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From the Editor
May, 2009 Issue #8
Can you believe it? The month of May has arrived! For those of us in the colder climates this means that planting time is here, in one form or another, depending on how "cold" your region is.
May is also the month of giving special attention to Mom. I cannot imagine how many flowers will be purchased next week, to be given to mothers, grandmothers, and other special ladies in people's lives. For us, here at GT, it is easy to understand why flowers make such a special gift. Not only is the flower beautiful itself, but it is also a connection with Mother Earth and a symbol for growth, rebirth, patience, and the list goes on! The recipient of the gift may not see more than the beauty of the flower, but gardeners know! We know the love and care that has gone into the growth of the flower - not only the love and care by the gardener, but by Mother Earth as well. And on that thought, I was thinking that a gift for Mother Earth should also be on our lists to at least take some time to say "thank you".
And so, to Mother Earth, I say thank you! And, whether you are a mother or not and regardless of what gardening season you are in right now -- to all you GT-ers out there, have a glorious month of May!
~Debbie
GT Awards
GT Summer Awards
Last month we introduced the categories for the 2009 Summer Awards.
In case you missed it -- here they are again.
- The Sunny Sunflower
Who doesn't get inspired by a smiling sunflower? This Award will go to the Sunflower voted as the most "beautiful". Select your favourite type of sunflower, gather your seeds, find that perfect sunflower location and get ready to pamper your Awards entry!
- The Retreat
One of the greatest benefits of a personal garden area is that feeling of inner peace that it brings. For some, that feeling of fulfilment happens while gazing at a particular flower; for others it occurs while meditating in a specific setting; and for others - well, it can be anything. Share with us your special garden retreat area and in your description share your design inspiration and how the retreat area affects you emotionally.
Other GT Events
Seed Swap
Our Seed Swap 2009 was a great success, with some happy gardeners collecting some new seeds to try this year. We look forward to seeing the fruition of the exchange!
Famous GardenTenders
A great big "congratulations" to John in Cranbook on being featured in an episode of Animal Planet. We all look forward to watching the episode!
Site Upgrade
Michal has been busy and we reap the benefits! We can now post 6 pictures for each of our projects. This will really help us show off a project we have been working on and we can even go back to the posting months later to show changes! Very exciting. Thanks, Michal.
Focus On...Flowers
| Focus on Flowers
A flower is a wonderful addition to a garden area as it can tantlize all of the senses. Deciding whether you like a particular flower or not is easy, but deciding which flowers to plant in your gardens is a whole different story!
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Having a favourite flower does not mean that it belongs in your garden. So many things need to be considered. Can it be grown in your part of the world? And if not, are you able to create an environment that will allow it to grow for a short term? Knowing your "plant hardiness zone" is perhaps the first place you need to start, when planning on a flower garden. (Check out the discussions here to determine what zone you are in.)
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| Another consideration is the amount of sunlight your plants will get. Some flowers are sun-lovers, while others prefer the shade and still others are somewhere in the middle. For example, I have a beautiful azalea that I purchased last year and it is currently sitting out in the sun. Now, after some research, I find that it doesn't like being in full sun OR full shade. Looking around my yard, I do not really have a perfect environment for it. I am crossing my fingers but have realized that I should have done the research first!
Other considersations include your type of soil, how much water they need, personal preferences (such as time of bloom, height and overall size).
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You also have to consider whether you will be buying a full-grown plant, a young plant, or if you will be starting the plant on your own. And, do you have the time and patience for starting things from seed?
The list of choices and considerations can be endless -- but the end result, regardless of which way you go, is priceless!
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| How do you decide which flowers to grow in your gardens? Share your tips & tricks, here. |
How To's And More
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Looking for information on Gardening?
Our members have shared lots of tips and tricks over the past month. The following are some of the tips posted.
Recap from April's GT News topics:
And... add your "two cents" to this month's discussion: May's Gardening Tips
Business
Garden Space
Miscellaneous
Plants: Flowers
Plants: Vegetables
Ponds
Sculptures, Containers & More
Seeds
Soil
Tools & Equipment
Projects Created From/For Gardens
Also, don't forget to check out the "tags" when doing research.
To ensure our "tags" are working effectively, remember to tag your postings with keywords that describe the topic and discussions.
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PROJECTS
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Recipes
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Why do we grow veggies and fruit in our gardens? So we can eat scrumptious food, of course! The following are some recipes that have been shared by our members.
Check out these
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Stats
Look at us!
We are 516 gardeners making 25,618 comments on 311 projects, 748 forum topics and 878 blog entries.
It was just last October that our first GT News was published. Do you remember how many members we had then? 316. Yes, we've grown by 200 members in just the past seven months. Sharing our GT News with potential members is a great way to spread the word. Share this GT News with others, today!
Milestones
Sister Sites
Promoting GT
Why Promote?
- more activity means more advertising potential
- more advertising = site maintenance fees covered
- more advertising = more "perks" and services for the members
How To Help
- word of mouth: talk about the site with gardeners and gardening companies' managers/employees
- distribute press releases, flyers, etc as they are provided, for special events
- place a link to GT.com on your personal websites/blogs
- use your GT profile as part of your business website
- let potential advertisers know about our advertising information
- make a personal donation to the site
- purchase items through the GT Store
- purchase a GT Gardening Journal
- and of course, don't forget to wear your GT t-shirt or GT Hat!
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In this Issue
In Other News
GT & You
Spring Catalogues
Seed Swap 2009
Pass it on
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