It's January now, but fast forward to the month of August. Wouldn't you love to harvest a basket of tomato beauties for yourself this summer. That means you should be selecting your favorite tomato seeds now, and preparing to start your seedlings for this spring.

Your gardening friends, Gary Ibsen and Dagma Lacey, tomato heirloom seed experts at TomatoFest, have extended their Annual Heirloom Tomato Sale going on now through January 18, 2010, TomatoFest Seeds On Sale. You too, can have Julia Child and Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red heirloom tomatoes gracing your garden this year. Check it out.

Weidner's Gardens is hosting a "Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop" this Saturday, January 16, 2010.

11:00am - 1:00pm Master Gardener, John Marsh, will discuss and demonstrate "Fruit Tree Pruning". 1:00pm - 2:00pm VintageGardenGal, Bonnie Jo Manion, will speak on "Fruit Tree Espalier Basics."

Weidner's Gardens has a nice selection of bare root fruit trees, citrus trees, blueberry bushes, and much more currently in stock. Check out their website for their business hours. Weidner's Gardens, 695 Normandy Road, Encinitas, CA, 92024, (tel) (760) 436-2194.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Embrace the simple things. Be grateful for all that you have in your life. Cherish your family and friends. Take time to reflect on this past year. Don't forget to give back and pay forward. Count your blessings.

VintageGardenGal will be back next week. Happy Thanksgiving from J.Lo, Julia, Fanny and CoCo.

September 4, 2009 marks the one year anniversary of VintageGardenGal, a garden lifestyle blog. Many thanks to those who have visited in the past year, your wonderful comments, and enthusiasm. May those who are drawn to this blog, continue to find valuable information, creative ideas, musings, inspiration to dream, and most important, welcome more garden into your lives.

A garden is a sanctuary, it is reflective of the person that cares for it. Make sure your garden is "welcoming" to you, your family, your friends, and invited guests. You want your garden to convey a cheery happiness, and an underlying message that it is well taken care of. Here are a few simple suggestions to make a garden welcoming.

Explore color and plant combinations that are visually beautiful, and maybe a surprise to the eye. One of my favorite books for plant combinations, colors, and inspiration to buy for your home library is Shocking Beauty by Thomas Hobbs.

Create a special spot or garden room that is accessed by a meandering path to a bench under a shady tree. It can be a special spot to rest and gather one's thoughts, even meditate. It can be a spot to entertain and share a glass of lemonade.

Surprise those making footsteps in your garden with a weathered adorable vintage gnome peeking out from under your favorite shrub, or a beautiful garden ornament in a sun-laced clearing. These pieces can be subtle, yet yield a smile.

Scour flea markets and garage sales for time-worn wood buckets or wicker baskets to place in strategic places in the garden to toss a rogue weed or anything deemed for garbage. These pieces will blend in with your garden, and help you to keep your garden tidy.

Think of birds, butterflies, and wildlife in your garden. If your garden is full of songbirds, busy hummingbirds, fluttering butterflies, ladybugs, for instance, it enhances your garden and your time in the garden that much more. Design your garden with plants that attract wildlife. Place birdhouses in your garden. Keep fabulous bird baths, they are garden ornaments in themselves. Keep them clean and full of fresh water. If you have a lot of wildlife in your garden, chances are your garden is healthy and welcoming.

These are a few suggestions that I use in my garden. A welcome garden is a happy garden. What makes your garden welcoming?

I've been looking for a new pair of garden clogs, shoes, or boots, for sometime now. I haven't really found a desirable new replacement pair, as of yet. So, I thought I would simply ask all of you. This has been the impetus for VintageGardenGal's Gardenin' Survey today. I want to hear from you, your feedback. Please answer and comment on any, or all of these questions.

What is your favorite shoe, clog, or boot to garden in? Why? How long do you usually keep your garden boots?

What is your favorite garden tool, you can't garden without?

What are your favorite garden websites and or garden blogs you follow? Can you list your top five to ten?

What kind of a gardener are you?  Sporadic?   Weekend?  Passionate everyday gardener?   When the mood hits me gardener?  Since you were a child?

What motivates you to garden?  How did you get started gardening?

Where do you look for help with your garden? Magazines? Blogs? Websites? Workshops? Nurseries? Friends? Professionals?

What garden trends are you seeing in your community? Your garden clubs? Your neighborhood?

In what ways do you think gardening today is different, from even five years ago?

VintageGardenGal is a garden lifestyle blog covering many categories. What is your lifestyle? What draws your attention to VintageGardenGal? What would you like to see more of?  Do you prefer "How To's"?  The Unusual?  Garden tips?  More of the same?   Other categories?  Please feel free to comment, and please suggest your favorite footwear you garden in!

