Remember Mom

Sometimes I think about how popular gardening has become in the past 10 years. 

Local nurseries at one time stocked nothing more than the basics in spring and summer — impatiens, begonias, boxwoods. Most selections were boring.

Now, each season, I look forward to all the new varieties of plants that are sure to appear on the shelves.

Maybe I just wasn't as aware of them as I am now, but succulents are one of the varieties that seem to have appeared on the gardening scene over night. 

I've always liked these because they are very forgiving to those of us with one brown thumb and one green thumb.

Succulents don't mind if you neglect them a little — they require very little water, they love the bright sun and cool or hot weather suits them fine.

The variety available is so expansive it's easy for anyone to assemble an impressive arrangement in a small pot.

Just pick three or four different plants. Different colors provide an appealing contrast when planted in the same pot. Some run over the edge, others stand straight up on stalks. 

Many succulents flower.
If they don't, you can add one. 

This is a plant any Mom would love. They'll last long after the cut roses have wilted, the perfume bottle is empty and the last piece of chocolate candy has been savored.

Local florists and even online vendors offer different assortments of succulents for delivery, so that's always an option if you can't find the time to pull a pot together yourself.

If you have the time to deliver one in person, consider pairing the gift with a nice Chardonnay.

You and your mom can spend time sitting on the patio, enjoying the afternoon, sipping Chardonnay, admiring the new plants and recalling some of your favorite times together. 

Taking the show on the road

Last week the daytime population of Round Top grew from 90 to thousands. 

Dealers are lined up along Highway 237 that runs from close to Carmine through Round Top and on to Warrenton and traffic is stacked like rush hour in a major metropolitan area starting at about 2 p.m. each afternoon as visitors try to navigate from show to show or head back to the bed and breakfast.  

At every show, you see many of the same dealers who have been coming to the same spot for years.

There are certain dealers I visit each time, like this one.

You can find some interesting garden art that you can use in your garden beds or your containers. 

I picked these glass flowers up for $4 each. If you ever found something like that at your local nursery, it would probably cost 3 or 4 times that much.

I like to use insulators in the garden and on the patio.

I've seen a lot of serious insulator collectors on the Internet and prices can range into the hundreds of dollars. You can pick these up on the dollar tables at flea markets like Round Top. The bigger ones can cost from $3 to $10.

The green and blue tinted glass picks up the sun and they are a nice addition to your garden or patio with some stones or succulents added or even just sitting empty.

And then there's the food and drinks, something to keep you occupied as you walk through the different shows.

The food there is great — not good for you — but great anyway.

Barbeque brisket and pimiento cheese sandwiches at the Legal Tender Saloon are about the best I've ever had.

You can also get good Tex-Mex and just about anything fried you would care to try.

And of course, there's wine.

The wine is good — not great — but good.

There are several places along the way to pick up a glass or two to enjoy as you walk by the dealers' booths. 

My favorite is Zapp Hall; there's always something going on there.

It's almost the weekend again. 

I can see that winter is holding on in much of the country, but I hope you're able to get out and do some winegardening this weekend.

I know I am.