Hi, I live in Northern NJ. I am an artist and gardener.(They are the same right? Just different mediums and surfaces). An avid reader & traveler, and love foods of all ethnicities. My last foreign trip was to Italy and the island of Sicily in October and November of 2006. Yum-yum...A favorite place of mine is the Greek Island of Crete. Another Yum-yum! I currently paint in watercolor, but have enjoyed all mediums. My 2 long time(only since 1967) friends, Carole and Nancy also share the artist mentality. We often get together to paint or attend classes. Carole lives in Florida and teaches watercolor there and in Chaumont, NY (summers only, really!). I have a daughter in California. She and I share a garden there. I plant and she watches them grow and sometimes not. In April she moves to a new home and as she stated we have a "blank slate" to work with. I will miss the gardens we put in at the old house, but, look forward to having a "blank slate" because there is almost no more room in my own garden for any additions without digging and finding new homes for the ambitious off-springs of old friends. I am married and my husband, Bill, and I share great trips and love dining out. I read cookbooks and borrow armloads full each time I visit our library. Actually, I love to cook and part of that love is shopping for the fresh foods and dreaming about how I can best cook and present them. Again, it is the artist coming out I think. I have a son who owns a local camera shop. A Wall Street guy who gave up the world of commuting and followed his dream. He is a great photographer and does great stuff in his shop. I applaud him. We have 5 grandchildren, 2 in NJ and 3 in CA. They all love to come to Grandma's house and also love their silly G-Pa. I have not yet managed to get Bill out in the garden for work...only admiration. He does a wonderful job as admirer and pays the bills for additional help. A very good man! So, that is me. I look forward to great chats and learning from all of you out there in cyber-space. Isn't it wonderful? The world is so much smaller and the people out there are so kind. The internet is a wonderful place to visit. [/i]
Hi Irisann and a BIG welcome to GardenStew from beautiful Sweden Glad that you decided to join us, you have made a great choice I see you started a blog, I'm off to have a look! // Frank
Hi again Irisann. Welcome from north Texas. Tell us a little about yourself. What kind of gardening do you do, flowers, herbs, vegies or a little of each? And we love pictures of gardens and your local scenery too.
I've just been reading your first ever blog entry Irisann. I hope you will post some photographs of all your new clematis seedlings as we love to share in each others success's. WELCOME to our forums from West Lothian in Scotland. I hope the snow clears soon so that you can get outdoors and have some fun again in your garden. :-D
I grow irises (of course), Spring bulbs (hundreds I think) snowdrops are bloomimg under the snow and the tiny irises will be blooming after the thaw comes. There are too many plants to name here but I grow herbs and vegatables also. I have tomato seedlings setting up residence next to the clematis seedlings.
Thanks for all the friendly responses! I cannot believe how many garden interested people are out there sharing blogs! Isn't this fun?
Welcome Irisann from the thumb of Michigan. Glad to have you here. We do love pics so please share whatever you are growing. I too started with a blank slate 7 years ago when we moved to our current home. I have had great fun making it look like I want. My husband too is a great admirer but does very little of the gardening.
Welcome IrisAnn. I'm from N.E. Louisiana. I'm a young beginner gardener. Been learning for about a year now. There is a great cookbook i have called "Celebrations on the Bayou"
Hi irisann. from the coast of North Carolina, where it's spring one day . . . . . . but not so sure the next.
Hello Irisann, another Louisiana welcome. If you are looking for another good cookbook with La. cooking try La Bonne' Cuisine. Excellent recipes. And also any of the River Road cookbooks.
Hi again irisann from Central Texas. I just read your blog.I can't wait for pictures of your plants and your watercolor art.We love everything here on our Stew.I love the River Road cookbooks also.My daughter Heathermt. loves Paula Dean cookbooks and has a collection of cookbooks of all kinds. She has a cd I got her with over a million recipes on it.You are talking her language when you talk about cooking and recipes.
Greetings from West Tennessee. I hope Gardenstew will be a great match for you. Yes, art and gardening go hand in hand. You only have to look at a rose to know that. I love to cook also. Hubby loves to help with food prep which is ideal. Looking forward to getting to know you better. 8)
