Why I would love a Kindle

In case my previous post is not what www.bzzagent.com is looking for, I have decided to write another post. I am writing about why I would love a kindle from bzzagent and why.
First off, I would love a Kindle from bzz agent because I would get it for free and I would not have to continue to save up for one which will take a long time yet. I would not have to wait for the time to afford one to be able to use one and this would be very beneficial to me. It would be beneficial because I read alot of books over the winter and winter is coming up and the kindle is much easier to hold than a book. I would love to be able to read the books on a kindle instead of well book form.
I would love to read books on a Kindle because it saves paper to get paperless ebooks and I love to save paper where I can.
Another benefit to having a Kindle would be that I would be able to take it with me to doctor's appts and never have to worry about not enough reading material. The kindle stores many books. I have a lot of doctor's appointments so this would come in handy many times. I would no longer have to take 2 books if I happen to be 1/2 or 3/4 done a book I am reading so that I have enough to read.
Another reason I would love a kindle is that I can find all the classics for free through the Amazon Kindle site which are not always easy to find elsewhere. Plus they are free which is great! I have recently finally read Jekyll and Hyde which I have intended to read for many years but never got around to it. But I read it on my smart phone which is less than fun. It was possible but it would be so much better on a Kindle.
Would you like to hear another reason? Why that is wonderful if you do because I am going to share another one! Yay! The Kindle has many more features on it than other E Readers out on the market and it would be such a great experience reading off a kindle. But I can not afford one yet so that is why I would love to get one from Bzz agent.
I have been recovering from back surgery and have days I can't move around very much and reading is a great way to pass the time. When laying down, books can be heavy to hold up and I have to keep resting my arms. With a kindle, it would be alot lighter and much easier to read books and I could read for longer periods and get more books done!!!
More awesome reasons for wanting a Kindle is the Wi-fi, the note taking abilities, being able to share parts of the book on twitter, and the dictionary that you can look up words as you read!!!
Well I really do hope you are not tired of hearing why I would love a kindle because I do have one last reason to share. :) E books are a bit cheaper than paper books and it would save me so much in the long run to buy eBooks. I have to have a e reader though to buy eBooks. Which is why a kindle is a very good device to have! Plus my bookshelf would be so much lighter if I didn't have the paper books on it. So that is why I would love a Kindle from BzzAgent.com!!!
What is bzz agent you ask? Well let me explain! It is a wonderful program where you sign up for something called a bzz campaign and you are given the chance to try a product for free (Yes that is correct-FREE) and you are required to bzz about it. How do you bzz about it? Well you go to your friends, neighbors, strangers on the street -anyone who will listen to you and you tell them about your experience with the product! Then you go back to bzz agent and submit reports about who you talked to and what they said and what you said. Sounds too simple huh? well it sure is simple and fun! There are no strings attached. Honest. I have had lots of fun with Bzz Agent. Some products I don't like so much so I give my reports and I give my honest opinions. It helps companies make better products I think and it spreads the word about great products which companies like. Word of mouth is a great way to help companies get more business when they sell a great product. Plus I get to find new products I like through this and continue to buy these products after the bzzcampaign is over. So these reasons are the reasons I would love a Kindle!! I hope I impressed the right people!!!

Where Life takes us

Hello again,
I must apologize for my absence but I got busy with summer and even reading outside in the shade when my back has been bad that I could not do stuff. I have been working on a post for some time and not sure if I should post it or not. It is personal but something that many might relate to. There is somewhat of a contest right now on a site I am a part of for a chance to get a Kindle and I thought it might be a good time to share this. The website I am a part of is www.bzzagent.com and they offer bzz campaigns where you try products for them and share your experiences. Often I am told I should write a book since I like to write so I thought it ties in with the chance to get a kindle. I am in no way trying to take away from the seriousness of my post by submitting it but just thought this is the time to share it in a way that more people might see it and maybe relate.

