April Showers - Bring May Flowers, pretty please..

While the April showers took their toll on us this year, I was praying that they would bring May flowers. Well, today being the first day of May, we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, here's a bit of an update on my flower garden.

• Tulips - I planted them a bit late this year (should have been planted last fall). Some of them came up and are a beeyoutiful color of hot pink. The leaves came up on just about all of them, just not the flower. I'm still holding out hope for next year. The ones I purchased already grown from Lowe's are gorgeous. They are a deep purple and creamy, buttery white.

• Daffodils -  These came up in the front of the house this year. I planted them as directed in the fall and they really took off. Not as vibrant a color as I would have liked, but they do give hope that spring is on it's way. That beats vibrancy any day in my book.

• Ranunculus - I planted these in containers on our covered patio. These gorgeous girls are really taking off. They won't actually bloom until the summer months, but the greenery is coming in quite nicely. It's funny, when they first started showing their stems, I thought they were weeds in my pots. Almost took them out until I realized these were the stems - yikes.

• Lilac Bush - OMgoodness - could this smell any more wonderful? I doubt it. It's was pretty windy out yesterday and I would catch a whiff of it's perfume at the most unexpected times. These things make me happy. You may remember that I planted this just outside our front door and at the corner of my office. I want our guests to have a warm welcome and I love the scent coming in my office when the windows are open. While we were outside doing yard work yesterday, there was a bumble bee buzzing around our lilac bush. He made me smile. He wasn't one of the skinny guys. No, he was a super fat bumble bee! I am happy he made his way to our bush. Pollinate away , little guy!

• Pink Dahlia - This little plant has the most wonderful blooms. It is a part of the Susan G. Komen family of ways you can donate. A portion of the proceeds go to the foundation. they just bloom all the time. I believe they will bloom most of the spring and summer!

I also planted Day Lilies, Calla Lillies, Fuchsia, Hyacinth and a few other flowers. I'll post updates on those soon.

Oh, I almost forgot - we planted our little teeny tiny Earth Day trees from Lowe's. We may not see them grow to be HUGE White Pines, but hopefully someone will. 

EARTH DAY and Our Very First Give Away

In case you haven't heard, Earth Day 2011 is April  22nd.

Earthday.org explains Earth Day better than I can:
Each year, Earth Day -- April 22 -- marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
The height of hippie and flower-child culture in the United States, 1970 brought the death of Jimi Hendrix, the last Beatles album, and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Protest was the order of the day, but saving the planet was not the cause. War raged in Vietnam, and students nationwide increasingly opposed it.
At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. “Environment” was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news.  Although mainstream America remained oblivious to environmental concerns, the stage had been set for change by the publication of Rachel Carson's New York Times bestseller Silent Spring in 1962.  The book represented a watershed moment for the modern environmental movement, selling more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries and, up until that moment, more than any other person, Ms. Carson raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and public health.
Earth Day 1970 capitalized on the emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and putting environmental concerns front and center. 

One of the great things about celebrating Earth Day is the fact that people who don't typically recycle have an opportunity to make that change on this day. You can learn about many different recycling and Save the Earth opportunities at community events. Those in Indy can find info here.  The Earth Day Indiana Free Outdoor Festival is April 23rd from 11AM to 4PM at White River State Park - 801West Washington Street in Indianapolis. The festival will go on rain or shine. There are 4 Exhibition tents and one children's tent.  A few of the exhibitors in the tents are: IndyChild, Green Bean Delivery, Eli Lilly, Knozone, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Whole Foods Market, Endangered Species Chocolate, Indy Food Cooperative, Inc and many, many more including food vendors. You can also volunteer your services for the festival here - you must be 15. What a great way to get your teenager involved. 
There are Earth Day festivities all over the country. Be sure to check out what's happening in your community.
Now - for the give away. Most of my friends and family know I am a HUGE tote freak. I just love them as you can tell in most of my latest posts. My husband and I stopped off at a Starbucks just recently and guess what  I spotted? You've got it - a TOTE! Not just any tote, but a Starbucks Eco-friendly tote. It's big enough to hold your lunch and a bottle of water or an e-reader and some snacks. Perfect for the days when I worked downtown and ate on the steps of the Circle (oops, I digress).
 So, in honor of Earth Day, I am giving away one of the totes. All you have to do is become a follower and leave a comment on what you will do on Earth Day to save the planet. Current followers may enter as well - just leave a comment. The winner will be picked on April 23rd via random pick. Good luck and tell your friends!