Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair!

Hi Friends:

What have we been up to here at Georgia's? We've been buying, polishing, and arranging our finds for the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair. We are celebrating spring at one of the most beautiful shows in the country and will be taking lots of pictures so you, too, can be inspired! Have a look at some of the garden inspired finds we are bringing along:

 Antique cast iron planter sporting ivy, golden moss and calandiva.

Dessert plates: Limoge, Spode, Royal Albert and more!

Victorian cast iron flower basket door stop. Perfect for welcoming spring!

A great collection of vintage wicker wrapped bottles.

Vintage china place setting cigarette holders repurposed as mini planters.

We'll share more next week, in the meantime, have a great weekend from Georgia's!

Japanese Kokedama (Moss Ball) Hanging Plant!

Hi Friends:

Who doesn't enjoy a houseplant or two. There's nothing like bringing a little nature indoors, right? Just now, gardeners are onto a new and really fun horticultural trend known as kokedama which translates to "moss ball." It is an old Japanese botanic art form which involves planting in a ball of soil and then wrapping the ball in moss. A style of bonsai, plant growth in a kokedama is limited by the size of the ball. These plants are often seen hanging and are known as Japanese string gardens. They may be made with a single plant or an arrangement of plants including tropicals, succulents, herbs and grasses.

Kokedama plants can be purchased, but are often pricey. Luckily, they are very easy to make and maintain. Georgia's crew got their hands dirty last weekend and made several with great success! The best part - making them with your kids! Here's a DIY tutorial:

Materials:
small plants (tropicals, succulents or herbs)
potting soil (with peat moss)
green sheet moss
cotton thread or twine
bucket
water

Procedure:
Wet (do not soak) sheet moss and set aside.

Put potting soil in a bucket and add water until the mixture is very wet and you can form a ball without it breaking apart. 

Next, brush excess soil off of your plant and begin adding the soggy mixture onto the roots creating a ball between the size of an orange and a grapefruit. 

 This photo shows a ball formed from three mini plants: Mother of Thyme, Peperomia and Pilea.

 Completed ball with two trailing plants: Variegated Ivy and Wire Vine. 

Now begin wrapping the ball with sheet moss gathering it around the plant stem.

 The plant ball should be completely enveloped in sheet moss.

Finally, wrap the moss ball with string until it is secure and then tie in the string end. Tie in an additional length of string for hanging.

That's it! How fun was this! Your kokedama is ready for hanging!

Tips and Care: Tropical plants are the most successful. Choose plants that require indirect or low light and follow plant care instructions. Kokedama are usually hung inside, but some may be able to spend the summer outdoors. Water by immersing the moss ball in a sink of water for 10 minutes and allow to drip dry before hanging again. Enjoy!

Friday Finds Celebrates Spring!

Hi Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the sights, sounds, tastes and "Spring" one-of-a-kinds we loved!

While the warmth of Spring is most welcome, I will miss the bare trees that look like lace against the sky.

Embellish a grapevine wreath with your favorite seasonal stems - great door decor! 

Every gardener needs a caddy. We love this vintage Sears tool caddy! Perfect for carrying all the essentials out into the garden.

Create the garden of your dreams in miniature! This project assembled with live mini plants makes a great indoor or outdoor centerpiece. Find supplies at your local garden and/or craft center.  

I love listening to the birds in the early morning and watching them dart in and out of the bird house outside of the kitchen window. These bird houses made from repurposed lumber and natural elements fit right into the landscape! 

Georgia's fell hard for this vintage French planter! If you can't live without it, let us know; it's available for purchase! 

Great vintage scoop basket! We can think of so many ways to use this. Gather produce, fill with fruit, stack with magazines, or create a floral arrangement. This, too, is available at Georgia's! 

"Simple Gifts," sung by Jewel, is a one-verse Shaker song written and composed in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett. It has been adapted and arranged many times and reminds us of the gift to simply "be" this Spring.

Fall Flavor!

Every year, at this time, I struggle. The planter at my front door is lush and thriving, but as Fall approaches, I'm eager to make changes. I'm seduced by ornamental kale, flowering cabbages, dusty miller, pepper plants and mums. But, I feel guilty; I can't bring myself to abandon the plants I've nurtured all summer. I mean look at my diamond frost and that sweet potato vine! Ripping them out right now is wrong isn't it? Darn these lingering warm temperatures! Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready for the cold, but what to do. How about adding a large bottle or crookneck gourd to the planter or nestling in a second planter filled with Fall plants. This year, I'm calling upon cinderella pumpkins to "season" my entryway and accessorizing with grapevine garland and burlap ribbon. I can carry this through to Thanksgiving with a quick bow change to celebrate Halloween. How do you make the transition? Georgia's wants to know! 

Herbalicious!

By now your herb garden is abundantly giving back or you are finding a profusion of fresh herbs at the market. Sweet basil leaves are large and pungent, oregano is lush and rosemary is highly aromatic. If you're like me, you are scrambling to take advantage of all this flavor. Nikki recently shared a recipe with me for Grilled Bread with Rosemary-Honey Drizzle from Vegetarian Times. I've had it three times in the last two weeks as it makes a simple and delicious accompaniment to a variety of dishes! And...you can use the grill! Enjoy!

Grilled Bread with Rosemary-Honey Drizzle

8 slices crusty artisan bread, such as ciabatta sliced 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick

3 Tbs. olive oil

coarse sea salt for sprinkling

3 Tbs. honey

2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped

1/4 tsp. sherry vinegar

1) Preheat gas grill to medium. 2) Brush bread slices on both sides with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Grill bread, covered, 2 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown on both sides. 3) Meanwhile, warm honey, rosemary and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle warm honey mixture over warm grilled bread. Serve immediately. Serves 8.