The last few months I have been really thinking alot about my life and where I have been and where I have yet to go. I've been thinking about how I had plans laid out to be in a certain spot by 30yrs old. I have also been thinking how a wrench was tossed into it all I suppose you could say and in 2004 everything fell apart. I had a full time job, a business on it's way up and my life planned out to have my own store by 30. I planned to have my own house by 30. Yet what I didn't take into account was curve balls in life that can change everything. I have dealt with chronic pain for years and was determined to not let it rule my life but in 2004 it got the upper hand and I was forced to quit my job and my business and put my plans on hold. I know I may sound bitter and I once was but I think I have come to terms with it. I have learned so much from this experience and have become such a different person because of it and in alot of ways a better person. I have learned that I can make plans but I must leave room for life's curveballs-what ever they may be. I do wish I could know what is coming because it would make it so much easier to plan my life. lol I did learn to be much more flexible, especially during the times I had to wait for surgeries. Each time it was almost a year of waiting and not being able to plan much because you don't know when you will recieve the call to go in. I am not really sad about that because I grew through it.
These past 6 years I have learned that there is only so much I can control. I can't even control when my body decides to work and when it decides it doesn't want to. With that in mind, I have learned that our future really is a mystery but an exciting one. I think it is exciting because anything can happen. Sometimes the thought that anything can happen is a scary one because it means bad stuff is possible but I like to think that anything means good can happen too. I am aware that bad stuff does happen because I have had my share of it but I also know that good stuff can happen too because I have experienced it as well. If we are going through tough stuff, it is important to hang in there because the darkest night can turn into the brightest morning. I have been down as low as I possibly could with depression and thoughts of suicide and I am glad I made it through that because even though it has been a long road back up, there has been a lot of good moments along the way. I am still waiting for morning to come and for the night to fully end but I am trying to trust that it will come.
I still struggle often that I am nearing 30 and no where near where I planned to be but I also realize that because of all my experiences and struggles that I am possibly in a better place than I would have been otherwise. Before everything went south, I was so focused on material possessions and it was the key to happiness. What I learned was that material possessions are great and often helpful but they do not bring happiness. I need to be happy where I am or I will never be happy.
I have also had so much time to read and have read so many books that I had intended to read but never got around to as well! This has definitely been something positive about this whole experience because I love reading but got too busy to read. I now make time to read no matter how busy I get. I have learned so much from books and I know that no matter how much I read-there is always more! Books have been one of a few things that have kept me sane when stuck in bed because of my back. I have learned from so many self help books the importance of gratitude and positive thinking. This has helped me immensely to help me move forward. Books offer so much and I am glad I have had the time to read them. It was also my way to get away from my life and current circumstances for even just a few minutes and let the author take me on a journey to far off places. As you can tell-I love books! I also love to write as you can tell by the length of this post.
In closing, I had no idea I would be where I am today even a year ago. Surprises are around every corner whether good or bad. I try to go with the flow and I try now to enjoy the good moments and carry them with me through the bad ones. I try to be thankful for everything-good and bad. Because every experience offers us a chance to learn and grow. Do I still have down days and struggle? Yes of course I do because I am human but I try to remind myself of everything I have learned and try to be thankful for what I can. Because we all struggle and none of us can get away from it but we can take it all and turn it into something positive. It is never easy but it is worth the time and effort. Thank you if you are still with me and haven't dozed off from boredom. lol thanks for reading this post that comes from my heart. I hope it is helpful to someone.

Plant Profiles: Pansies

Pansy-photo taken last
year in my flower garden

PANSY
What can I say other than I love Pansies! They are beautiful and there are so many different colours and varieties to choose from that they fit into many different spots in the garden or pots. They look like they are smiling almost don't they? They are grown as a hardy Annual but in a select few areas they are grown as a perennial. But oddly they do not survive well in very hot climates as they prefer cooler climates. Extreme heat will actually hurt or kill them. So I like them because they do well here in Alberta and they are so beautiful and cheery! Below is some information and facts that I have gathered from my own experience and from a few different sites and books. As always, I include the sources where I have gotten info from at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!
WHERE TO GROW
Pansies do well in Full Sun or Partial Shade
SOIL
They do best in Well Drained soil
FACTS
Pansies are very cold hardy annuals and can survive light frosts.
Pansies were developed from Viola which is a biennial.
"Pansies are winter hardy in zones 4-8. In zones 9-11 pansies can bloom over the winter" (from Wikipedia)
They often reseed themselves and come back the next year.
They can not stand too much heat.
Pansies germinate better if you keep them in complete darkness until they germinate and then put them out with the other plants. Just be sure to place them in an area that you don't forget about them and remember to water them!

