r u l y

Ruth received a complaint last year that she was leaving out men in her fashion analyses.  So welcome to the first Ruly Ruth on men’s fashion trends blog post!

Since we both don’t know very much about men’s fashion and our spouses dress more in a classic, unaware-of-fashion way, we had to consult another source for guidance.

Esquire magazine produces their own list of spring/summer menswear looks. Read here for their best looks of spring/summer 2012.

I edited these down to trends the average man might consider wearing if he were to pay any attention to fashion at all. And read on for Ruth’s take.

**Please note that when it comes to fashion there are many opinions out there.  I included all of the items below because I think they are fashionable.  As you can see, Ruth and I do not always agree.

Maritime blue

Esquire indicates that maritime blue (a medium to light ocean shade of blue) is the menswear color of spring/summer 2012. They like it worn with masculine colors like brown. It would be a shame if you happen to have blue eyes and you don’t wear this trend.

District Threads Long Sleeve District Tee Shirt at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “This particular version is a super casual shirt—only for casual weekends and silicon valley!
Bill Blass 1/2 Zip Top With Raglan Sleeves at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Hmmm….hate this version of this shirt. Not tailored enough at all–looks sloppy!”
Eddie Bauer Slim Fit Legend Wash T-Shirt at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “too casual–see the first one.”

Ruly Ruth says: “I PREFER–IN various blue themes:”

Kenneth Cole Men's Tonal Mini Check Shirt at amazon.com.

Victorinox Men's Lucerne Solid Stretch Sport Shirt at amazon.com.

Robert Graham Men's Rattler Shirt at amazon.com

Mustard yellow

A dark mustard yellow color called “dusty marigold” is another trending color for men. Esquire indicates that these tones of yellow are the best way to wear yellow in general for men.

prAna Men's Durante Short Sleeve Shirt at amazon.com.

American Apparel Pinstripe Jersey Tennis Shirt at amazon.com.

MG Low Profile Normal Dyed Cotton Cap

Ruly Ruth says: “I HATE THIS COLOR–SO DON’T WEAR THIS PLEASE!~ And if you do–don’t be seen with me!”

Military colors

A military-inspired color palette of sand, army green (although we know that in the U.S. it is really army blue!) and grey are popular.

Ruly Ruth says: “I am a Marine Corps wife—and proud of it–here’s my skinny on the take of the military look to popular appeal. The Exchanges on military base created a line called 1775—it’s truly inspired by military and appropriate for civilian wear. They need to make it mainstream because it would be a huge hit!!”

Mens Eddie Bauer Short Sleeve polo shirt - Army Green at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I really really like this masculine color–I hate this shirt. It looks raggedy and unfinished.”
Jet Lag Men's Cargo Leather Trim Short at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “My husband would love these–they are really high-priced–but I love them!”
Akademiks Hiker Cargo Short at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I like these—make them in the green seen above and we have a deal!”
Dockers Men's Classic Fit Short Sleeeve Shirt at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “This looks like it belongs on a ’50s military uniform–and not in a good way. NO!”
ecko unltd. Men's Don?t Fret Short Sleeve Woven Shirt at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I LIKE THIS A LOT!!!”
Diesel Men's Gray 55DSL Phederale Cargo Casual Pants at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Gray–not a military color, really. And I don’t like this color–if you do wear it–make it into a complete suit with jacket and place the Robert Graham Rattler shirt mentioned above under it! Now dark gray–is a different story…

Colorblocking

Bright pops of orange and yellow on otherwise neutral colors like burgundy and khaki are a trend. The accents are subtle and appear on small trim areas like the cuffs of polo shirts and the soles of otherwise ordinary-looking dress shoes. Occasionally, some bold choices like orange pants but toned down with a navy shirt and jacket.

