Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Time Flies....and a Seed Giveaway




The older one gets, the more one realizes the truth of the old saying, "Time flies." That is certainly true when I realized that it was two years ago today that I first entered the world of blogging. It doesn't seem possible that it has been two years since my life changed--getting up earlier than usual, not to spend an hour with Rose and Blanche or Julia and Charlene, but to turn on the computer instead of the television to read the latest posts from blogging friends. Taking photos of little green shoots bursting through bare dirt is now as common an occurrence as taking photos of the grandkids.



The highlight of the past year had to be Spring Fling in Chicago, where I met several of the garden bloggers I've come to think of as friends, and where I made many more new friends as well. I have learned so much about gardening through blogging, and I've spent many an enjoyable hour getting to know so many people from across the country and the world with a variety of interests, not just gardening.


A year ago, on my first blogaversary, I wrote about what blogging has meant to me, and every word of that more carefully written post still holds true. As a way of thanking all of you for coming here whether regularly or occasionally and leaving a comment, I'd like to give something back in return.




Several weeks ago, I was lucky enough to receive an offer to choose quite a few packages of free seeds from Renee's Garden. In appreciation, I will order an additional six packages of seeds of your choice for one lucky winner here. Many of you have no doubt already ordered most of your seeds, and some of you have even started some indoor seeding. But there is still plenty of time to direct sow your seeds--the method I seem to have the most luck with. And if you're like me, you can always find room for a few more seedlings. I think I got carried away with ordering different varieties of cosmos this year, but after seeing how well these flowers did in my garden last year (first photo), they are going to be a mainstay in the butterfly garden for years to come.





Right now I'm on a quest to find seeds for some purple poppies like these gorgeous blooms I saw on Monday at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show. More on the show in my next post--I took over 200 photos!--but if you'd like to see some of the fabulous displays there, just visit some of the Chicagoland bloggers, including Mr. McGregor's Daughter, Ramble on Rose, or Carolyn Gail.




In addition to the seed packets I'll order for you, Renee's Garden has very graciously offered to include one of her cookbooks. Recipes from a Kitchen Garden contains "300 different recipes for easy to prepare dishes emphasizing fresh ingredients, wonderful flavors and simplicity of style." This should be an excellent resource for all those fresh vegetables coming from the garden this summer.



I'll make it extra-easy for you to enter--just leave a comment below and include your favorite vegetable or flower you like to grow from seed. You have until midnight Monday, March 15 to enter. One winner will be chosen randomly after that time.




Thank you again, dear friends, for an enjoyable two years of blogging!



46 comments:

  1. CONGRATS on two years! Doesn't seem that long does it?

    Oh gee, to leave a comment about my favorite veggie or flower I grow from seed. It will be easy because I don't particularly like growing flowers from seed but one I can think of that is rewarding is impatiens. The veggie has to be peas.

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  2. I love those cosmos! I've never seen any like it!!!

    I'd like to be entered please. I love growing things from seed. I love growing poppies, and they reseed themselves every year and Spinach has to be my favorite veggei to grow from seed though Chard is a close second. :)

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  3. Happy 2 year blogging anniversary, Rose. It's has been a true delight knowing you. Nasturtiums would be my pick for ease although I seldom remember to start from seed. Do hope warmer days have found you.

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  4. Zinnias and tomatoes are my favorites. Congratulations on 2years - I'm still trying to find time to blog once a week:) Does it get easier? I hope so

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  5. Hello Rose,

    Congratulations on two years. I am still trying to get to my one year anniversary.

    I would love to grow Cosmos from seed. I did as a child and would love to start again. I am creating a vegetable garden and have a spot reserved for flowers.

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  6. Hello Rose! Congratulations and since I'm elbow deep in vegetable seeds and seed starting mix (and I can't possibly plant all the seeds I just had to have) ;), I thought I might offer you a present for your two years: we have thousands of poppy seeds collected from our garden, Lauren's Grape. See if you would like some of these and if so email me your address. Here is a drawing:
    http://sunriseseeds.com/images/poppy_laurens_grape_lg.jpg

    Now as for another cookbook, who has enough cookbooks?

