Marigold Mumsy Gold

Beginning in late spring and continuing through summer and into fall, Mumsy is a tireless bloomer, setting giant 4-inch double blooms with a flattish pompon shape. Mumsy reaches about 14 inches high and 8 inches wide, it makes a good container choice, offering a lot of color in very little, bright and sunny space.

Clematis "Princess Diana"

The dainty, upright blooms are shaped like Tulips, with a soft pink-to-white base and a rich darker pink stripe distinguishing every blossom. Abundantly borne on neat little vines, they blanket the garden first in mid- to late summer, then return for an encore in fall. This vine grows just 8 feet tall and wide in sunny to partly shaded soil. Like most Clematis, it prefers an eastern exposure and rich, moist soil. Mulch around the base of the plant to keep the roots cool. Hardy zones 3-9.

Garden Phlox "Robert Poore"

This giant among the garden phlox varieties, with its fragrant, richly colored red-purple flower clusters, is sure to catch your attention when it blooms in mid-summer. Named after Mississippi landscape architect Robert Poore, this is a top-rated phlox for its resistance to powdery mildew, the nemesis of many other paniculata cultivars.

Mardi Gras

Flamboyant blooms in a novel blend of pink, orange, and yellow, and a delightful peppery scent, Mardi Gras creates a festive atmosphere in any setting. The colorful blooms are perfectly framed with dark green, semi-glossy foliage, and its upright columnar habit makes Mardi Gras an ideal rose to use as a hedge or in a border with mixed perennials.

Location: Full Sun

Height:4 feet

Geranium Elke

Very long-blooming, beginning in spring, lasting through the worst summer heat, and continuing into fall, also far more tolerant of heat, cold, and even drought than most other hardy geraniums. Charming pink-toned blooms and red autumn foliage, gives you a carefree, colorful, long-lived ground cover.

Location: Sun or Part Shade
Height:10 inches

Ajuga 'Golden Glow'

Everyone has a burgundy ajuga but this new variety has gold- and cream-variegated foliage.
Location: Sun or Shade
Height: 6-8 inches

Fizz and Food

Although dry sparklers are the perfect aperitifs enjoyed on their own (it's all because of the crisp acidity, light flavours and clean-tasting bubbles), they do go well with some dishes, especially:
Salmon and other fish mousse
Smoked salmon
Sushi
Crispy fried vegetarian dishes, such as tempura
Asparagus
Fresh prawns
Small filo parcels and creamy vol-au-vents
Spicy canapés, like tiny satay sticks
White fish dishes, such as grilled sole or plaice
Chicken in creamy sauces
Oysters

Citrus Topiary

Citrus Topiaries are the hot trend for next Christmas, 2008. A festive twist on the traditional decor that will look fresh for the entire winter season.

Christmas Trees Present Day

Today – Approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees are sold each year in the United States. Almost all of these come from Christmas Tree plantations.

Raclette

A dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland. The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates.Traditionally, it is accompanied by small firm potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions, dried meats (such as prosciutto), sliced peppers, tomato, onion, mushrooms, pears, and dusted with paprika and fresh-ground black pepper. It is normally accompanied by a white wine, such as a Riesling or a Pinot Gris.

Christmas Trees and the White House

1966 – The National Christmas Tree Association began its time-honored tradition of having the Grand Champion grower present a Christmas Tree to the First Lady for display in the Blue Room of the White House. That year, Howard Pierce of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, presented a tree to President Lyndon Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson

Mistletoe Mojito

1 oz. fresh lime juice

1 tbsp. superfine sugar

8 fresh mint leaves

2 oz. white rum

2 tsp. pomegranate seeds

4 oz. Pomegranate 7UP

1 mint sprig and 1 lime wedge for garnish

In a highball glass, muddle lime juice, sugar and mint leaves until sugar is dissolved.
Add rum and pomegranate seeds.
Fill glass with ice and top with Pomegranate 7UP.

Garnish with mint sprig and lime wedge. Enjoy.
Makes 1 mojito.

Christmas Trees 1901

1901 – The first Christmas Tree farm was started in 1901 when W.V. McGalliard planted 25,000 Norway spruce on his farm in New Jersey. Also in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt tried to stop the practice of having Christmas Trees out of concern about the destruction of forests. His two sons didn’t agree and enlisted the help of conservationist Gifford Pinchot to persuade the president that, done properly, the practice was not harmful to the forests.

Christmas Trees 1900

1900s – Due to overharvesting, the natural supply of evergreens began to be decimated. Conservationists became alarmed, and many magazines began to encourage people to substitute an artificial feather covered tree, consisting of a branch of a deciduous tree wrapped in cotton floss and dyed feathers.

Christmas Trees in the Late 1800's

Late 1800s – The first glass ornaments were introduced into the United States, again from Germany. The first ones were mostly balls, but later chains of balls, toys and figures became more common

Eiswein

[ICE-vyn]A German term meaning "ice wine," referring to a rich, flavorful dessrt wine. Eiswein is made by picking grapes that are frozen on the vine and then pressing them before they thaw. Because much of the water in the grapes is frozen, the resulting juice is concentrated-rich in flavor and high in sugar and acid. The resulting wines, extraordinarily sweet, yet balanced by high acidity.