"The word Pansy is traced back to the French word pensee, meaning thought or remembrance." *

Pansies originate from England in the 1800's.

They come in pretty much the most colour choices of any annual.

PESTS AND DISEASES

Stem rot, leaf spot, mildew, root rot, slugs, aphids, spider mites,

The variety I am growing this year



SWISS GIANT



Swiss Giants- "Swiss Giant is an old-fashioned European pansy bred in Switzerland. The large flowers on long stems are good for cut flower bouquets. Many of today's hybrid varieties were developed from Swiss Giants." * (quoted from http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/flowers/pansies.html)



Swiss Giant pansy seeds

Sources. Where I have gotten information from when researching the plants.

Annuals For Alberta By Laura Peters and Donna Dawson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansy

*http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/flowers/pansies.html

Plant Profiles: Portulaca



Seed packet



PORTULACA

Portulaca is also known more commonly as Moss Rose. The leaves are succulant and add something to containers. They are so beautiful to have in the flower garden or pots. They are low growing- about 6inches tall. In my containers they flop over the sides a bit which I enjoy. My one complaint with these plants are that they are so delicate and the stems break quite easily. If you remember that and take care when handling them- they are wonderful. Despite the stems being delicate, the plants are tough and require little attention when they are planted in the ground. They store water in their leaves so they don't need to be watered often at all and overwatering will actually hurt them. Give them the care they need when they are small and then plant them and watch them take off. They are a very easy care plant.

WHERE TO GROW

They need Full Sun but I have grown them where they get about half a day of sun and they still flower, though not as well as in full sun.

SOIL

Portulaca likes well drained soil. In the book Annuals For Alberta, it says that they like soil of poor fertility and sandy. I grow mine in regular potting soil with the rest of the flowers and they do fine. Just remember to have soil that drains well and you should be good.

FACTS

Portulaca like dry areas and do not need to or like to be wet. They do well in my rock garden where it is generally pretty dry and sunny. They also don't like to be too wet so don't over water them. They are generally very easy care plants because they prefer less water and soil that isn't very fertile but still do fine in fertile soil too in my experience.

These plants have very tiny seeds and it is recomended to start them indoors so you can keep them from being washed away in a rain storm or something like that. They will also survive much better in my opinion if they get some extra care when they are smaller since they are more delicate.

They do fine grouped together and you don't have to worry about spacing like other plants.

They have a ton of seeds in their seed pods and are very easy to collect seed from. If you want to save some seed for the coming year, or save seed to give someone a packet for a gift-they are a great plant to do this with!

Portulaca is an annual but can self sow and grow back the next year if you let it. I grow them in pots so they don't usually get a chance to self sow. But in a rock garden or flower bed they could come back the next year if you want them to.



Portulaca seeds-very tiny!



Sources. Where I have gotten information from when researching the plants.

Annuals For Alberta By Laura Peters and Donna Dawson

http://www.vesseys.com/

http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Portulaca

Plant Profiles: Marigolds



African marigold-photo taken
last summer

 I thought I would do something a bit different and share more in depth about different plants. Today I want to talk about Marigolds! I am hoping I can uncover some new and different information for you that you do not already know. :) Marigolds are super easy to grow and look great in every garden!
Where to grow:

Prefer Full Sun but I have found they will tolerate some shade.

Facts

Marigolds are an annual.

Deer do not like Marigolds and they avoid them. My hope is that maybe if I plant more of them in the flower beds that it might deter the deer from entering the flower beds.

Marigolds are great in the vegetable garden as well as companion plants. They are great help in repelling insects like the Mexican bean beetle that can cause problems with beans and they discourage nemotodes which attack potatoes. They repell many more insects as well as what I have mentioned here.

Marigolds (Calendula officinalis) have medicinal uses as well. They can be used to treat stuff like burns and bruises and ecxema.

They are edible and can be used to make tea which can help with digestion and even menstrual cramps.

There is a hybrid marigold called a Mule Marigold which is a cross between the African marigold and the french marigold to decrease the pungent smell and help the flowers last longer. These Marigolds do not produce viable seed though because they are a hybrid and the reason for the name Mule Marigold.