    Interesting: I have a photo with Renee when she was at our garden years ago when we were part of an International study group and our garden was one of several toured. Nice lady Renee.

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  7. Rose, your photo of the purple poppies turned out great. Weren't they gorgeous!? The show was wonderful and sharing it with you made it even more special.

    Congratulations on your blogversary! Blogging has been a life altering experience-but such a lovely one. We have shared much over the course of our friendship and now this...adding even more for us to enjoy together.

    Of course I don't want to be included in your giveaway-I know you will share your seeds with me anyway. :) But I do think this is a great idea. Have fun with it.

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  8. Congratulations, Rose! I heartily agree - time does fly; even more so as we age. LOL!

    I too have learned a tremendous amount just from my blogging buddies. As Beckie said, a life altering experience -and a good one!

    Yes, please enter me in your contest. Such a nice way of "giving back". My favourite seed would be hibiscus. I get so excited watching the seeds germinate and then grow into seedlings. Well, you know all about that.

    Nice pics too - can't wait for your next post, so we can see some from the Chicago Flower and Garden show.

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  9. Happy Blogiversary! I very much enjoy visiting your blog.

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  10. How sweet of you to offer that and a hearty congratulations on your blogaversary! The cosmos and that other bloom (anemone or poppy??) are gorgeous. So glad you've become one of my blogging friends Rose!

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  11. Happy Blogaversary! Two years sounds like a huge accomplishment. I haven't even reached my first yet. ;)

    As for the giveaway, can I just say that I *adore* Renee's recipes. I'm participating in the bloggers nasturtium growing project for which Renee's Garden donated seeds this year, and as a free gift we got a sample pack of that cosmos. Very excited to try it after seeing your photo. The bloom is more ethereal than I'd realized.

    Oh, favorite flower from seed: cardinal climber vine. Favorite veggie from seed: cucumber. :)

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  12. Happy "Blogversery", Rose! Time does fly by when you are having fun.Those seed packs from Renew are lovely - I haven't seen them in our garden shops before this year. The design on the front is delightfully old-fashioned.
    PS - my favourite veggie is the tomato, particularly any tomato plant that will grow in a hanging basket. That way I can hook them up high along the eaves of the roof, and the deer can't get them!

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  13. I found your blog very recently and enjoy reading your gardening adventures. I enjoy growing all types of flowers and have many varieites of prairie wildflowers mixed in with annuals. I have tons of different zinnias and snapdragons to plant this year. My favorites are evening primrose, although I just love anything thing that grows and blooms.

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  14. Rose girl ! I love the art work on the seed packages : ) they are beautiful and illustrate a hint of how pretty the flowers will be : )
    Happy Blogiversary girl ! I know I started in 2007 but I can't remember what month or date .. I could go backwards but that would make me dizzy ? LOL
    YES .. too true .. time does FLY and that is no lie ;-)
    Joy
    PS .. I know this won't be coming to Canada but I will say Cosmos is my favorite to start from seed : )

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  15. Happy Blogaversary, Rose! Time does fly, leaving me to wonder where it goes--especially when we are blogging. ;-)

    I can't wait to see and hear about the Chicago Flower Show, you have whetted my appetite with the picture perfect purple poppies!

    I would have to say that my favorite flower to grown from seeds would HAVE to be Morning Glories--no surprise there. My fav veggie, hmmmmm. That's a little harder, but I would have to pick tomatoes I think--heirloom, of course. But then, I have to include herbs, of which my favorite to grow from seed is Basil.

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  16. Many congratulations dear Rose, two years is a real achievement! I think when we click on the publish button for the first time we really do have no idea how much it will change our lives and indeed how much of our time it will consume. I so admire your self discipline in getting up earlier to allow extra time for blogging, if I could do that then perhaps housework wouldn't suffer as much as it has since I started! It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you Rose and sharing your life and seeing the photos of your lovely blooms and the wildlife which visits your garden not forgetting dear Sophie of course! The colours of the Summer flowers on this post are beautiful and have brightened a very dull day here.

