The Mitsubishi Shogun

Interesting facts: This model is only known as the Shogun in the UK. It is called the Mitsubishi Pajero in Japan and few other countries, Mitsubishi Montero (meaning "mountain hunter") in Spain, India, and the Americas (except Brazil). It is not on sale in the US (since 2006) and the latest model is the 4th generation.

Tips to Help You Watch What You Eat

• Drink a glass of water prior to eating your meal.  This will help to fill you up a bit before you begin eating.

• Use smaller plates, bowls, and silverware.  The larger the utensils and dishes, the more you’ll eat.

• Ask yourself why you are eating.  Are you hungry?  Out with friends?  Bored?  Stressed?  Etc.  Depending on your answer, you will be more likely to watch what you eat and how much.  At times you may see that it’s not necessary for you to eat at that time after all.

 
• Start with one serving.  For example, even if you know that you will be going back for a second roll, waiting to do so will help you to stop and think about how much you have eaten and listen to your body.

• Take a larger serving of vegetables, and less of the main entre.  This will help you to still get full, but with less calories.

 
• Chew your food slowly.  This will help you to pay attention to the food that you are consuming, enjoy every bite, and acknowledge when you are full. 

• Avoid eating with distractions.  You will eat more if you are distracted by other activities while you eat such as watching TV.  If your family likes to sit and talk after dinner, move into another room where you will not be tempted to pick off of your plate or get another serving. 

• If you feel that you are still hungry after clearing your plate, wait 20 minutes.  This will allow time for your body to process the food that you’ve already consumed; giving you time to assess whether or not you need a second serving.

• If you go out to eat, box half of your food before you begin eating.  This will help you avoid leaving the restaurant stuffed due to overeating.  If it is in front of you, you will continue to eat.

• Don’t beat yourself up, and take it one meal at a time.  Being mindful of what you are eating and assessing your body’s needs is the key; however, this takes time and effort.  Be patient with yourself and remember that it’s to be done in baby steps.

The new Audi R8 V10

Sneak preview of the new Audi R8 V10.

'Hot Wings' Tatarian Maple - a Great Small Tree

photo from northscaping.com

HOT WINGS^® Tatarian Maple was discovered in Colorado. It appeared as a chance-seedling in the production fields of Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery in 1993. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

This particular tree stood out from all the other Tatarian maples for six weeks every summer with its breath-taking scarlet red samaras that contrasted boldly with the green foliage. It looked like it was in bloom in July. In the spring, clusters of yellow-white flowers covered the tree after the leaves appear. Fall leaf color transformed from orange-red on the outside of the tree to yellow in the middle.

In time, Plant Select^® offered to patent it and promote it. It is now readily available in local nurseries.

If you want a small single or multi-stem wide spreading ornamental tree that reaches 18 - 25 feet tall ( with a spread of 20 feet) and offers year round interest, is tolerant of alkaline soils and is cold-hardy then this is the tree for you!

 It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 4 feet from the ground. It grows at a medium rate and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

 

 

 

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It is adaptable to both dry and moist locations and is considered to be drought-tolerant. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution. It is great for creating a bushy screen, as an accent or in the shrub border. It is a show stopper.

 

USDA zones 4-10.

Volvo unveils 6 new models

The New V60

Volvo has had their most significant product launch ever. 6 new models were unveiled at an exclusive event in Gothenburg, Sweden. These are the new S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 models - all with updates based on feedback from customers. They will be officially revealed to the public at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

The New S60

Singing the Praises of the tough but beautiful Little Bluestem

Photo Courtesy of Lazy S'S Farm

When the American Horticultural Society decided to create a large meadow at their headquarters, River Farm, in Virginia the first plant they seeded was Little Bluestem.

 They applied 100 pounds of Bluestem seed. The Latin name is Schizachyrium scoparium or skiz-ah-KEER-ee-um sko-PAR-ee-um.

Why was this the first plant they seeded? Because Little Bluestem is a wonderful, durable, upright, clump forming grass that is eminently suitable for 'meadow making'.

taken by Andy Wasowski, and Sally Wasowski

Little Bluestem is native to almost all of the United States and parts of Canada. It is found in  45 of the 50 states, making it the most abundant of all native grasses.

It is drought and flood-tolerant, can grow in light shade and thrives in relatively poor, sharply drained soil. It is found in woodland glades and both upland and lowland prairies.

 

The most thrilling aspect to me about this plant is the unusual depth of its dense, fine and fibrous roots.

Little Bluestem's roots grow almost vertically downward to depths comparable to shade trees!

This is why it is drought tolerant, why it needs no fertilization and why it is often used for erosion control on slopes.  