It's a national phenomenon happening from the White House to local schools to your own backyard. It's one of the hottest food trends happening now in our country. I'm speaking of the "interest spike" in growing your own vegetables. There are several reasons for this mass appeal of vegetable gardening and growing your own food:

One, the current economic landscape has many people with extra time on their hands and looking for ways to save money.

Two, we are looking for green ways to improve our lives and environment.

Three, it is very rewarding to be outside, in touch with mother nature growing something great.

Four, you have control over how your food is grown, picked, and raised before you ever take a single bite.

Five, food from your backyard is simply as fresh as you can get it. You can pick it at its optimum ripeness, when you like. It doesn't have to travel by states and countries to reach you.

Six, home-grown food, cultivated and tended by you tastes like no other. Flavors are incredible, and scream "delicious".

Seven, chances are you will be eating and cooking healthier.

Eight, growing your own food sets you up for eating seasonally, which further creates many other wonderful ripple effects.

Nine, growing your own food will enhance your entertaining, cooking, baking, and dining experiences-- taking them all to another level.

Ten, did I forget to mention it is just "plain fun".

If you have children, gardening and vegetable gardening in particular, is an especially great way to teach them many of life's lessons. You must first "plant the seeds", be patient, and watch your dedicated efforts grow into fruition. Sometimes "less is more" when it comes to thinning your seedlings. Never be surprised if your best efforts far exceed your wildest imagination. Even your best efforts may be a failure sometimes, but look for the "something positive" that will come from it. Some of the best things in life are "free". Many hands lighten a load. Sharing with others is a beautiful thing. Mother Nature is awe-inspiring and incredibly unpredictable. Want to engage your children with enthusiasm. Instead of buying pumpkins this October, why not plant pumpkin seeds now of several different varieties and watch them evolve.

The rewards of growing your own food are many. It is certainly an important part of my life and lifestyle. Many of you are probably veteran vegetable gardeners, if so, what got you started? What was your motivation? If you have space constraints, don't let that stop you, think containers. This mass appeal of vegetable growing is fueling wonderful and very creative ways of vegetable gardening, like going vertical, hanging tomato containers, use of buildings and their accoutrements. The sky is the limit.

Each morning I start my day in our gardens and opening up our chicken coop for the day. It's early morning, and I am scurrying around to see if any new seeds have sprouted in our kitchen garden, what needs water, what is about to bloom, how my new roses are doing, if what I transplanted recently is doing well, and what chore or project needs to be done. It is also a time I reflect on my gratitude, my blessings, and my bliss. I call these "coffee cup thoughts".

My husband, John, and I have lived here on our cherished property ten years this month. What an adventure it has been and so important a journey in our lives. We feel at one with the massive pine trees so deeply rooted and grounded here. Today is a simple celebration of our time here, and the joy, living here has meant to us. I wanted to reflect on ten special happenings or experiences, one for each year, that have touched our lives, and share them with you.

* Out of nowhere came a first-sighting of a stunning male and female bluebird in our vineyard, curious visitors and eager to follow us aound. It had been almost seven years and nary a sighting of any bluebirds before. Why were they here now?

* Collecting "still warm in your hands" just laid eggs from our happy hens. The indescribable golden goodness and taste of fresh organic eggs, and our sweet "Hollywood Girls" who laid them.

* A stunning perfect rainbow over our vineyard, and the Pacific Ocean to our west. Was the "pot of gold" here? It has happened just once.

* The excitement of our first vineyard harvest, so many years down the road from when it first was just an idea. All the time, classes, care, management, and devotion to our vines, culminating in the beautiful ink-black elongated syrah clusters gloriously dangling from our vines. The grapes were ripe, the brix (sugar %) was right, and each grape was so tasty, sweet, and juicy. Will these grapes transform into great wine?

* Last year's first bite into a delicious ripe fuji apple off of our espaliered tree. Our fuji apple trees had just limped along for years, and then last year, they produced the most "mouth-watering" sweet and crunchy fresh-freckled apples I have ever tasted. Will this year repeat?

* Hearing the first incredibly romantic banter of a pair of equally-matched barn owls. It sent tingling goosebumps up my spine. Will they be back this winter?

* The first sweet wafting scent from my spring blooming patch of sweet peas, so beautiful a natural perfume, and unexpected as I innocently walked by. It totally stopped me in my tracks. Could there by anything more divine at that moment?

*Finding my first hummingbird nest, so very tiny, and intricately engineered. We have some many wonderful and curious hummingbirds that greet and visit with us each and every day. It is reassuring that they make our gardens, their home, too.

