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april 2008

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April 25, 2008 | out and about

Fresh blooms, foul play and Agatha Christie’s favorite flowers ...

by Jacqueline

Ever notice the connection between gardening and detective fiction? Agatha Christie’s beloved character Miss Marple often mulls over clues while pulling weeds in her garden. Nero Wolfe (a creation of author Rex Stout) grows orchids. The popular British TV series “Rosemary and Thyme” starred actresses Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as flower-powered mystery-solvers.

Even if the sleuths' digging is all for clues, the English countryside, tranquil and idyllic, provides the perfect contrast for chilling crimes.
Am I on to something here? “Absolutely,” says award-winning mystery writer Rhys Bowen, rhysbowen.com, a native of Bath, England, who now lives in San Francisco. “The British love their gardens in a way Americans can’t understand. They are often the only ones doing the gardening – they don’t tend to hire gardeners. People in England like the wildness of their gardens. There’s often interesting shrubbery that could hide bodies.”

Bowen’s latest book, “A Royal Pain: A Royal Spyness Mystery,” will hit shelves in July. She is also the author of the Molly Murphy and Evan Evans series.

She points out that gardening is very similar to writing. “You’re trying to tame something and make sense out of it, to make it satisfying.”

Tree peony

If mysteries set in this green and pleasant land are your cup of tea, then in addition to Bowen’s new book, here are some stellar DVDs to add to your collection, available from Acorn Media, at 888-870-8047 or acornonline.com.  

• “Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Classic Collection 2”
Actor David Suchet brings Hercule Poirot’s inimitable brilliance to the screen in this 10-disc collection of the popular British TV series. In addition to 9 feature-length films, the set has a wonderful bonus feature: “Agatha Christie’s Garden,” a look at the author’s life and happy times she spent at her glorious summer retreat Greenway, a 30-acre Georgian estate in Devon. Pam Ferris of “Rosemary & Thyme” appears along with esteemed author P.D. James and Christie's grandson. The collection is $99.99; other Poirot sets are also available, as are Miss Marple sets with Geraldine McEwan and Joan Hickson.

Though Christie didn’t garden herself, she was fond of spending time there and had definite opinions about what should be planted. Her favorite flowers were hydrangea, camellia, magnolia and rhododendron, and she enjoyed eating produce from the vegetable garden and fruit trees. Christie also had an eye for business and started a commercial nursery on the estate.

Greenway is now owned by the National Trust; parts of the estate (including the gardens) are open to the public.

• "Rosemary & Thyme: The Complete Collection"
It’s hard not to like ex-policewoman Laura Thyme and Rosemary Boxer, a former professor. Both characters share a passion for horticulture and a talent for cracking cases. Shot on location in England and Europe, this hit series ran from 2003 to 2007. The complete collection is 22 episodes on 9 DVDs, $99.99; series 1, 2 and 3 are available separately.

• “Midsomer Murders”
Based on characters created by highly acclaimed detective writer Caroline Graham, this long-running TV drama (it started in 1997) is a clever update on the English village mystery. John Nettles stars as sleuth Tom Barnaby. Sets 1-10, $39.99-59.99.

Flower Fact of the Day: The Memphis Garden Club hosts the 15th Memphis Flower Show this weekend at Dixon Gallery and Gardens. Read all about it and see some highlights at: commercialappeal.com/news/2008/apr/25/art-imitates-art.  
 

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April 24, 2008 | out and about

Celebrate Mother’s Day with beautiful bouquets and our top 21 movies about moms

by Jacqueline


This weekend, two mother-themed movies hit theaters: “Baby Mama,” a comedy about hiring a surrogate starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and from director/actress Helen Hunt “Then She Found Me,” a drama about a woman who, in the midst of a midlife crisis, is reconnected with her biological mother. (Bette Midler co-stars with Hunt.)

If you and your mother are likely to see these movies by Mother’s Day, rest assured, there are lots of other films that are perfect to rent. What better way for Mom to relax after brunch than a good movie? Watching a movie at home with the family lets Mom keep enjoying her gorgeous bouquet of Mother’s Day flowers. Aah, I can almost smell them now…roses, lilies, stock … beats popcorn any day!

And a bonus: You'll be all set to watch Teleflora's America's Favorite Mom americasfavoritemom.com Mother's Day TV special at 7 p.m./6c on NBC.

