FOR THREE YEARS, I’VE BEEN BLOGGING on A Way to Garden, and for three years, I’ve been watching as Gretchen Rubin—until three weeks ago a stranger to me—manifested her own online community, The Happiness Project, from scratch. From the start, I thought, “this person is on to something,” and sure enough, a Number 1 book of the same name came to be. Just weeks before my own book launched, we finally met, and here’s what happened (with a chance to win one of three copies of Gretchen’s new paperback edition that I bought to help celebrate her success):
Our different-and-yet-not-different paths—ex-attorney Gretchen re-invented herself as a writer—led us to a midtown Manhattan publisher’s offices during Social Media Week last month. We appeared together on a panel about blogging and other tools to help authors create community, and therefore (hopefully!) readers. I nervously gave Gretchen a copy of my book afterward; by later that day, she sent me an invitation and the questions for her weekly “happiness project interview,” which just appeared.
You can read it here—but the headline she chose from among my answers gives you a hint of what fun it is: “A Very Close Friend Says That I Am Not Type A, but AAA.” Gretchen’s deceptively simple questions, things like “what activities make you happier” and “what gets in the way of your happiness,” were really helpful to me in a very stressful time, the lead-up to my book launch. In fact, doing the interview was positively therapeutic.
THAT’S BECAUSE THE BASIC premise of “The Happiness Project” is also deceptively simple but powerful: Gretchen contends that by taking small, concrete steps in your everyday life, you can increase your happiness. I have to say I agree. She does weekly videos
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Interior designer Stephanie Hunt’s seven-bedroom, 10-bathroom Park City, Utah, home is a grown-up, glammed-up, sophisticated version of a funhouse—it’s got so many surprises and delights at every turn. And believe it or not, she got the inspiration for the home on a freezing winter trip to Reykjavík, Iceland. “We were there for a quick weekend trip and I was struck by how the simple barn structures—very close together—looked like one unit. Because we’re art collectors I wondered what it would feel like to have each pod or pavilion, if you will, developed in a simple, honest architectural style, connected by halls and glass elements, with the halls serving sort of in-home art galleries,” she explains.
Ornamental Japanese Maples are widely available for planting in your garden. The autumn colouring makes these trees spectacular when planted en mass in a woodland or Japanese garden setting.
Oak trees conjure up images of Robin Hood and mystical Oak forests. Britain has made good use of Oak trees down the centuries. ‘From little acorns great Oak trees grow’
Hay fever and Asthma attacks can be brought on by Scented Plants as well as pollen or Fungal Spores. Histamin problems can also be exacerbated by scent and smells in the garden.
For something a bit different this book on botanic art covers some of the unusual colours from black flowers, plants and seaweed like strange green, blue and puce pink.
One thing is sure the climate in your garden will change. You already know one week will be different to the next and I can’t remember when two months or any years were the identical to others. In many areas you can get 3 or 4 seasons in one day (or in Scotland one hour!).
Snowdrops are officially called Galanthus. This snowdrop is Galanthus elwessii with larger than normal blooms and a honey scent the other main species are Nivalis and Plicatus. The snowdrop is very hardy, grows in most soils and prefers partial shade.
When it comes totrailing houseplants, people always go for the most usual ones like pothos and philodendrons, not realizing that they are missing out on some species that are not really popular. Here’s one such list of 8 Cool Indoor Vines People Usually Don’t Grow, but you can try if you’re looking for alternatives.
Gardening in the winter is somewhat challenging but doable. Many of the greens, some of the root vegetables, and herbs can be planted in the fall and will grow through the winter months. The saying is that greens are better after a frost.
I PUT MY BEANS UP ON A PEDESTAL because they are one of the crops that’s finally producing here in the Year of Big Rains. In fact, I just planted another whole row of bush beans, along with more collards and kale, among many things. Welcome to Week 3 of the cross-blog Summer Fest 2009: Beans and Greens Week, a perfect time (if you hurry) to fine-tune the vegetable garden and eke out some produce for late summer, fall—and beyond.