*Watching the sun traverse the horizon in ever so gradual increments, day by day, month by month, moving north in the spring/summer, and south in the fall/winter, always setting perfectly into the Pacific Ocean, and reminding us to be grateful for every single day. We had been here several years before, right before our eyes, we saw two looming islands off our horizon. Dry and clear conditions have to be so perfect, we are lucky to see the islands once or twice a year.

*Understanding the art of growing an abundance of home grown vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes. Making our first summer-grilled pizza with fresh oregano pesto, aged gouda cheese, and sliced absolute-perfection "Jubilee" tomatoes.

I have not even mentioned our family and friends that have been so much a part of our time here, too, and shared in the many great times, celebrations, and experiences. Please know who you are, and how grateful, you are in our lives. I would have to write a "book" to cover it all.

These are only ten "firsts", and I could have mentioned so many, many more. Remember to embrace the simple joys and pleasures in your world and garden, as they are gifts for you.

Does your mom live a "stone's throw" away from you? Are you able to make her and all of your loved ones a delightful Mother's Day Brunch celebrating "her day" with your fresh eggs, delicately poached over heart-shaped polenta, melon-drizzled vinaigrette over arugula greens, blue cheese, and proscuitto, and gloriously ending with fresh berries and sour cream coffeecake? No, does she live out-of-state like my mom? Well, here is a great suggestion.

Stumped what to get your mom for Mother's Day? Say you "love her" with a symbol of love, a beautiful new rose plant for her garden. If you're a gardener, chances are you got your love of "digging in the dirt" from her.

If you haven't heard of Edmund's Roses before, you are in for a treat. Edmunds' Roses has an extensive selection of all kinds of bareroot roses, such as antique roses, floribundas, climbers, tree roses, hybrid tea roses and more. Once ordered, Edmunds' Roses sends out bare root roses, time-appropriate according to your plant zone you live in, so you receive your roses at their optimal time for planting. Prices and shipping are reasonable.

Edmunds' Roses is open year round for orders, and customer service, but actually ship their bare root roses from December through May each year. With Mother's Day less than a week away, you might consider sending your mom a gift certificate from Edmunds' Roses. Your mom can choose what type of rose she would like, what color, and when she would like it to redeem it. Gift certificates never expire and are available by phone only at, Edmunds' Roses, 1-888-481-7673, Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm CST.

A rose plant is something living, and keeps on giving year after year. It is a plant of beauty and emotion. Your mom will enjoy her rose and think of you, in her garden for many years.

Edmunds' Roses is a wonderful idea for other occasions besides "Mother's Day", such as the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, new home, new baby, and thank you.

Please go to Edmunds' Roses for more information and online ordering.

Last year my husband, John, and I were featured in an article called "Grow Greener" highlighting our flower/vegetable gardens, and organic practices in, Nature's Garden magazine, Spring 2008, http://www.debraprinzing.com/articles.php?article_id=40, written by friend, Debra Prinzing, an incredible garden and design features writer. See below, for more information on Debra. For this article, she asked me my "top ten healthy garden practices", and the last one I chose was "order before beauty", which Debra so aptly penned, "Chores Have Their Rewards".

One of the chores I was particularly thinking about, was caring for your tools. Tools should always be cleaned, dried, and stored away in an orderly manner. If you have the due diligence, go one step further and wrap clean rags or towels around your tool heads before stowing away. Spring is especially a great time to prep your garden tools and have them ready, for all of your busy gardening needs, so you can "hit the dirt running".

Take a good look at your tool inventory and their condition. Do you know where your favorite tools are? Are your tools clean, or a bit rusty? If so, deep clean and lubricate them. Do they seem dull when using, or do they still have their sharp edge? Make sure your tools are sharp, it will save you physically. Are your tool handles rough or soft to the touch? If rough, lightly sand your wood handle tools with fine sandpaper, and apply a generous amount of linseed oil with a soft cloth. If the oil absorbs quickly, reapply. Your tool handles will be as soft as velvet and a treat to work with. Properly cared for tools can last generations, and can be handed down from one generation to the next budding generation of gardeners.

It is all the same, whether it is your personal life, your home, or your garden. If you are organized and tidy, you will be much more effective, efficient, and accomplish more effortlessly. You will soon experience the rewards. There is a great quote that reinforces this message. "When you do the things you have to do when you have to do them, the day will come when you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them."--Zig Ziglar, Author.

Debra Prinzing is a Southern California-based writer and lecturer who specializes in interiors, architecture, and landscape design themes. For more information and articles, please visit her website, www.debraprinzing.com, and her blog, www.shedstyle.com. Her latest book, with William Wright, architectural and interior design photographer, is called "Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideways".