March...A Month to Rest Before Garden Season Begins

It's March 1st:


We "did" the Johnson County Home and Garden Show in Overland Park, Kansas and we "did" it well. What that means is we had good crowds, our power point presentations went off without a hitch and we sold lots of books. It also means we came home not worn out but still in good shape and with energy to spare. I can't believe it!


Dave and I are busy writing books and giving lectures. He has a new book about two cats in Selby Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. I have a new book, My Garden Doctor, a reprint of a 1913 novel by Frances Duncan, and a new CD, My Grandmother's Aprons. Dave is back at work on his newest project; the tale of a family of rabbits in Kingwood Gardens in Ohio. I am working on the book about my grandmother's aprons.

We normally rest during March so we are ready to hit the gardens running in April. The month of March is usually devoted to hanging out with our friends in Sarasota, enjoying the month in warm weather, swimming in the pool and putting our feet in the white sand of Siesta Key Beach. Not so this year. Instead we are getting our condo ready to rent, finishing book projects and hosting friends and family. We will rest later.

Thanks to all the folks on facebook who are ordering my new book and CD. Thanks to all the gardeners who have continued ordering Lasagna Gardening to keep it in the top lists on amazon.com and other online bookstores.

Happy Gardening!

February 2010

Once we make the move to Florida for most of the winter we settle down to our first love; writing. Dave is working on a new children's book and I am writing a book about grandmothers and their aprons. Both books are a work of love and we spend most of every day at our different projects.

Earlier this year I finished a re-write on a book, My Garden Doctor, that was written by Frances Duncan and published in 1913. I found the little old book at a library book sale in Roscoe, NY about twenty years ago. Over the years I wished more people, who love gardening, could read this book. After researching the public domain limitations and copyrights I decided to reprint the book. It took me two years and a bummed shoulder to get the job done but this week the book is finished and is on book shelves at amazon.com and my website: http://www.lasagnagardening.com/

My Garden Doctor tells the story of a turn-of-the-century woman who is bed-ridden from over work. As she lies in bed, and continues to decline, she needs the help of an around-the-clock nurse. When one nurse leaves and another takes on the task, Caroline is put in a chair by the window, where she has a view of the back yard and a neighbor who is pruning roses. Caroline's interest is tweeked and the story of her garden begins.

With "My Garden Doctor" finished I can get on with my next book: "My Grandmother's Aprons".

"My Grandmother's Aprons"is a book based on an essay I wrote for a collection of stories published by Penquin Books in 2004 (My Mother's Garden). In that essay I brought up sweet memories of how my own grandmother used her aprons and in the telling of that story I connected with readers all over the world with memories of their own, many much like my own.

During the time I prepared for this book I made a cd of that first essay. It is available on my website, http://www.lasagnagardening.com/, at my lectures or by emailing me patlasagna@aol.com. My own words inspired me to begin a collection of aprons that I will share with those who attend my lectures or at art shows near my hometown, Crossville, TN.

The apron collection is really a lot of fun; searching them out at thrift stores, antique shops and church sales. Washing, starching and ironing the aprons with long ties and rick-rack trim. It was fun and sweet to see how women used bits and pieces of material and trim to make a garment that protected their dresses.

Aprons are not just a thing of the past but new ones can be found in chain stores and gift shops worldwide. The ones I write about are ones made and worn by our mothers and grandmothers. Each one has a lifetime of memories attached. The best part of this project is hearing the stories my readers are sharing with me of their own grandmothers and the aprons they wore. I hope you will send my your story.

January 2010

As soon as the New Year begins I begin making plans to travel North for our Lanza Family Reunion. This year was no different! From the time grand-daughter, Missy B, made her heart-felt plea for the sight, sounds and tastes of family we all (those who could get away)made our arrangements to gather at Liz & Harry's house in Hopewell, NJ. I flew to New York and visited with daughters, Mickey and Melissa, then drove to NJ. We have made the trip many times and it is an easy 2 hour drive, getting us there in time to pick up pizza from Franks in Flemington. The first night is spent in the kitchen eating pizza and planning for the weekend. Grand-daughter Kaitlin is there for a short time then gone to a friends to prepare for SAT tests.



Day two is a shopping day buying the food for the big Saturday night food fest: snack foods, main course and desserts. At the same time we buy a little special treat for the ones who come early, grand-daughter Malorie and Vito and grandson Tyler, and do the pre-party planning. We serve Dirty Martini's, King Crab Legs with drawn butter and green salad with baked Atlantic Salmon.



Saturday and as the day progressed they began to arrive: my wasband Dick, his wife Mary, daughter, Melissa, son Richard and his wife Schatzie and two grandsons, Sean and Dominick. who drove from North Carolina. The cooking begins with Richard preparing the filets, Ugly Potatoes, fresh green beans, shrimp and scallops. The phone rings and it's grand-daughter Missy B, who is sick and looking for a doctor. We give her advice about a doctor and continue cooking. Gifts for the silly gift exchange pile up; you draw numbers and pick a gift that someone can take from you. We know the exchange will get heated when a really good gift changes hands lots of times.



Missy B finally arrives looking pale but cheerful as usual. The buffet is put up and the dining room table set with an extra table in the living room. Everyone can be seated this year as there are only sixteen. We are missing eight people at this year's gathering but that's normal as it is winter and people have to work or have other obligations. The door opens and it is grandson Alex who has driven in from New York where he is working on a TV show. He lives in LA but this was one family gathering that is close to his work so he made sure he was here.




After dinner and gift exchange, that threatend to turn ugly, and folks begin to fade away: some to hotels and other's to guest rooms and the house gets quiet for the night. Early the next morning we all swing into gear again as they all begin to get up or arrive for a Sunday brunch. The big coffee pot comes out and Liz and Harry do the bagels and cream cheese with OJ. I take over the stove and make biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs and tons of fruit.



At the table we get an exchange of information from grandparents (who are both working; papa & Mary at the inn and grams (me) at a new book) brother Rich (looking for a new job) sisters (Mickey getting ready to graduate, Melissa (looking for listings for her C21 office) Liz (how she is juggling her job at J&J and a teenage daughter) daughter-in-law Schatzie (how it is going at the hospital), grand-daughters: Missy B & Malorie, (both who work for big corporations) and Kaitlin who is still in high school but also works at a daycare. grandsons: Alex, TV producer, Sean, who is the midst of moving to NC, Dominick, college student, Tyler, highschool student, and Marlorie's boyfriend, Vito, who works in investments and is interested in family history.

It's a lot to take in in a weekend but we manage and before you know it it's time to hit the road and my family departs for NY, NJ, CT and me back to TN. It must be a relief to our hosts; Liz and Harry, who have been the best ever hosts with the best food and the best humor to know they can relax and have time to unwind before work starts on Monday. I always hope we don't outstay our welcome and we are invited back next year.

The flight home was just like I like it, uneventful. As soon as I rest up from my nine day reunion it's time to pack and head for Florida. I look forward to winter in the sun.

December in Tennessee

Wood fires, split pea and ham soup and lights on the deck mark the beginning of the Christmas Season. Decorating the house and setting up the tree are easier for us now that we have slimmed down the process. We take a box out of the attic. It holds our two wreaths for the coach lanterns on each side of the garage, a box of icycle lights to outline the deck and decorations for the mantle and living room tables. We place Snoopy's Merry Christmas in the guest room window and drag the pre-decorated tree to the upper landing and plug them in. Christmas decorating is finished.

November Gardens In Tennessee

There is little doubt we have too many gardens for most people but we love it. Our lake lot is on the corner and just the location makes it a bigger area. When we came here to live on Lake Canterbury you couldn't see the lake from the house. We first took down enough trees to see the water. After that we took down trees that were too old and posed a problem for our house. This year we took down scrubby trees that were making too much shade. We still have far too many trees but with each cutting we have improved the property and given ourselves more space to garden.

The soil in our gardens is laced with fine roots and composed mostly of clay and rock. With each layer of paper, cardboard and organic material our soil has improved. After four years of lasagna gardening there are large areas where I can dig up a tree or shrub and transplant them with little effort. Each year I plant large numbers of bulbs in my improved soil. That too is a real pleasure not a chore.