Fila Essenza Colorblocked Poly Tennis Polo Shirt	Ruly Ruth says: “Fabulous–the hipper bunch will wear the orange stripe–but great classic shirt–definitely pops!”
Hyp Sportswear Princeton Colorblock T-Shirt at amazon.com	Ruly Ruth says: “Too much orange for me–but love the concept!”
Big Mens EPerformance Color-Block Pique Polo Shirt at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “My husband owns shirts just like this–they are his classic go-tos!!”
Alo Men's Long-Sleeve Colorblock Performance Crew at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “LOVE IT–again my husband owns these. Fabulous!”

Motorcycle/James Dean Jackets

While men like my husband will probably claim that when it comes to warm weather fashion, a jacket is simply too “hot” to even consider wearing, he would like the fact that motorcycle jackets are in vogue.

Ruly Ruth says: “I have to agree with Anne’s hubby—these are cool-weather items.”

Comune Dean Jacket at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Extremely stylish–love it!”
Kenneth Cole Reaction Men's Moto Jacket at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Very European–not classic in material–perfect for clubbing and hipsters.”
Levi's Men's Faux Leather Motorcross Jacket at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I HATE VINYL CLOTHING–don’t buy this! Looks cheap!”

Striped and Colorblock Swim Trunks

Bright, bold swim trunks in striped patterns are hot for the beach or the pool.

Ruly Ruth says: “My son just bought a Volcom pair similar to these—so cute! Love this look–hope it lasts for a very long time!”

Nautica Swim Trunks	Ruly Ruth says: “Simple, classic.”
Men's Tavik Striped Boardshort at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Mmmmm…teenagers will love these with the neon. That and San Francisco! (and my friend’s Dermatologist–another hipster-type!)”
Old Navy Mens Color Block Board Shorts at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Actually–I hate this one–the cut is too short. Go longer but keep the colors!”
Victorinox Men's Quick Dry 10 Inch Color Block Swim Trunk at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “LOVE IT! Everything Victorinox makes is golden!!
IZOD Men's Colorblock Stripe Swim Short at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Love love love it!”

Ethnic/Tribal prints

The print trend applies to men too. Patterns reminiscent of indigenous peoples are in fashion.

Unisex Surfer Ethnic Tribal Leather Wristband	Ruly Ruth says: “I love jewelry on men–yet I married a man who never wears stuff like this. But I love it! Go for it!!”
GPPR The Tribe Tee at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “HATE THIS SHIRT! But love the tribal tattoos–not I have a single one of any tattoo sort–nor desire one–but I love the look.”

So there you have it! Our inaugural men’s fashion guide. How did we do, men? Would you wear any of these fashions? Ladies, what is your take on mustard yellow? Is this a color that men like but ladies don’t? Please share in the comments.

While here in Virginia we are practically in monsoon season with all of the rain we have been getting, summer is on its way!  Time to turn over the closets and dress to impress.  Last year, we saw white, nude, tangerine, lace, colorblock and animal prints as big summer trends.

What does British Vogue have to say about Spring/Summer 2012 fashion trends?   Read here for their official designer picks.

More importantly, however, what does Ruly Ruth have to say?  Read on and see examples of these fashion trends from Amazon!

**Please note that when it comes to fashion there are many opinions out there.  I included all of the items below because I think they are fashionable.  As you can see, Ruth and I do not always agree.

Head to Toe Prints

The general theme of Summer 2012 fashion is prints.  Whether mismatched or uniform, wild patterns from head to toe are the big trend.  Wear one print as a blouse and another for pants.  Silky or shiny fabrics seem to dominate.  While it might seem an intimidating task to select two patterns that don’t clash, patterns have the great benefit of camouflaging a number of body flaws.

Nicole Miller Women's Print 3/4 Sleeve Print Dress at amazon.com	Ruly Ruth says: “Okay–I love Nicole Miller–but this dress looks sci-fi to me–something out of my son’s avatar-based video games.”
Sakkas Flower and Leaves Print Satin Pleated V-Neck Halter Handkerchief Hem Maxi at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I LOVE THIS DRESS–AND THE PRICE–fabulous print, gorgeous cut–it’s beautiful!”
Donna Morgan Women's Scoop Neck Sleeveless Dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “This is spring and summer’s little black dress recreated—it’s classic and yet in a very updated print scheme. Love it!”
Maternal America Maternal America Women's Maternity Boarder Print Mini Front Tie Dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Not in love with this—odd color combos to start with–I’d love to see if the V-neck halter handkerchief dress could also work for early maternity. But I HATE this one! Boring! I do like the idea of the pattern at the bottom of the dress–the floral is a mish-mash of color and undefined–which is very opposite the rigid pattern at the bottom of the dress. I’d like to see the flowers either more defined or the whole thing recreated in an even more impressionistic pattern styling.”

