ll post it on our Facebook page or send your comments. Have a great Thursday.

Images of Queenstown, New Zealand – Neil Waldman

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

The Last Wordless Wednesday in July

Image of a Knock Out® Rose by Ann Bilowz

Today’s anonymous quote fits perfectly with one of my favorite die-hard Roses, Knock Out®. "You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to the things you don't want to feel."  My motto - if you spend time in a garden, your eyes and heart are always open to what is in bloom.  What’s blooming in your garden space today?  

Image of Knock Out® Rose blooming in this morning’s garden by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Tuesday’s Perspective

Arches National Park - Image by Greg Bilowz

To honor Amelia Earhart’s 115^th birthday, a worthy quote from this tenacious woman to start the day. “Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” So today’s post is just an image of an amazing place – Arches National Park. No matter where we find respite, be it in our garden or in the realm of nature, make every adventure worthwhile.

Image of Arches National Park by Greg Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Fall Reservations

Louis Pasteur once pointed out, “In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared minds.” So if by chance you are considering some fall plantings, e.g. bulbs, Peonies or even garlic for the produce garden, now is the time to scan those catalogs and favorite websites and get your fall order secured. If you want the unusual and unique or just the best stock, this is the time to place that order so when autumn rolls around, everything you are looking for is right at your planting fingertips. You’ll want to consider ordering any bare root fruit tree liners you want to get started in the spring, too. So book ahead and get the stock you really want. Be prepared for what you want to plant in your garden. Make your fall reservations now.

Image of Tulips in bloom this spring by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Fresh from the Veggie Bin

With fresh greens and veggies springing up everywhere in the garden, cooking a creative meal from that veggie bin (your own backyard) rates high on the healthy scale. So what’s piling up in that garden?

As Mark Twain once said, “Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” So if you like the taste of a good food fight, here’s a quick stir-fry recipe creating summer sizzle with crunch and heat while those fresh veggies duke it out.

What you’ll need:

A wok

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

4 to 5 dried Thai Chili Peppers

2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced

1 Onion chopped

2 cloves Garlic minced

2 Summer Squash sliced

½ cup Coconut milk

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 to 2 cups Snap peas

10 sprigs fresh Thai Basil

Sriracha sauce (optional)

Heat olive oil in the wok. Put dried chili peppers in heated oil for 2 minutes (high heat).

Add the minced fresh ginger, garlic and chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add sliced summer squash and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, fish sauce and coconut milk. Simmer with lid off to reduce and make a sauce. Once thickened, add snap peas for another 2 to 3 minutes. Keep the peas crunchy. Don’t overcook. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chop up and add your Thai basil and serve on a plate over rice or just as is. If you want to kick it up a notch, you can add Sriracha sauce. It compliments the coconut flavor.

So there you have it; fresh from the veggie bin. And whatever you might be missing from that garden, your local farmer’s markets should be able to supplement you with all those extras. Or you can get creative with your own food fight delight and work with what’s popping up in your own garden! Have a great weekend. 

Image of what’s fresh this morning from the veggie bin by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Simplicity in the Complicated

Dwarf Daylilies and Eryngium 'Sapphire Blue' by Ann Bilowz

July is always a month when the gardens, like us get a bit tired. The weeds seem to take precedence over the small, simple beauties that pop up here and there. Maintenance is huge and cumbersome, particularly if you don’t like the heat. Watering, weeding, weeding, watering…deadheading, but all can be meditative.

Yet all those grand ideas and projects meant to be tackled get bumped to the cooler weather. By then, fall clean-up is the priority and all those wonderful visions of transplanting, building and creating something new fall by the wayside.

So the best design and garden advice in the heat of July is to practice simplicity even when it may be complicated. Enjoy the small, simple beauties that pop up here and there. As Frank Lloyd Wright, the infamous architect understood, “"Think simple" as my old master used to say - meaning reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles.”

Image of a dwarf Daylily and Eryngium 'Sapphire Blue' in one of the newly created spring plant beds by Ann Bilowz

P.S. Visit our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/abilowz if you’d like to see yesterday’s sunflower in full bloom.

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

The Love of Light

An almost in bloom dwarf sunflower by Ann Bilowz

On this wordless Wednesday, an almost in bloom dwarf sunflower reaches for the sun even though most of us seek shade, water and relief from this heat. As the Italian poet, Eugenio Montale reminds us, “Bring me the sunflower crazed with the love of light.”

Image by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Summer Whites

When it gets this hot, wearing white can sometimes offer the illusion of cool. If you are looking for some fresh whites for your summer garden, here are a few picks for this steaming hot week in July.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Unique’ by Ann Bilowz



Clethra barbinervis by Ann Bilowz





Phlox paniculata by Ann Bilowz

According to Sensational Color.com, the color white affects us physically by:

*Aiding mental clarity

*Encouraging us to clear clutter or obstacles

*Evoking purification of thoughts or actions

*Enabling fresh beginnings

And as Pablo Picasso reminded us, “Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” It’s why white is the perfect color to add in your summer garden design.

All Images by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

A Fava-orite Bean

In the book, Serve It Forth, M. F. K. Fisher states, “In America we eat, collectively, with a glum urge for food to fill us. We are ignorant of flavor. We are as a nation taste-blind.” But here it’s always a quest to find the best of the best especially when it comes to planting out your veggie and fruit garden! Maybe there are a few of you looking for a tasty veggie to sow next spring or even this fall. Some may be searching for fresh nutritional new flavors at the local farmer’s markets. In my book, it’s definitely the Fava bean.

If you haven’t tasted a fresh Fava bean, than you might just be taste blind! The main reason people shy away from this bean: it’s a lot of work and its yield is low. Don’t expect the bumper crop you get with string beans! This is the Filet Mignon of the bean family.

First, Fava beans prefer cool, mild conditions and take about 75 days to mature. Second, approximately 2 ½ lbs. of pods produce about a cup of edible beans. The third and what may be deemed the biggest challenge - getting to the tasty portion. But here's the rewarding and fava-orite part of this whole thing - tasting the freshness and flavor whether it’s in a simple salad or a conjured up recipe suited for this veggie.

If you think you’ve experienced a Fava bean out of a can, think again. Fresh Fava beans are it – a fava-orite bean to plant!

P.S. Thanks Carol for sending in this link for a fourth Fig source (Italian Figs to boot!) http://www.figtrees.net/ And yes, last Friday’s blog post was a current Fig image (that morning.) Greg agrees your new terraces will be the perfect spot for growing your Figs.

Top image - Fava Beans still in its pods by Ann Bilowz
Bottom image - Fava Beans ready to eat by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Figs are It

It’s a simple garden image this morning with a shot of inspiration to grow figs. As Elizabeth David reminds us, “To eat figs off the tree in the very early morning, when they have been barely touched by the sun, is one of the exquisite pleasures of the Mediterranean.” Yes, Figs are one of the wonderful treasures of that temperate Mediterranean climate. But with a little work, all things are possible, including growing one of the most delectable sweet treats around.

In case you need some of past fig postings to keep you busy on this Friday, the 13^th, here are a few from the archives, including sources for stock, growing figs and of course, a recipe! Have a great weekend. Ann

http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2010/02/create-timeless-garden.html

http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2011/03/go-fig-ure.html

http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2010/03/date-night-with-figs.html

Image of Figs by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Red Hot Ideas

Tom Hopkins points out, “Repeat anything often enough and it will start to become you.” So today seemed like a good opportunity to bring out an archived rerun and repeat an important design message. http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2010/08/clarifying-your-vision.html

So if you took the time to breeze through this past blog post, hopefully it inspires you to clarify your vision in everything you undertake, including your landscape. Have a great Thursday.

As Stephen Wright humorously reminds us, “If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?” So much to do before the next stretch of heat hits. Keep your growies and plants hydrated, including you!

P.S. Today’s images from the garden – red hot flowers for the heat of the summer!

Top Image of Crocosmia Lucifer by Ann Bilowz

Bottom Image of Hemerocallis 'Moses' Fire by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Choosing Your Companions

On this wordless Wednesday, a reminder to choose your companions wisely, including what you plant in your garden.  This combination includes one of our favorite Daylilies, Hemerocallis 'Lullaby Baby' and a pink Hydrangea gone color rogue on us. We rather like that this pink Hydrangea, which we purchased several years ago does its own thing.  

And because today is semi-wordless, William Butler Yeats’ words conclude our Wednesday. “Choose your companions from the best; who draws a bucket with the rest soon topples down the hill.”

P.S. Thank you, Carol for the kind words about yesterday’s blog posting. What a wonderful surprise this morning for us! And thank you for being such great customers.  

Top Image of a Hemerocallis 'Lullaby Baby' and pink Hydrangea gone color rogue by Greg Bilowz

Bottom Image is a close-up of the color rogue Hydrangea by Greg Bilowz

P.S. We thought the Hydrangea was 'Pink Perfection' but will confirm with the nursery we bought it from years ago!

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Hardscaping the Summer Away

The Greek sage and Stoic philosopher, Epictetus pointed out that “No great thing is created suddenly." While this advice, so wisely stated has been around for a bit, it makes sense during these summer days to consider what hardscape (i.e., stone walls, terraces, and walkways) are necessary to complete your outdoor space. Choosing your materials is half the fun (or battle) and whether you design a formal or casual space depends on your taste and your architecture. Outdoor entertainment can seem incomplete without a proper, functioning designated area that accommodates patio furniture, grills, or a spa to name a few. Combining the softscape (trees, shrubs, and perennials) can still be planted late summer, early fall with enough time for all to get cozy and situated during the dormant season. When next spring rolls around, that great thing suddenly seems created! Consider hardscaping the summer away.

Terrace, sitting wall and steps designed by Bilowz Associates Inc. – Images/design by Greg Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

The Number One Soil Builder

Where did you hang out over the holidays? If it was like this Swallowtail butterfly, in your garden, there should be plenty to chat about when it comes to the veggie and fruit department. So why start thinking about what to plant for next year?