    My very best wishes for the continued success of your blog and for your enjoyment of it :)

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  17. Rose you are so sweet to have a giveaway. Congrats on the two years. Time does fly!

    Right now I'm trying zinnia from seed. I've heard these are so easy so we'll see.

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  18. Happy blogoversary!! Congrats on a great two years and best wishes for a fabulous third!

    I will have to excuse myself from the seed giveaway for moral reasons; Renee's Garden already gave me a bunch of free seeds, including those pink cosmos, and I would feel like a total jerk trying to get yet more free seeds. Good luck to the other participants!

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  19. Hi Rose. Congratulations on two years of blogging.

    Blogging has really changed my life too. Sometimes I feel guilty for 'wasting' so much time online but usually I'm just enjoying myself keeping track of my friends.

    Last year I started my love affair with cosmos. I can't grow them from seed (tried and failed) but I can buy them locally. I had never grown or even noticed cosmos until my online friends raved about them.

    The easiest plant I grow from seed is butterfly weed. It's easy, therefore I love it:)
    Marnie

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  20. Congratulations on two year of successful blogging.

    I think, mind you I just THINK, that the poppies you saw were Anemone coronaria, 'Mr. Fokker' and you can get corms in the fall from the bulb vendors. Some of those to bloom early, and Di's Lauren Grape poppies to follow will give you double pleasure.

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  21. Oops, sorry, I don't leave anonymous comments but failed to log in first. the Anemone coronaria post is mine.

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  22. Happy blogiversary!!

    I'm notoriously bad at growing anything from seed. I always vow to do better... may next year, haha. However, I do have wild milkweed naturalizing in my garden that I started from seed many years ago, and ditto for wild columbines (the red ones). I sprinkled other colors of columbine seeds last fall so I'm hoping to get some variety this year. I also have those double cosmos from Renee's so I am going to do my darnedest (sp??) to grow them this year and hopefully they'll look as good as yours!

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  23. Congrats on the two years! Yes, time certainly get by the older we get...I love direct sowing all types of seed. I cannot choose just one, makes me feel bad for the rest...lol

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  24. Congratulations on 2 years. Time flies, it must be that for me too.

    Just popped in to say bye for now. Catch you when I have internet access again x

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  25. Congratulations on your blogaversary! You're a veteran blogger now. I'm so glad I got to meet you and Beckie at Spring Fling after getting to know both of you through your wonderful blogs.
    Thanks for the link love. I didn't take a photo of those De Caen Anemones, but I noticed them & told Rose (of Ramble on Rose) that I really wanted them. You have excellent taste. (Don't enter me in the contest, I already have those seeds. They sound great.)

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  26. Happy Blogaversary (how many spellings are there?), Rose! Favorite flower? Any kind that actually germinates and grows. The orange Cosmos seeds that Tina gave me were particularly lovely--bright orange. My favorite veggie to grow from seed would have to be snow peas with those big, flat, edible pods. Delicious steamed, even better raw, and nothing is wasted!

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  27. Happy 2 years of blogging! My 2nd anniversary is coming up soon as well. It is true about time flying when you get older. Remember how slowly it moved when we were children? Ha, now it does seem to fly….

    I love cosmos as seed as they seem to do well with little care in my garden. I would love to try a watermelon too…

    Again, congrats on two wonderful years of chit chat with us...

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  28. Congratulations on two years of blogging.
    Your photos are always excellent.