November is the time to tidy up all those leaves and add them to the gardens as a mulch to continue improving the soil. This year was no different even though there are over thirty less trees to deal with. It was just easier to gather the leaves and get them where they needed to be. We mowed leaves, gathering them in our mower bags. We vacumned and chopped leaves with our Shred n' Vac. We blew them with our electric blower onto the lawn for mowing and even used an old-fashiond leaf rake. One of my best tools were the ten big tubs our new trees came in. I used them to gather up debris that needed to be taken to the brush dump and I used them to carry chipped leaves to different gardens. Next year I will use them to plant my vegetables.

My plans for next years container vegetable gardens came after a trip to North Carolina and Duke Botanical Gardens. Due to water restrictions they had planted vegetables and flowers in large containers so they could use drip irrigation for the best use of water. They buryied pots halfway in the ground and filled them with good soil. I am going to do the same thing.

It was just another reason we should all visit local public gardens and botanical gardens; ideas for our own gardens and inspiration. You can never get enough inspiration.

GWA Symposium in Raligh, NC

It was the year of my divorce and move from our country inn to my farm. After 36 years of marriage and fourteen years as an innkeeper I was alone and out of work. I kept busy putting the house in order then all my attention was focused on creating gardens in the surrounding hay fields. I gave myself a year to do what I wanted before "the real world" came knocking and I had to get a job. That was nineteen years ago and I still don't have a regular job.

It's also hard to believe but it's been nineteen years since I joined Garden Writer's Association of America; 1991 to be exact. I was working in my gardens one day when a woman, who was visiting a friend in the neighborhood, stopped to talk gardening. We exchanged information and when she found out about my weekly newspaper column she invited me to join GWAA. She even had an application in her purse.

I didn't waste any time filling out the paper work and mailing it, with my dues, into the organization's office. With confirmation came the news of a National GWAA meeing to be held in St. Louis, MO. Again I acted with speed and registered to attend. When I arrived at the airport I hailed a cab and sat back to take it all in: a new city, belonging to a new organization and maybe a new life. It had all started in my garden.

After checking in and putting my bags away I went looking for the group. I got registered and put on my badge with the "newcomers ribbon". That ribbon told everyone else I needed help and a kind word. Right away I was included in small groups who helped me find my way around. I felt a part of things and it turned out to be the begining of my new job.

One of the first things I found out was if you registered a new member you got $15. off your own membership so it was a really smart thing to carry a form in your purse.

Over the years I attended meetings in places I might never have seen: San Diago, CA, San Antonio,TX, Toronto, Canada, Chicago, IL, Augusta, GA, Portland, OR and Grand Haven, MI. More important, I met lots of perople who enableled me to visit even more places: Florida, Alabama, S. Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas. Actually I was born in Tennessee but going back to Nashville and Memphis was all new.

It was really special to be at a GWA Symposium in Raligh, NC this year. I signed up as a mentor for newcomers, hugged old friends and met lots of new people. It had been four years since I had attended a National, but had been to several Regional meetings over the years, and you just don't get to see some people if you don't go to the big ones.

I owe so much to the networking I have done at GWA meetings; publishers, editors, writers and photographers, all teaching me about the business of garden writing. And fun, lots and lots of fun.

Photos in the Garden

Thank goodness for digital cameras because I have always taken a lot of photos and it was expensive to buy film and get it processed, not to mention the gas and time for trips back and forth to the store. I still take lots of photos but when I don't get a good shot I just delete it.

When you get a picture of something you like it's nice to store it where you can get to it later and look at it. That's what happened with the ripe tomatoes. I took the shot, looked at it and liked it. I saved it in several places including on a disk. When a blight hit my tomatoes, and I lost all my plants, I still had this photo.

The Lamb's Ear and Purple Heart that line the driveway deserved to have it's picture taken. I never look at it without remembering two of my daughters, Debbie and Mickey, who brought plants from Atlanta, GA and Westbrookville, NY and planted them. The Purple Heart is a little too far North to be fully dependable and likes being close to the driveway but the Lamb's Ear made itself right at home and reseeds everywhere.