It’s time to get the tomato and cucumber lovers out of their comfort zone. Too many folks overlook potatoes, an easy to grow crop for your summertime garden. Why would you want to test the potato waters? You can check out this post from last July http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2011/07/potato-banter.html for a myriad of reasons to grow potatoes. But one of the best, besides the flavor (because you’ll never want a store bought potato again) is how one crop of potatoes can build your soil. Do you have a garden area that has been fallow or needs improvement? Plant a row of potatoes and when you start digging in the earth to find those treasured nuggets, you’ll be amazed at the richness and texture of the soil. The next year you’ll have beautiful growing conditions for planting your leafy greens, onions, garlic… remember, even if your garden is small, you want to rotate your crops whenever possible.

So let’s hop back on theme with our Swallowtail butterfly. As William Feather once said, “Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” For all those who garden, it’s a big commitment. But the rewards are huge! And if you grow a row of potatoes, your soil building for the following growing season is done for you!

Image of a Swallowtail butterfly by Ann Bilowz

P.S. An email follower requested the names of the Daylilies in last Friday’s blog, http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2012/07/simple-friday-photage.html. The two Daylilies in this posting were Hemerocallis 'Strutter's Ball' and Hemerocallis ‘Cherry Cheeks’. Thanks for following!

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

A Simple Friday Photage

These profound words from the Buddha wrap up this holiday week. “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” What better way to enjoy this beautiful Friday in July? Spend it in your garden finding health and contentment. If you stick with this garden thing long enough, the faithfulness part just builds on itself.

For those Daylily lovers, hope you enjoy a couple of my favorites in the garden. You can’t beat these colors! The perfect perennial for the month of July!

P.S.  Reed, I hope there was enough berry talk for you this week. Some of the produce we are enjoying – cukes, summer squash, peas, lettuce, potatoes with dill and of course, olive oil! And if you don’t have veggies and fruit growing in your garden, support your local farmers and the markets they travel to whenever you can.Will Roger reminds us, “The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer.”

Daylily images from the garden by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Thursday’s Garden Angle

 

A bee's perfect summertime dessert
Image by Ann Bilowz  



Today’s post is short and sweet as is this holiday week! Because Tuesday’s talk was all about berries, I’m pulling from the archives an easy, no-heat cheesecake recipe (requires no cooking); it’s just a delightfully refreshing treat. http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2011/07/merry-berry-picking.html

You can choose your favorite berry and I guarantee if you like it sweet, you’ll want to keep this recipe for those hot, hazy heat waves.  As Bill Watterson reminds us, “I'm not a vegetarian! I'm a dessertarian!” It’s true that all our summer veggies are awesome to grow and eat but dessert is like an unplanned vacation. You should always try to squeeze one in!  With all the July berries and a no-heat treat, this is the perfect unplanned dessert!

Image of a bee enjoying an Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

Berry Interesting

The berry season is underway so why not take advantage of those fruity delights and mix them into a refreshing culinary surprise. Whether it’s a yogurt smoothie or an easy cobbler for the cookout, keep your eyes peeled. The berry mania is about to explode with the 4^th of July fireworks. Although the strawberries are calling it a wrap, plenty of other berries are coming into their own. And if you don’t find growing berries berry interesting or just don’t have the time, check out a local farmers’ market for a fresh stash. You might discover a U-Pick berry farm while vacationing or enjoying a leisurely summer day out.

But before we shove off to enjoy Independence Day, let’s not forget the herbs. If you’re a regular at Annie’s most of you know my favorite herb. Spearmint makes one of the best (and most popular) summertime drinks. Check out last year’s post. http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2011/07/spare-me-spearmint.html

So before you launch off for your festivities, here’s a funny quote attributed to Stephen Colbert. “Hey yogurt, if you're so cultured, how come I never see you at the opera?” The month of July and all its garden surprise is a great time to make that morning yogurt a bit more hip and add some berries to the mix! So off we go. It’s time to kick back and enjoy the summertime garden and the upcoming 4^th. Happy Independence Day to all!

Image of freshly picked berries by Greg Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/

July is Full of Garden Surprises…

Mark Twain once said, “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life.  The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want.”

With Twain’s words setting our course, questions and comments related to the world of garden and design *(including your produce questions, too) are always welcome; actually encouraged. You know how to get through.

And if you’re wondering why I chose this image from the garden, it depicts how pink and orange go nicely together; two colors you may only consider when blending a fruity summer drink or a organizing a garden salad on your picnic plate. That’s the beauty and surprise of a July garden!

Image by Ann Bilowz

If you like this blog, hope you check in daily. You can like our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/abilowz or follow on twitter http://twitter.com/annbilowz (where there are even more shared tidbits) or subscribe on the blog to receive posts daily via email or a feed. Either way, we hope you follow the postings somewhere in cyberspace and share it with your gardening friends. Contact me direct at annbilowz@gmail.com Happy Gardening. Annie P.S. You can now follow with visuals on Pinterest, too! http://pinterest.com/bilowzassoc/