    Nuts in May

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  29. Hi Rose. Congrats on your blogiversary. My Grandmother use to say the older you get the faster time flies and I am finding it is so true.
    I like growing tomatoes and sweet peppers from seed. I have started so many flower seeds indoors this year but the one flower I have trouble with is cosmos and I love the flowers so. I keep trying though. Geraniums are my favorite from seeds though.
    Enjoy and Hope to see many more postings from you.
    Lona

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  30. Congratulations Rose on your 2nd anniversary of blogging. What fun it has been for me to get to know you. I always look forward to your posts. You write beautifully about even the most mundane of garden chores and you keep us entertained with Sophie and all the other garden magic. I don't grow many veggies from seeds. Ihave bought some peas and lettuce this year. I have the lettuce planted and I am waiting for my next day off to get out and get the peas in the ground. Peas are my favorites.

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  31. Congrats on your second anniversary, Rose -- and yes, the older one gets, the faster those days and months seem to zip by! I wish you many more years of happy posting. :)

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  32. P.S. My favourite flower to grow from seed, probably because they seem to grow so quickly and healthily for me, are nasturtiums. I had incredible luck growing tomatoes from seed last summer, too. :)

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  33. Happy Blogiversary, Rose! My favorite flower to grow from seed is Linaria maroccana, Toadflax. It never fails to make me smile when I see it blooming.

    May the next year of blogging bring you even more joy than the previous two!

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  34. Congrats on two years! I enjoy growing bush beans from seed because they produce for such a long time and the kids love picking them!
    greenlancer at comcast dot net

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  35. Hi Rose, a very happy blogaversary my friend! That photo from Chicago brought back the fondest of memories, not the least of which is the time spent with you and Beckie! Ringo!!! What were we thinking, and of course the penultimate, West of West. I love Renees seeds as well. My favorite to grow from seed is Nastursiums. :-)
    Frances
    ps, the purple poppy is Anemone De Caan, if someone else hasn't already ID'd it for you.

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  36. Caen, MMD is right. That will teach one to check the comments before opening a big mouth. :-)

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  37. Thank you to everyone for your kind comments. It's been such a pleasure meeting so many wonderful people through blogging these past two years.

    Thanks to those of you who identified the De Caen anemones for me; now I'm on the hunt to find them. In the meantime, Di, I will definitely take you up on the offer of the purple poppy seeds; they're gorgeous, too!

    I wish I had time to reply to each of you individually, but this has been a crazy week, and I'm preparing for a little trip. I'll try to visit each of your blogs instead and will contact the winner of the seeds and cookbook in another week.

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  38. Hi Rose, sorry to have missed you and Beckie at the Flower Show! Please don't enter me as I have all the seeds I need... but I'm wondering, has the seed swap reached you yet? Cause that's where I'll get all the extra seeds I need. How was AZ?

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  39. Happy Blogversary! :-) You are also a very generous person!

    My 6-year annual seed sowing always includes impatiens, as they do so well in the shade. I think I won't enter your giveaway, though. I really don't have enough sun (and beds in the sun) to support a lot of seedlings. I'm looking for homes for most of the seedlings I will be growing this Spring (besides the impatiens). ;-)

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  40. Happy Anniversary, Rose. It's been a delight to get to know you through your writings and your photos. I don't need to be included in the giveaway - my poor windowsills are overflowing with seedlings! Just wanted to say hi and send you good wishes for another fun blogging year.

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  41. Happy 2nd anniversary.

    A favorite vegetable of mine is Squash, Zucchini, "Romanesco".

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  42. Congratulations, rose, on your 2 years of blogging. Your garden, family (including dogs) photos have been a delight.

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  43. Wow! The purple poppies are stunning. Now wonder you're on a quest to find seeds for them.

    Happy Blogaversary to one of my favorite bloggers (and I'm not just saying that to improve my chances of winning the Seed Giveaway ha-ha)

    I've never planted many seeds in the past, but this year I have seeds ready and waiting for; pumpkins, peppers, cucumbers, moonflowers, zinnia (Profusion Cherry), zinnia (Zahara Starlight Rose) and sunflowers.

    donna

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  44. I just noticed NellJean's comment about the purple poppies. Good information.

    donna

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  45. Happy Blogaversary! My fave veggie from seed is green beans. Nothing tastes like them from the garden.~~Dee

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