Floral bouquet for America's Favorite Mom

So, here are some favorite flicks (be warned, some are tear-jerkers!) and the actresses who star as Mom:

“Stella Dallas,” 1937, Barbara Stanwyck

“The Grapes of Wrath,” 1940, Jane Darwell

“How Green Was My Valley,” 1941, Sara Allgood

“Open City,” 1945, Anna Magnani

“Mildred Pierce,” 1945, Joan Crawford

“I Remember Mama,”1948, Irene Dunne

“Imitation of Life, 1959, Lana Turner (Claudette Colbert stars in the 1934 version)

“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Any More,” 1975, Ellen Burstyn

“Terms of Endearment,” 1983, Shirley MacLaine

“Mask,” 1985, Cher

“Steel Magnolias,” 1989, Sally Field

“Stella,” 1990, Bette Midler

“The Joy Luck Club,” 1993, Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu

“Mrs. Doubtfire,” 1993, Robin Williams

“Serial Mom,” 1994, Kathleen Turner

“Mother,” 1996, Debbie Reynolds

“Secrets and Lies,” 1996, Brenda Blethyn

“Hope Floats,” 1998, Sandra Bullock

“One True Thing,” 1998, Meryl Streep

“Anywhere But Here,” 1999, Susan Sarandon

“Chocolat,” 2000, Juliette Binoche

What is your favorite mom movie or TV show? Write in and let us know.

Flower Fact of the Day: From Saturday to Tuesday, the Boston Museum of Fine Art mfa.org hosts its annual floral festival Art in Bloom. Sunday's headlining event is a talk and demo from NYC-based floral designer Michael George. If you can't make it to the show, read a Boston Globe interview with George at: boston.com/lifestyle/house/articles/2008/04/24/
doing_the_bare_minimum.
 

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April 23, 2008 | floral calendar

Green thumbs gather in the Big Apple

by Jacqueline

NYC GROWS Garden Festival features demos, kids' activities and a prize drawing of more than $5,000.

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, April 27
Where: Union Square Park, New York City
Price: Free
Contact: garden.org/nycgrows  
 


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April 23, 2008 | out and about

Flowers, plants grab Rodeo Drive spotlight

by Jacqueline


Rodeo Drive plants

Walk down LA’s world-famous Rodeo Drive and you might spot a movie star or some serious power shoppers. But for sure you’ll see gorgeous flowers and plants.

And you might wonder how they got there and who takes care of them…

Most of the blooms are the result of Beverly Hills’ Urban Design Program, a plan to enhance the pedestrian experience in a five-street area anchored by Rodeo Drive, says Daniel E. Cartagena, assistant to the city manager. The program started rolling out in 2003.

The lengthy list of improvements (replacing and widening sidewalks and street medians, for example) also included replacing ficus trees with King Palm trees, planting Medjool Palms, roses, philodendron and agapanthus, as well as installing planter urns that hold seasonal flowers.

City crews provide landscape maintenance and tree trimming.

As for the program’s success, Cartagena says: “We’ve had a warm response from business owners and shoppers.”

Another testament to the power of flowers!

As for the delightful hanging flower baskets, they’re maintained independently of Beverly Hills city management by 2 Rodeo Drive, http://tworodeo.com/.  

But more flower baskets may be on the horizon. Beverly Hills is looking at adding that feature to its streets, says Cartagena. Before making a final decision, they’ll need to consider irrigation (the flower baskets on 2 Rodeo are hand-watered), weight and wind load, as well as maintenance costs.

Rodeo Drive plants

Flower Fact of the Day: California cut-flower growers are voicing their concerns about proposed legislation to make permanent trade agreements with Latin American growers. For the full story, go to: venturacountystar.com/news/2008/apr/20/floral-industry-survivors.
 

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April 22, 2008 | out and about

Container gardens are a great way to go green

by Jacqueline


Container garden

Earth Day is an ideal time to start planning a container garden. Why? All plants help clean the air, but putting them in containers saves water.

For some tips, I turned to Karl Gercens of Longwood Gardens Inc. in Kennett Square, PA, longwoodgardens.org. “Creating mixed containers is one of the most exciting types of gardening one can indulge in,” says Gercens, who started gardening in 3rd grade with his grandmother on their family farm in Mississippi.

He points out that containers let you highlight the beauty of individual plants and have flexibility with your garden.

“They’re living flower arrangements and you can change them and rearrange them on a regular basis, say with the four seasons.”

He encourages people plan first and plant later.

“Think about why you want to plant a container garden. The next step is choosing the correct container for your garden. There are so many choices it’s important to match your needs with what’s out there. Container planting media is an important consideration if you’re going to have tropical plants, which love extra food and water, or desert plants, which need sharp drainage and little feed.

“Site selection is always a primary concern as sun loving plants shouldn’t be placed in shade and vice versa. Watering, fertilizing and grooming are regular maintenance duties that should attract attention.”

Container garden

Also in honor of Earth Day, here are some good reads:

10 ways to help the Earth's health: green.yahoo.com/news/livescience/20080422/sc_livescience/
10waysyoucanimproveearthshealth.html

Top 10 indoor plants:
home.ivillage.com/gardening/picks/indoor/0,,,00.html  

For city folks who crave some green:
“Moss in the City” by William Moss is aimed at urban and small-space gardeners, garden.org/urbangardening.

Container garden

Flower Fact of the Day: This comes courtesy of the above-mentioned and aptly named Mr. Moss: Plant hardy annuals like snapdragons and larkspur in front of and between your spring bulbs. The colorful annual flowers will help hide the fading foliage of tulips and daffodils.