Marigolds have been used in the past for dyes to colour things like fabric.

Below is a bit of information of the Crackerjack (African) marigold and the French Marigold.

MARIGOLD -CRACKERJACK.  These Marigolds are also called African marigolds and they are quite large. The height on the package says they get 30-36inches tall which is a bit taller than mine got last year. I think mine were about 2ft/24in. This is a new variety to me as I have only grown them the last couple of years. Two years ago we bought them already started from a greenhouse and I fell in love. lol Last year I sought out seeds and was happy to find them at Butchart Gardens. The flowers take longer to open but they stay open for quite a long time as well. The flowers last longer than the usual french marigolds. The flowers are long lasting. Apparently they do well as a cut flower but I have never tested this out.  This particular variety of Marigolds is better in a flower bed or larger pots due to their size. I like to use them in the back of a pot and plant smaller plants in front.

African Marigold seeds

 MARIGOLD - FRENCH



French Marigold-photo taken last year
 from one of my hanging baskets

 These are more compact and bushier than other marigolds as they get about 8inches tall. The flowers can be single or double. These are the more common marigolds that you will find in stores where you buy bedding plants. I love these marigolds as well. As you can see, the seeds are pretty similar to the African marigolds so it is good to not mix them up if you have both as seed. lol These are great for pots and containers and the flower garden-I don't think there is really any area they don't look good. They do prefer full sun though to be happy.



French Marigold Seeds



 

Sources. Websites I have visited and used some information from while looking up information for marigolds.

http://www.theflowerexpert.com/

http://www.phytochemicals.info/

http://www.bonsaigardener.org/

http://www.butchartgardens.com/

http://www.vesseys.com/

Carrots love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte

Talking Green: Seeds photos

Hi again,

Here are some photos of some seeds to give you an idea what they look like and I will add a brief description as well.

ALYSSUM : Alyssum does well in full sun or part shade. They are low growing-about 4inches tall. When planting-do not cover seeds as they need light to germinate. They are very easy to grow and grow rapidly. I enjoy using Alyssum in my rock garden as well as containers/hanging pots. Do not confuse Sweet Alyssum with regular Alyssum though. Sweet Alyssum is related and has most of the characteristics of regular Alyssum but is a different plant. Sweet Alyssum comes from the family Lobularia where regular Alyssum comes from the family Bassicaceae. When you are in doubt with flower seeds-they should contain the family name as well so you know which one you are getting. Sweet Alyssum is a bit hardier apparently than regular Alyssum and has a honey scent to the flowers.. They are great fillers between other plants and as a border or edging. A little known fact about Alyssum : It apparently used to be used in folk medicine where it was used for treatment of Rabies.

ASTER: Butchart Gardens says "One of the most popular cut flowers, this mixture features large, chrysanthamum type double flowers on 2 foot high stems." Asters are a bit trickier to transplant because they do not like their roots disturbed or bothered so you need to take care when transplanting. Try to avoid transplanting as much as possible to have happier plants. They like full sun. There are many varieties of Asters-they come in Annuals and Perennials. This Aster below is an annual. Many types of asters are actually native to Canada which is quite interesting.

 COSMOS: Cosmos are definitely a favorite of mine here in Alberta. They grow quickly and I had one plant get 6ft tall one year! It was interesting because the plant was also in a container. lol When they are happy, they are full of flowers. I love the ferny foilage of the Cosmos as well. Cosmos can be anywhere from 1-6ft from my experience depending on the conditions. They love full sun but do grow in the shade but don't really flower in the shade as much. In the shade, I find they are still a nice plant for their neat foilage. One thing that can be a bonus or a headache is the self seeding quality of Cosmos. If this is considered a headache to you, you can dead head the flowers before they go to seed. Something interesting to note is that overfertilizing and overwatering actually causes fewer flowers so be careful with that. They are super easy to grow and the taller plants need some staking to keep from falling over. They flower right up until frost and often still flowering quite beautifully in the fall when other annuals are starting to look sad. There are different varieties of Cosmos and below I have the Candystripe variety but there are also single colour cosmos which are gorgous as well. The name Cosmos comes from Greek meaning Harmony. You can't go wrong with these!

LOBELIA : As you can see in the photo-these are one of the tiniest seeds and the tiniest I have ever dealt with and can be interesting to plant. They need to be started much earlier than other seeds as they take awhile longer to sprout and grow. They are a little more difficult to grow than the easy to grow plants like Alyssum or Cosmos. But not impossible to grow. I love Lobelia because they do well in the sun as well as the shade. We have alot of shade here so it is so nice to have such a beautiful plant that grows in the shade. They do better in the sun and will look much better in the sun but they still do good in the shade as well. They do not like afternoon sunshine as much which is something to keep in mind. Lobelia are low growing (about 4-6inches) and do great in hanging pots and they cascade down the sides which I love. They also do well in flower beds as edging/borders and I put them in my rock garden as well.

LAVATERA: This is a flower that I didn't even discover until a few years ago. Awful huh? They are so beautiful and it is too bad I didn't see them till I did. The picture on the packet really doesn't do them justice in my opinion. These flowers love full sun and do not do as well in the shade.This plant is another one that doesn't like transplanting/having it's roots disturbed so it is good to keep that in mind. I like to grow them in bigger containers right off so I can avoid transplanting till they have to go into the garden or hanging pots. Depending on the variety they can grow from 10inches to apparently 10ft. Something to keep in mind when you are shopping for Lavatera that you get the variety you want. You would not want to get a variety for your hanging pots that gets 10ft tall! lol In my experience, I have never had the Silvercup variety grow more than a foot or so tall and this is the first year that I am trying the "Loveliness" type. I am thinking I won't be dissapointed!

I have more seeds that I would like to share about but will stop here for this post. These are all flowers I grow here in Alberta and are favorites of mine. I hope this information is useful. I find it very useful myself to be able to identify different seeds the best I can so that if they get mixed up-I can tell which are what seeds. Happy Gardening!

Talking Green: Planting the seeds-photos

Hello again
Today I would like to go a little more in depth on how to plant the seeds. At least how I find it works best. Something I forgot to mention in earlier posts is that it is important to plan out what seeds you are planting and write it down so you know which seeds are which. What I like to do is make a table on the computer that represents the tray and then mark down exactly what I plan to plant where. You can use markers in the tray of seeds but sometimes they fall out or are too tall so it becomes difficult to place the plastic cover over top. I like to have a written record where I can record when I plant, what I plant, when it comes up, how many come up and when I transplant. I do this so I can look back on it the next year and know what seeds came up good and how long it took for them to sprout and it helps me to plan how to plant the coming year. You do not have to record all of this to grow good plants but it does help keep you organized. Here is a photo of one of my tables. I have all the cells marked as well so it is easier to keep track of stuff. :)

Now on to filling the trays with dirt. First you should moistin the dirt a bit so that it isn't completely dry. Sometimes potting soil is already moist and if that is the case you do not have to add more water. After the dirt is moistened, you should put the dirt in the trays. I find the easiest way to do this is to first fill all the holes up and take something with a straight edge and level it off so it looks like this.

After you have the tray filled and leveled off, you need to press the dirt down slightly so it is slightly packed. I push just a little bit so it isn't packed too hard because then it won't drain. I find that with most potting soils, when it is pushed down it is still about 3/4 full. It should look something like this. On the left side I have pushed down the dirt and on the right side it still hasn't been pushed down.

After you have pushed the dirt down, it is a good idea to add some more water before placing the seeds in the dirt. You can use the spray bottle or a watering can since there are no seeds in the tray yet. Next you can put the seeds in the dirt. When doing this, make sure to refer to your chart or your markers to make sure you put the right seeds in the right spot. For larger seeds like 4 O'clocks, you can just drop them on to the dirt like this. (I usually put two per cell)

Next you cover up the seeds that need to be covered and spray the dirt some more with the spray bottle and you are good to go! Then comes the waiting for the seeds to come up which is tough for me-I am rather impatient. lol I want to see if stuff is growing or not and if I give in then I end up disturbing the seeds and causing problems. When covering the seeds, the rule of thumb I go by is to add enough dirt to be about the same depth as the width of the seed. This also means that you only need a sprinkle of dirt on top of the teeny tiny seeds. On most packages it states 1/8inch for the really little seeds. In my next post I will show some photos of the different seeds I have planted to show the different sizes. :) Happy Gardening!