 

Little Bluestem is extremely cold hardy, deer resistant and is an excellent grass for the garden.

It's slender blue-green foliage grows from 18 inches to 3 feet tall. Its stems are purplish at the base and the foliage turns a striking russet red in the fall. The soft wispy silvery seed heads bloom in late summer through early fall and are ornamental through winter, making it perfect for the native winter landscape.

Arogos Skipper Butterfly (birdsofoklahoma.net)

It is also a fabulous plant for wildlife, being a host plant for the Dusted, Arogos, Meske's, Cobweb and Crossline Skipper Butterflies.

Its fine clumping foliage provides protective cover and nest sites for many birds and its seed heads supply them with food.

It is one of the plants in the National Wildlife Federation's BIRD GARDEN (click here) landscape plan.

'The Blues'

'The Blues' variety is a spectacular Blue form of Little Bluestem.

 It thrives in heat and humidity and looks excellent in massed plantings, as a groundcover or mixed with other native grasses and perennials. It adds a fine, delicate texture to plantings.  The Blues Bluestem will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 32 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

The Songbird Garden by Johnson's gardens(Click Here)

Here is a small Songbird garden developed by Johnson's Gardens. It contains Dwarf Pavement Shrub Rose, The Blues Little Bluestem Grass, October Skies Aster, Kobold Blazing Star, Magnus Purple Coneflower, Viette's Little Suzy Rudbeckia, Zagreb Coreopsis, Prairie Dropseed Grass

You can use Little Bluestem as a lawn replacement. It is common in many low maintenance seed mixtures combined with other lower growing natives. You can spread these seeds in open recreational areas,  along roadsides and in wildlife habitats. But do not despair the first year after seeding - these deep rooted grasses grow down, not up, during the establishment year. This means that the top growth may be nothing more than a narrow, straight leaf until late in the summer. It can be hard to see and many people are almost always convinced they failed. Patience! The second year is the reward. 

Once established, Make sure to cut it to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes.

Of course you can also buy them as small plants....

River Farm Meadow - photo by Tristan-NC

By the way, the Horticultural Society's meadow at River Farm is called The André Bluemel Meadow and is four acres of many species of native grasses and wildflowers.  Go visit!

It was seeded with Stocks Wildflower Mixture from Stock Seed Farm, Murdock, NE. The mixture included; dwarf red coreopsis, blanket flower, grayhead prairiecone, purple prairieclover, blue flax, plains coreopsis, upright prairiecone, cornflower, scarlet flax, shasta daisy, smooth penstemon, dames rocket, partridgepea, perennial lupine, spiked gayfeather, red yarrow, purple coneflower, California poppy, lemon mint, lance-leaved coreopsis, Indian blanket, blackeyed susan, white yarrow, Mexican red hat, false sunflower, new England Aster, and corn poppy.

Sleep Hygiene

 Tips from the American Sleep Association:

Maintain a regular sleep routine.

• Go to bed at the same time. Wake up at the same time. Ideally, your schedule will remain the same (+/- 20 minutes) every night of the week.
Avoid naps if possible
• When we take naps, it decreases the amount of sleep that we need the next night – which may cause sleep fragmentation and difficulty initiating sleep

Don’t stay in bed awake for more than

5-10 minutes.

• If you find your mind racing, or worrying about not being able to sleep during the middle of the night, get out of bed, and sit in a chair in the dark. Do your mind racing in the chair until you are sleepy, and then return to bed. No TV or internet during these periods! That will just stimulate your mind, making it difficult to fall asleep.
• If this happens several times during the night, that is OK. Just maintain your regular wake time, and try to avoid naps.

Don’t watch TV or read in bed.

• When you watch TV or read in bed, you associate the bed with wakefulness.
Do not drink caffeine inappropriately
• The effects of caffeine may last for several hours after ingestion. Caffeine can fragment sleep, and cause difficulty initiating sleep. If you drink caffeine, use it only before noon.
• Remember that soda and tea contain caffeine as well.

Avoid inappropriate substances that interfere with sleep.

• Cigarettes, alcohol, and over-the-counter medications may cause fragmented sleep.
Exercise regularly
• Exercise before 2 pm every day. Exercise promotes continuous sleep.
• Avoid rigorous exercise before bedtime. Rigorous exercise circulates endorphins into the body which may cause difficulty initiating sleep.

Have a quiet, comfortable bedroom.

• Set your bedroom thermostat at a comfortable temperature. Generally, a little cooler is better than a little warmer.
• Turn off the TV and other extraneous noise that may disrupt sleep. Background ‘white noise’ like a fan is OK.
• If your pets awaken you, keep them outside the bedroom.
• Your bedroom should be dark. Turn off bright lights.
• Get rid of distractions that will keep you from falling asleep.  For example, if you are a ‘clock watcher’ at night, hide the clock.

