The Nature Nurse
  • Home
  • About
  • Our Workshops
  • Partnerships & Sponsorships
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Disclaimer
  • Home
  • About
  • Our Workshops
  • Partnerships & Sponsorships
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Disclaimer

The Nature Nurse Blog

Four Blog Posts To Help Unplastic Halloween This Year

10/21/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Decorations and costumes will generate tons of waste this year.  We can help ease this burden on Mother Nature by consciously decorating and celebrating Halloween in a greener way.  Here are four blogs to help spark some ideas for your holiday:
 

Unplastic Halloween Blog 1.
 
Unplastic Halloween Blog 2.
 
Unplastic Halloween Blog 3.​
 
Unplastic Halloween Blog 4.
 
What ideas can you share that will help eliminate plastic from our Halloween this year?

0 Comments

Three Popular Flower Bulb Varieties To Plant This Fall

10/7/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Daffodils:
 
Daffodils USDA hardiness zones 3-8. There are an estimated 13,000 varieties of daffodils.  They come in many colors including various shades of yellow, white, pink and orange.  They also vary is size from the popular tete-a-tete which stands just 6-8" tall to varieties such as 'Ice Follies' which reach two feet tall.  Plant them in a sunny or partly sunny location.  
 
Special tip: Purchase a variety of daffodil bulbs that bloom in early spring, mid spring and late spring. When planted together, it will allow for a rotation of blooming color throughout spring.
 
Added Value: Deer Resistant, Perennial, Good Cut-Flower


Tulips:
 
With an unending amount of color selections, that you can mix and match, tulips are a gardener's crayon box from which to create opulent beds of lavish color swaths.  These luxurious bulbs were so prized in the 17th century; they created a frenzy of collectors, which led to the first financial bubble.  These bulbs grow in USDA hardiness zones 4-10.  Like daffodils, they bloom at various times during the spring season, so order them to stagger blooming from 4-8 weeks.  They come in SO MANY colors, sometimes striped or multi-colored, fringed or frilly, some fragrant and are generally range from 4" to 30" tall. Plant the bulbs 3 times the length of the bulb-so for most bulbs 6-8 inches deep, pointy side up.  They prefer full sun in the northern US, part sun in the southern states.
 
Warning: Deer love them too, Nom-Nom-Nom.
 
Added Value: Makes a good cut flower.  Tulips are generally considered perennial, however, often don't come back as full as the first year and continue to dwindle in numbers so you may want to plan on planting them annually.

Allium:
 
When these bulbs flower in spring, they put on such a show that customers would flock into my garden shop and ask, "Do you have those big purple ball flowers?" They would always leave disappointed when they learned that they needed to plant these showstoppers in the fall. Allium Giganteum is one of the most popular varieties of allium, with flowers that bloom 5" wide on 3-4 foot stems. They are hardy in USDA zones 5-9. There are several other varieties so if you love purple, you'll want to add these to your garden.  
 
Added Value: Deer Resistant.

Picture
Key Tips For All Bulb Planting:
1. If these bulb varieties grow in your zone, check to see the specific best time to plant        them.
2. Water well after planting.
3. Purchase bulbs from your local garden center or an online source like Colorblends.com.
 
Happy Planting!
 
View our demonstration on how to plant them: VIDEO

Want to learn more about how growing plants can help improve your health and well-being? Subscribe now, for free, to our Healthy Green Thumbs™ bi-weekly newsletter: Link
0 Comments

Cultivating Patience and Delayed Gratification

10/7/2019

0 Comments

 
"Nature doesn't hurry, yet everything is accomplished." Tao Tzu
​It wasn't all that long ago when we had to dial a phone, attached to a wall, then listen to it ring, hoping someone would answer.  That someone might not even be the intended person we wanted to chat with.  If no one answered, we had to wait and try again later.
Picture
​Waiting, being still, and having lower expectations for instant results; allowed our minds time to calm down, rest, rejuvenate and connect with our inner selves.  In today's harried world, which many of us live in, we expect to connect instantly with someone via a text.  We are willing to trade a home cooked meal, that will nourish our bodies, for a cheap, instant gobble that doesn't even require getting out of the car, and has no, or minimal, nutrient value.
 
How can we improve our balance with this quick pace of life and attend to the rest our minds, bodies and spirits require?  Even Indianapolis 500 racecars, that reach speeds of up to 230 mph, require pit stops. They also take breaks in between races. Going full throttle, all the time, is not sustainable.
 
Communing with nature is an opportunity for us to take a pit stop.  Nature reminds us there is a rhythm to life.  There are seasons-Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall.  There are cycles-seed, sprout, grow, bud, flower, die. There is a pace.
 
Many of the changes in nature are subtle.  So subtle we may not witness them with our human eyes.  If we walk the same path in nature routinely, however, we notice significant changes do occur-leaves turning color, moss and mushrooms growing on tree stumps, ferns that have unfurled from their fiddle formation into fronds.
​One way to actively engage in this natural cycle is to plant flower bulbs during the autumn season. There are several varieties of flower bulbs.  Planting them in fall as the weather cools, but before the soil freezes, allowing them to overwinter and get a shot of cold, and come spring we will witness a magnificent display of colors and textures.
Picture
Picture
​This is a great activity for all of us, especially kids.  In my experience, kids love to plant flower bulbs.  It's a great opportunity to connect with the earth and display our creativity in the designs we plant.  Best of all, it is an opportunity to witness that some things take time, and they are worth waiting for.
Picture
Ready to plant some flower bulbs? Check out 3 Popular Bulb Varieties To Plant This Fall  for ideas, tips and resources.

All images Copyright: Susan Allison-Dean
0 Comments

      Subscribe to The Nature Nurse blog!

    Submit
    Picture
    Ready to sleep better, feel lighter, and feel more joy?  
    ​Download my latest ebook now:

    Download Now

    Archives

    January 2025
    September 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    September 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015


    Categories

    All
    Healthy Green Thumbs
    Nature And Children
    Nature And Health
    Nature Connection
    Nature Gifts And Shopping
    Nature & Holidays
    Nature Nurses
    Nature Travel
    Nursing
    Ocean
    The Magic Of Flowers Series
    Water Heals
    Women & Nature


    RSS Feed


    Follow me:
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.