Statement Trousers

Printed pants are the trend in a variety of patterns, the wilder the better.  This is going to be a tough look to pull off correctly because the bottoms can look an awful lot like pajama pants.  For best results, go more formal/dressy in your choice of shoe and top.  Love Maegan recently showed a great example of how she would style an outfit with statement pants.

Ruly Ruth says: “I think the concept is very creative—-but as Anne mentioned again–totally pajama like!”

Apple Bottoms All Over Print Long Pants	Ruly Ruth says: “I think the detailed cut/style of the pants pulls these more toward a beautiful, wearable pant. Love the color, cut, fit, style–gorgeous!”
Rachel Pally Women's Printed Wide Leg Trousers at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I think in high-fashion circles these would be a huge hit. For everyday wear. the circle pattern is a bit over the top for me…but I’m not a lover of pure tangerine either–I think only tan people can wear it–and if you do have a medium or darker skin tone–go for it! They will pop hugely!”
Mogulinterior Womens Boho Trousers at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I can’t even believe someone would pay $27.50 for these—they look like a craft project gone wrong!! HATE these–too many prints, too mis-matched…yuck! And then they throw in beads and cuffed bottoms–to save it???!!! Throw it away!!”
the grace eboutique summer skirt pants flare wrap beach trouser at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “GORGEOUS!!! Beautiful color schemes—classic–could go to a casual business meeting, to church, to lunch–gorgeous, elegant! Screams summer/spring to me—love them! And for $22.50–I think I need to personally invest!!”

African-inspired animal prints

Leopard, zebra, jaguar . . . more prints from nature.  Not just a hint of it but a LOT of print in flowing dresses, pants, etc.

Ruly Ruth says: “When I was in 9th grade, I made a really cool leopard-print dress….it was a rounded neck with long straight arms and came 2″ above the knee. I think I wore it with leggings–let’s just say it would be a huge hit and very classical now!”

Allegra K Women Elastic Waist Leopard Pattern Leisure Chiffon Pants at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “.I LOVE THESE….in XS. I’m not sure someone who would wear a Large or XL would rock these—I think a little of this pattern goes a long way–not sure we need yards and yards of this showing….and I notice they are only selling it in XS…how convenient!”
Jessica Simpson Women's Leopard V Neck Beaded Halter Dress at amazon.com	Ruly Ruth says: “Jessica Simpson would wear this, and some young women….most of us–not so much! I think honestly the fact the print is on a shiny fabric turns me off–make it more of a muted velvet and darker tones–we may have something then! But I love the cut of the dress itself…”
Michael Kors Black Cotton Jaguar Print Sleeveless Sheath Dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Michael–I’m a HUGE FAN!! HUGE!!! But–this dress falls flat. You’re trying to get women like me to wear that around–not going to happen….love the cut of the dress–again–fabulous!!! But the print overlay—nah!! Not so much!”
Anne Klein Women's Lion Print Blouse at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Lion print???!!! Looks like paint splotches. NEXT!”

50’s Inspired Plaid and Gingham Sundresses

In a style Vogue calls “Retro Americana,” plaid and gingham sundresses that recall the 1950’s are a big trend, worn with cat-eye sunglasses of course!

Ruly Ruth says: “You know what cracks me up about this come-back era–is that it’s all about young hipsters wearing this stuff! And the look fabulous–and our roller derby girls of course!! If you have a teenager, very appropriate!”

Triple Optic Oversized Vintage Inspired Super & Bold Retro Designer Cat Eye Sunglasses at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Love these! I have huge issue with designer sunglasses that they are not always UVA/UVB and polarized–which is the best combo to protect your eyes–but for stylishness–A+! Even to a business meeting at an al fresco lunch–go for it!”
Britt Ryan womens gingham strapless tied bow cutout dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Cute idea—bordering on lingerie. Wouldn’t wear it out—but a very young girl in her young 20s would look great in a beach environment at lunch in this!”
Gap Tiered Madras Dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “ditto–see comments above.
Esprit Madras Women's Vintage Halter Dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I hate this print–and not in love with the dress either. Looks like leftover Xmas material repurposed into a dress!!!!”

Beach-themed Prints

What better way to celebrate beach season than with prints inspired by the sea, including seashells and seahorses.  If you aren’t up for the prints, there is also a wonderful selection of jewelry in this theme that is classic and fun for summer.

Ruly Ruth says: “These are all the rage–whether it’s high-end jewelry right now or knock-off cheapies—this is very popular. It reminds me of stuff to be worn in Hawaii….not sure I’d really wear it to be honest!”

Hawaiian Sea Shell Necklace at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Cute! Teenagers…..precious, cute. That’s all!”
Sterling Silver Conch Shell Pendant at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “it’s okay….looks bulky and chunky. No elegance really….”
Your Eyes Lie The Seahorse Ring at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Love the concept–not this exact enactment of it–but the concept is good! I do own a ring in a similar shape–fyi–it’s terribly uncomfortable to wear!”
Roxy Juniors Coral Reef Tube Top at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Perfect for juniors for summer! Rock it young ladies!”
Carve Designs Women's Del Mar Full Piece Swimsuit at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I like this—a lot!! Great classic and yet modern swimsuit top–the top bra part is fabulous! The print is good…”
Lilly Pulitzer Women's Duffy Shirt at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “This is a women’s cowboy shirt gone wrong!!! Come on Lilly—I love your stuff–this ain’t your best by a long shot!!”
Bianca Nygård Petite Seashells Print Jersey Knotted Waist Dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “The dress style is classic–the knotted waist and the jersey fabric is so forgiving and great with so many figures–the print–I didn’t read it was supposed to be seashells–thought it was jellyfish–not good! Don’t wear jellyfish…not hot!”

A Statement Piece in White

After all those prints, classic white is, as always, a trend for summer.  This year Vogue indicates there are two extremes: “crisp” and minimalist and more romantic and embellished pieces with cutwork and lace.

Ruly Ruth says: “I think white is a very tough, not classic color to pull off. I think medium and darker than that toned people look best in white–it pops more. And white is hard because it is often see-through…not a good thing at all!”

La Redoute Plus Size Sleeveless Sheath at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I love the cut of this dress—buy it in black!”
Mango Women's Two Layered Cotton Dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “This one looks beautiful– I’d be tempted by this–but note the length–with a toddler–either put on white leggings or don’t buy it!”
Lucca Couture The Devin Dress at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “I love this!!!! It’s almost a tan–the cut is fabulous–I’d be tempted to try it–and it looks like it’s double-layered to the thighs–a good thing!
Anna-Kaci Knit Top at amazon.com.	Ruly Ruth says: “Perfect layer over camisoles–all the rage right now–gorgeous–I’d pair it with denim shorts, skirt or jeans! pretty!!”

As you can see, fashion elicits strong reactions. It takes courage to wear a trend and this summer’s prints definitely require courage. Before you quickly dismiss these trends as not your style, take a moment to think about how you might challenge yourself to incorporate something like this into your look. Do you have something in your closet you could dust off and try? It is so easy to find inexpensive pieces to purchase as well. It’s certainly more interesting to see someone attempting a fashionable look rather than the same old shorts and tees or tank tops. I have challenged myself and purchased some new trend-oriented pieces. While I will probably never be a fashion plate, I am curious to see how people will react to them (or if they will even notice at all!)

What do you think of this summer’s fashion trends? If you had to pick just one of the above pieces to wear this summer, which would you choose? Please share in the comments.

It was reported recently on this blog that I “never grew” or, alternatively that I produced “one small leaf or shoot . . . not memorable enough to photograph.”

I am here to correct this vicious attack on my character.  As you can see, I am most certainly alive.

As are two of my fellow cohoshes.

 

We find it very interesting that someone who cares so little for our needs, including water and fertilizer, would be so quick to criticize us for failing to perform to expectations.  With a little research, you would know that we are “slow-growing perennials.”

We are most certainly here and with a little patience and time perhaps one day we will produce “fairy candle” flowers for you.

In the meantime, please be careful of jumping to conclusions on our behalf as your record in this regard is sincerely in question.

Sincerely,

The Black Cohoshes of Your Garden

 **My apologies to the black cohoshes.  I don’t want to participate in the bullying of anyone via my blog, including members of the plant kingdom.  You are treasured members of my garden.

I am having a sort of zen relationship with my garden lately.  I try to do a little Frank Lloyd Wright style organic architecture contemplation when I am out in my garden to see if there is any way I can accommodate the natural tendencies of the garden rather than forcing it to do what I want it to.

This week, I had a delightful surprise.  I was voraciously weeding for my garden transformation pulling out so many different kinds of weeds when all of a sudden I came across this:

“Huh?  That kind of looks like a strawberry.” I thought.  “Do strawberries grow in Virginia?”

I thought it was funny so I left it there and avoided weeding it out.

When I asked my husband if he thought strawberries grew in Virginia he said he thought they probably did.  “Look it up.” He said.

A little Googling later and I had the answer.

Yes!  Strawberries do grow in Virginia and they are even native plants!

Fragaria virginiana

The fruit is described as “the finest, sweetest, wild strawberry.”  The Virginia strawberry was hybridized with another strawberry from Chile (known for its large size) in the 1750’s to create the commercially produced strawberries we eat today.

Amazing!  And it took zero effort from me. Finally, nature provides me with a useful “weed.”  This incident reminded me of the book A Perfect Mess that I reviewed early on in this blog.

“Even though you can’t count on serendipity, it’s more likely to find those who are open to disorder.”

–Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman, A Perfect Mess

I informed my spouse of my interesting discovery and we now both feel as though we are cultivating a prized crop, right there in our front yard.  I thought this quote summed it up the best:

“Put up one of your little signs so I don’t run over it with the lawnmower.”

Has serendipity found you lately?  Please share in the comments.

This week my blog posting schedule has been disrupted due to “first world” problems fretting about my master bath remodeling. We still have not started on the actual remodeling yet but the planning has taken me a long time to finalize. Fortunately, the planning is almost finished and soon I hope to be able to sit back and let my wonderful contractor take over and do all the work!

In the meantime, I am trying to continue to make progress on my gardening efforts and I have a few small updates to share with you. The first one is a very simple update to my prior post about strategies to make your garden deer-resistant.

In my prior post, I focused on things that are kind of tough for most of us to achieve because they are either expensive or time consuming solutions: fencing, deer repellants and choosing landscape plants that deer won’t eat.

This year, my neighbor inadvertently came up with a brilliant idea about deer management.

We were out in my front yard discussing both the sorry state of my garden and the fact that my azalea bush was in full, gorgeous bloom. I asked my neighbor if the timing of her azalea blooms had been affected this year by the warmer than usual weather.

“My azaleas never bloom. The deer always eat them.” She replied.

I told her that our azaleas never used to bloom either and we had pretty much given up on them until we forgot to prune them these past two years and we have had more blooms that we ever remember!

“That’s because your azalea is so tall the deer can’t reach it.” she advised. “See, it looks like they ate everything below which is why you have no blooms there.”

 

A simple idea was born . . .

If you don’t want deer to eat your plants, grow things that are taller than the deer!

It was one of those moments of pure simplicity and outside the box thinking.

I am not quite sure how to take full advantage of this idea yet but thinking about growing vertically to avoid deer problems is an intriguing concept. For now, I will just resort to thinking differently about my “overgrown” azaleas.

Have you had any simplicity inspirations lately? Please share in the comments.

There are numerous areas of my garden which require attention. This weekend I tackled one.

Sometimes it helps me stay motivated to break down a complex task into defined steps and track my project in a before and after. So while this post is really for me, I thought it might be helpful to someone else as well.

Step One. Survey the Situation.

Weeds. Check.
Lack of “real” plants. Check.

Step Two. Weed. A lot!

Step Three. Amend clay soil.

Clay soil is the bane of most Virginia gardeners. It’s thick and heavy when it’s wet and it dries rock solid. Most things don’t grow in it so you have to add a little sand and some “real” soil or organic matter like manure or compost. I recently met a soil scientist who informed me that, contrary to common belief, you can permanently fix clay soil in your garden by digging it up and amending it with sand and organic materials. It’s just that you have to do it five times(!) before it takes. I have yet to meet someone willing to dig up their entire garden five times so the rest of us just dig it up and amend in spots as we plant.

Step Four. Plant

I borrowed liriope from the enormous quantity we have in our front flower beds so I got my edging for free. And you know the story now of the rescued Ruby Spice Clethra so that was “free” in a sense too.

Step Five. Mulch

I have learned to like mulching. It is kind of like painting. It finishes off the garden and gives the planting area an organized look.

Done.

Know any funny stories about gardening? No? I didn’t either until this weekend. Gardening seems a sort of meditative, serious type of practice but I have found there is a lot of humor in it too.

Take for example, my recent experience with the Ruby Spice Clethra, (which just happens to be a native plant to the eastern U.S.) and is supposed to be a great plant for attracting butterflies.

Last year, I bought one on discount in the middle of summer to fill a spot near my front door. It had a few blooms as I recall and then didn’t do much. Early this spring, I looked at it and it was just a bunch of brown sticks.

“Oh great! I killed it.”

I dragged it off into the woods near our home to compost. I ended up ordering some more Ruby Spice Clethra online this year to put in my garden.

Imagine my surprise when I opened a package from one of the plant growers and found this:

It looked like a stick in a pot. Now, I have learned not to be surprised at what plants look like when you order by mail. Just the other day, I received this to plant (and yes, it did grow!):

So, after a while of sitting near the window in my kitchen waiting to go outside, suddenly leaves appeared on the “sticks”!

This development for some reason triggered memories of my Clethra hauled to the woods. Just for fun, I thought I would go check to see if it was still there.

Sure enough, there it was (with the plastic plant tag still on it).

It was still potbound and stood up on its own. Would you believe it was sprouting leaves?

So, of course, I had to put this survivor back in the garden!

Around here, we like our plants practically iron clad!

During this whole incident, I could only remember the famous Monty Python “Bring Out Your Dead” sketch with the classic line: “I’m not dead yet!”

I know of at least one other plant with a Monty Python problem.

In the parking area of our local shopping center earlier this spring, there were all of these odd and pathetic-looking stumps.  Someone really pruned them back hard to just twigs sticking out of the ground.

“What happened to those trees?

Those have been pruned so hard

they are surely dead.”

I predicted.

Yet, in another Lazarus moment, a few weeks ago they were sprouting leaves!

While I am still an authority on killing plants, I apparently have lost my privileges as a plant coroner.

Know a resilient plant? Have a humorous gardening tale? Please share in the comments.

Lately around our house we have an abundance of life. We have huge azaleas, rhododenrons and peonies in an overwhelming, almost desperate, bloom.

This week, I was taking out the garbage one evening and in the short walk out the back door to the garbage can, a lizard scurried under the steps, large moths were fluttering in the darkness and a frog hopped out of the way of my path to rest on our garden hose. After dumping the trash, I caught something out of the corner of my eye near my foot. As I stooped to inspect, I found a large brown spider carrying an egg sac!

It felt like these creatures were saying to me:

Move it, lady! Can’t you see we’re busy?!

It made me stop to realize how important this time of year is for almost every other life form. Whether they survive next year depends on what happens right now.

It’s the kind of realization that makes you feel very small . . . and a bit claustrophobic too!

While we may tend to think of the “holiday season” in December, one of the most important holidays of the year is now upon us . . . Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day is one of those holidays that you cannot miss. After reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother I can no longer think of Mother’s Day without thinking of Amy Chua’s instructions to her daughters on her birthday:

“I don’t want this. I want a better one – one that you’ve put some thought and effort into. . . . I deserve better than this. So I reject this.”

–Amy Chua, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Fortunately, none of the mothers I shop for are Tiger Mothers but I think the sentiment rings a bit true for all mothers. Motherhood is one of the most underappreciated jobs on the planet and even with an entire national day of recognition for it, it just doesn’t seem like enough. There is no card or gift we can give that adequately says thanks for all the things mothers do for us in our lives.

But just because we can’t achieve perfection in thanking our mothers, does not excuse us from our Mother’s Day obligations. We are now down to the last weekend before Mother’s Day and it is time to get our gifts together.

Last year, I wrote an exhaustive list of Mother’s Day gift suggestions.

This year, I will just share some of the interesting graden-related links that crossed my inbox this year:

• Wayside Gardens (Romance the garden with peonies, roses) – How thoughtful would it be if you planted something in her garden (easy to grow, please!) that would bloom every year on Mother’s Day? In the DC area, peonies or rhododendrons would fit the bill nicely.
• Gump’s – Enchanted Garden Accessories. Another low-maintenance garden item would be a piece of statuary. Gump’s cranes are particularly elegant.
• IKEA posted numerous affordable gift ideas for Mother’s Day, including a small greenhouse to grow herbs in.
• Cartier – on the other end of the expense spectrum, you could always help mom garden in style with a chic pair of rimless sunglasses or a beautiful floral perfume.
• Michaels – for handmade projects for mom from kids or others (including garden stepping stones).

Mom-oriented Charitable Donations (also consider donating to any charity your mom favors):

• La Leche League
• UNICEF
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving

What are your favorite Mother’s Day gifts to send or receive? Please share in the comments.

P.S. As always, I have no affiliation with any of the stores or organizations mentioned above (except Amazon).

In my garden, sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between the small plants that are still getting established and the weeds! To both help myself and clarify the situation for visitors, I wanted to create some plant markers that would be both functional and beautiful.

Punched metal has both a beautiful look and a durability that works well for outdoor use. I found an inexpensive set of metal alphabet punches at Harbor Freight Tools (that you saw in my Easter basket).

When I was browsing online for punch sets, I saw a comment on Amazon.com from a woman who said she used the punches to punch thrift store silverware and mark plants in her garden. Putting a few spoons and knives in the garden appealed to my sense of whimsy.

So, I tried the punches on a dollar store knife.

Unfortunately, the result was less than impressive and the punches barely scratched the surface. So, I tried again with a softer metal, a section of an aluminum can. The recycling aspect of this appealed to me.

This time, I had success but the punch did not drive as deeply as I would have liked and it took a lot of effort to get it to work.

So, I moved on to Plan C, which was to test a piece of aluminum tape I found at the hardware store. This tape is essentially like a heavy-duty piece of aluminum foil with adhesive on the back.

This time, I got the results I wanted!

The tape is also easier to work with and avoids the risk of injuring someone like the sharp edges of the aluminum can strips.

Once the tape section is punched, remove the backing:

and fold the tape onto itself.

With a sewing needle, punch a small hole in the top.

So, I had this cute little sign with a hole in it but no way to put it in the ground! After some brainstorming with my husband, I came up with using some of our jumbo size paperclip stockpile.

Straighten the larger loop of the paper clip.

Then, straighten the smaller loop of the paper clip, thread your sign halway down the short paper clip end and bend the paper clip in a small loop to secure.

You could leave it like this, but I was worried my children would hurt themselves on the pointy top of the sign (or that I would gouge myself on it while weeding) so I used pliers to bend it into a loop.

These little signs are fun and easy to make, inexpensive and easily customizable. You can punch anything you like and just cut the tape to fit. Up to 50 yards if you really wanted to! You could put the Latin and common names, care instructions, date planted, etc. A file label for the garden!

Happy punching!