Christmas Tree 1800's

1800s – The Christmas Tree was introduced in the United States by German settlers. It rapidly grew from tabletop size to floor-to-ceiling.

18th Century Christmas Trees

1700s – In parts of Austria and Germany, evergreen tips were brought into the home and hung top down from the ceiling. They were often decorated with apples, gilded nuts and red paper strips. Edible ornaments became so popular on Christmas Trees that they were often called “sugartrees.” The first accounts of using lighted candles as decorations on Christmas Trees come from France in the 18th century.

New Use for Antique Ornaments

Antique Christmas ornaments can add an Old World or vintage touch to your holiday décor. Begin a collection of antique ornaments and look for pieces throughout the year. If you have treasured antique Christmas ornaments and are wary of placing them on the tree, you may want to showcase them on tiered glass cake plates and other glass containers and candlesticks.

17th Century Christmas Trees

1600s – By the 17th century, it was common in Germany to decorate Christmas Trees with apples. This practice was a holdover from the 14th and 15th centuries when evergreen boughs hung with apples were the only prop used in the “miracle plays” that were performed at the churches on December 24. December 24 was Adam & Eve’s Day in the early Christian calendar, and the plays were used as ways of teaching the Bible to a largely illiterate population.

Holiday Plant Safety Tips for Pets

A number of Christmas season plants are poisonous to pets if nibbled or eaten:

Ivy - moderate to very toxic, all parts

Holly - moderate to very toxic, especially the berries and leaves

Mistletoe - very toxic, all parts, especially the berries

Christmas greens such as balsam, juniper, cedar, pine and fir - all parts have a low level of toxicity

Hibiscus - may cause vomiting or bloody diarrhea if ingested

Poinsettias - leaves and stems low in toxicity.

It's wise to keep plants out of your pets' and children's reach.

Mead

[MEED]A beverage made by fermenting honey, water, and yeast with flavorings such as herbs, spices, or flowers. Mead dates back to Biblical times and was popular in early England. Although not widely distributed today, it is still bottled. Mulled mead is a popular winter holiday drink, where mead is flavored with spices (and sometimes various fruits) and warmed, traditionally by having a hot poker plunged into it.

Today in Tree History

1530 – There is record from Alsace, France (then Germany territory) that trees were sold in the marketplace and brought home and set up undecorated. Laws limited the size to “8 shoe lengths” (slightly over 4 feet).

1st Christmas Tree

1510 – The first written record of a decorated Christmas Tree comes from Riga, Latvia. Men of the local merchants’ guild decorated a tree with artificial roses, danced around it in the marketplace and then set fire to it. The rose was used for many year and is considered to be a symbol for the Virgin Mary.

Reducing Stress During the Holidays

We all dream of stress-free Holidays. Yes, some stress is natural and even invigorating, it gets the adrenaline flowing, quickens the mind, and energises the body. On the assumption that stress is inevitable, all you can do is learn to live with it, follow a few techniques for relaxation and hope the worst effects are brought under some sort of control. This is fine in its way and there are many suitable techniques you can follow: massage, aromatherapy, and meditation. These are gentle, non-invasive therapies, deeply relaxing and restorative - a great way to reduce excess tension.

White House Christmas

The tradition of a placing a decorated tree in the White House began in 1889 on Christmas morning during the Presidency of Benjamin Harrison. What began as a family gathering has become a national tradition. Over the years, the White House Christmas tree has reflected both the times and the tastes of the First Family.

Christmas with the Kennedys, 1961

Christmas with the Carters, 1978

Christmas with the Clintons, 1995

Atomic Age Christmas

Sea Bass

Sea bass is best in the winter months and can be bought whole, as steaks or as fillets. A whole bass is perfect for a special meal and is a favorite of many a restaurant chef. You may have to pay a little more for sea bass but its tender, soft flesh and its delicate milky flavor is worth the expense. It can be poached, steamed, baked or grilled but, whichever way you choose, take care not to overcook the delicate flesh. Use herbal flavors such as fennel, garlic, mint, tarragon, and rosemary to complement it.

Sea Bass roasted with Rosemary and Lemon

1 Sea Bass fillet

Fresh rosemary

Extra Virgin Olive oil

Sea salt

1 Lemon, sliced

Slash the skin side of the sea bass diagonally so that the flesh is exposed. Put a generous amount of the rosemary into the pockets. Rub the rest of the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Sear in a pan skin side down, and transfer into a hot oven for five minutes. Serve with a drizzle of fresh lemon and good olive oil.

Hanukkah Gelt

Hanukkah gelt (Yiddish for "money") is often distributed to children to enhance their enjoyment of the holiday. Twentieth-century American chocolatiers picked up on the gift/coin concept by creating chocolate gelt, or chocolate shaped and stamped like coins and wrapped in gold or silver foil. Chocolate gelt is often used in place of money in dreidel games.

Glamorous Table Settings for Hanukkah

Could latkes possibly taste better than when served at this festive Hanukkah table featuring a dreidel, gelt (gold-covered chocolate coins) and a menorah?