Have a comfortable pre-bedtime routine.

• A warm bath, shower
• Meditation, or quiet time

Place yourself in a wonderful beautiful garden...

Swami Radhananda, the director of Yasodhara Ashram in British Columbia, Canada, has sage advice for the overstressed denizens of the 21st century:

“When you desire peace, visualize your favorite place and go there whenever you want.

Place yourself in a wonderful beautiful garden – see your favorite trees, flowers, smell the most beautiful scents, feel the warm air, hear the birds sing.

 It is a very simple practice….

Sitting quietly, constructively using the senses, is one way to relax and to rest to your central nervous system. The mind is absorbed, contained, and focused…”

( www.ascentmagazine.com/columns)

 

Swami Radhananda describes the secret of a serenity garden. Within such a place, you can be carried away by the quiet offerings of a glorious natural world.

Your mind relaxes and loosens as you focus on colors, scents, the sunlight, birdsong or the breeze. That nervous energy within you slows down and you breathe in the moment.

The proverbial 'power of now' - sedates you.

If we can learn to stop and breathe in a garden then our society's ever-growing need for Paxil will be greatly minimized.

A serenity garden is  meant to catch our attention. This eye catcher may be the dark green, crinkled leavees and fragrant purple flowers of the luscious Heliotrope

(Heliotrope 'Fragrant Delight')

the bold, bright stripes of a White Striped Century Plant

(Agave americana medio picta alba)

or the ‘pow’ of a garden walk.

(New York Botaanical Garden - The Flower Gardens Outside their Magnificent Conservatory)

As you look at this photo of a walk your eye may travel to the 4' tall  focal point (set upon a tall plinth) or the white pine tree in the rear that stands sentry over the garden. Observation and appreciation of such things cultivates our focus - and calms us.


A serenity garden, filled with a myriad of natural wonders, offers each of us a blissful way to relax.

(Heliotrope, 'Limelight' Helichrysum, Pink Petunias, White Bacopa -  Johnsen Landscapes & Pools )

 

 

 

 

 

SunSparkler™ Sedums - A Great Choice for Sunny Gardens

SunSparkler™ Sedums

If you have a hot, dry garden and want almost 2 months of vibrant color then try Chris Hansen's collection of  brilliantly colored, quick-spreading, ultra-tough and long-lived sedum cultivars  - SunSparklers™.  Zones 4-9.

SunSparkler™ sedums stand up to cold as well as heat, and once established, do not mind poor soil fertility or long periods of drought.

They are great for containers that you often forget to water ( me...).

And there is no better plant for sunny banks, slopes, and rocky garden spots.

These perennials may reach 6 to 8 inches high and spread 18 inches wide within a single season. Butterflies adore the flowers and deer may avoid nibbling the leaves ( it depends).  

Sedum 'Cherry Tart'

'Cherry Tart' has cherry-red, 6" high foliage and 3 season interest.  Deep pink blooms appear in late summer (opening in clusters 5 inches wide) that butterflies love. In mid-fall the red foliage is ablaze in all its glory.

Given good drainage it will not fail to grab the eye anywhere it is planted.

 

 Sedum 'Dazzleberry'

'Dazzleberry' is 8 inches high and quickly spreads 18 inches wide. The foliage is a smoky shade of blue and retains its color through summer heat and humidity.

In late summer, 6 inch raspberry flowerheads top the leaves, remaining for almost 2 months. What a great contrast.

“It’s one of the first sedums to bloom in late summer,” Hansen says. “And it remains colorful for more than seven weeks!” Place it alongside black asphalt or curbs; it can take the harsh conditions.


Sedum 'Lime Zinger'

 'Lime Zinger' sports succulent leaves of bright lime-green edged in cherry red  -  a red picotee standout! The red variegation outlining each leaf is stunning. And in mid summer it is topped for several weeks by pink blooms.  Its compact 4″ tall x 18″ wide growth habit makes it a superb new groundcover Sedum. 

 

And new for 2013: 'Blue Pearl'

Non-fading intense BLUE foliage, Over 6+ months of foliage color with bright pink contrasting flowers... I can't wait to try this one.

 

 

Garden of Oz in Los Angeles

Somewhere in Beachwood Canyon in the Hollywood Hills (beneath the Hollywood Sign) in Los Angeles, way up high, is a hidden garden that you may have heard of, once in a lullaby. 

Garden of Oz - photo by Gerard Bosch

It is a treasure trove of recycled garden art - multi-color mosaics and hand painted tiles mixed with old Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels glued or otherwise embedded in the rockwork.
And add to this a riot of plants and flowers cascading over benches, and fountains. It even contains a pathway paved with yellow bricks.

A closed iron gate announces the Garden of Oz. And outside the mailbox reads “Letters to Oz”.

Perhaps a  flying monkey swoops down each day to pick up the mail.

 

The story goes that Gail, the garden's owner, was an adviser to the Pope back in the day. She created this multi faith garden and gave all the children who live nearby a key to get inside whenever they please. And it's been said that the Dali Llama once sent 15 of his monks to bless the garden which features menorahs, statues, and mandalas from all over the world. It even has a Peace Pole.

Garden of Oz - photo by Gerard Bosch

I would love to visit this mini-paradise, located at 3106 Ledgewood Drive, Hollywood, so if anyone happens to come upon a local kid with a key, let me know.  :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smaller is More Beautiful…in praise of small gardens

My backyard dry stream - Jan Johnsen

If small is beautiful then....smaller must be more beautiful.

At least that is what I tell myself as I survey my postage stamp of a backyard. I remind myself that some of the sweetest of serene spaces are small gardens, tucked away, out of sight.

I add touches insummer like this flowering lantana amongst the rocks

My small verdant retreat is where I can place a chair or two, sip a cup of tea, tend to the garden, admire my planters of foliage or even write my blog, ‘pleine aire’, so to speak …

 

Small gardens call for small plants – although normal size plants look great when first planted, in the years that ensue they may grow to overwhelm the space… To prevent that I have a few suggestions for some hardy, compact and delightful perennial plants.

 

The following diminutive plants are perfect for small gardens, in containers, along walkways, in rock gardens or as low growing ‘filler’ plants in plant beds.

Sedum is a sun loving, easy to grow succulent. Sedum rupestre 'Angelina' is one of my favorites. It rows about 6 inches high and spreads out among rocks, pavers, in flower beds. It is a chartreuse yellow- green that spreads and spills out. Easy to grow and quite the eye catcher!

                          

Sedum Angelina by Jan Johnsen

             

Hostas, known for broad foliage and tolerance to shady conditions, have miniature varieties such as the Mouse Ear collection. These pocket sized hostas have wonderfully textured, heart shaped leaves. Two of the blue mouse ear hostas are H. ‘Country Mouse’ which has blue leaves, edged in white, growing to 4” tall and 9” wide and Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’, the 2008 Hosta of the Year, which grows to 6” – 8” tall and 18” wide and has lavender flowers.

(Blue Mouse Ears - Shady Oaks Nursery)

 

‘Pandora’s Box’ Hosta is the top choice of the American Hosta Society for miniature hostas. It has tiny leaves (2" x 1½") with a creamy-white center and a contrasting, blue-green margin. Lavender flowers appear in early summer. Mature size is 4" ht x 10" spread.

(Pandora's Box Hosta - Contrary Mary Nursery)

Hosta 'Stiletto' is named for its striking, narrow, lance-shaped, leaves. The foliage has a cream or gold tinged margin and it sports lavender striped flowers in late summer. Mature height is 8” tall and spreads about a foot. Its eye catching narrow leaves look great in pots.

(Hosta Stiletto - Park Seed)

Miniature Roses are also perfect for a small space serenity garden but they need at least 6 hours of full sun in summer. The hardy Lavender Jewel (Moore, 1978) grows no higher that 24” tall and has shapely, lavender blooms all summer long. Dark glossy green foliage is disease resistant. Height 18 to 24 inches. (Zone 4)

(Rose 'Lavender Jewel' - High Country Roses)

The miniature Starla rose (Chaffin, 1990) is a pure ivory-white rose with pointed buds, a fruity fragrance and large, shapely blooms on cutting-length stems. It grows no higher than 20 inches (Zone 5).

(Starla Rose - High Country Roses)

My own particular favorites are the compact varieties of  Carex or sedge. These grasslike plants offer an amazing choice of colors, stripes and textures - there are over 1000 species.  Natives of bogs,  they like wet to moist soil.  In my small garden I grow several cultivars by a dry stream and they look great, even now in March.

I like Goldband (or Evergold) Japanese Sedge, (Carex morrowii 'Variegata') which  has droopy, graceful white and green striped grassy foliage. It looks fantastic when used as ground cover or planted in groups.

This is my small garden. I planted Gomphrena 'Buddy Purple' next to the Carex morrowi and across the stream is 'Ice Dance' Sedge.  It is a my 'tucked away' joyful space. Smaller is definitely more beautiful.