Welcome back!
This week began with a book signing at my local Barnes & Noble in Westport following my successful day on Friday at the Botanical Gardens. With the weather unsure (rain or shine, I wondered), B&N was filled with shoppers and I was right there greeting them with my book as the perfect Mother’s Day gift. In fact, my team was clever enough to create a special offer for that day for anyone who purchased a copy: two people could join me on Sunday for a private tour of my garden from 2-4. Well, come Sunday the rain came but so did the crowds.
As you know I jump-started my garden this year so I was ready – My book offers some amazing insight into the world of gardening but nothing can be better than to see it for yourself. The pages of my book unfolded before their very eyes. The inspiration reached new levels as everyone was flabbergasted by the property and several people remarked on what one could do with less than a quarter acre. Comments like this reinforce my point of view, as the foundation to any garden, small or large, begins with a little space and building more year to year. For me it has meant dabbling in my neighbors’ yards, but for many people where they expand their garden is just the rest of their yard! “Oh, where to start?” gets easier to answer when you can see the basic concepts to create a four-season garden like my guests did, and then you can get started in your own plot of land, regardless where you live.
A new trend in home and garden living is to define living spaces outside. Known as “outdoor rooms”, these spaces range from the simple and obvious (think of your deck or patio) to the ornate and elaborate. My book, Life On Mar’s A Four Season Garden will awaken all your senses to make your garden functional, beautiful and attainable. The perfect Mother’s Day gift, host or hostess. This oversized coffee table book is just what we all need to bring a little mother nature into your life. My grandmother taught me and now I teach you, so give the gift that keeps on keeping year after year. Life On Mar’s offers the knowledge, the resources, and the ideas to make a difference. A heartfelt story unfolds as you learn the secrets to a fabulous attainable garden.
Happy Mother’s Day!
You may have also noticed a new’ Mar Jennings logo when you logged onto this site. If you are a new user…
W-E-L-C-O-M-E! If you are a repeat visitor you may have to hit refresh to update your computer. That said, it’s official! “Mar” and “Mar Jennings” is trademarked through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Matt Schwarz my new designer was wonderful in helping me update the logo with a fresh new modern feel and I hope you all agree.
But what about Miss Violet? Now 21 weeks she has a new trick – You may have already read she likes to eat from my lap but now she enjoys being feed with a spoon. And until Paul reminded me of the cliché it did not register – she may not have been born with “silver spoon in her mouth” but she has quickly learned how to get one there! Truth be told, Barbara not long ago said to me, “Mar she will grow up so quickly, so what if she wants to sit on your lap and eat her food? Take the five minutes out of your life and bond with your little girl, enjoy the process.” She was right, however, it was my idea to up the ante with a spoon– that just happens to be silver.
This was a busy week for me as I designed a new teenager’s den, and went on an endless shopping spree with Mary (she needs the little lift after her busy week last week). I took this time to reinforce that it’s all about training your eye to find the quality goods at discount prices. I can’t tell you how many times she said to me; “I love this, Mar what do you think?” Mary … she’ll get it “right” (meaning, right in my eyes!) someday, until then, she has her BFF on call.
Speaking of good friends, Dave & Kate gave me a belated birthday present–yes apparently we are still celebrating Marfest! Two pairs of Hunter boots! As gardeners have known for years (and fashionistas have more recently discovered), Hunter boots are practical and chic – and a must-have. Dave and Kate graciously gave me one black pair and one orange pair, but the best part was the Welly Socks!(a.k.a. Hunter Boots fleecy stockings). They keep your feet warm and dry, so that my Hunter’s are now even better for Winter. Yup, four-season boots for a four-season garden. It was a dream come true as my green pair has been taking a beating and I was in dire need of an updated pair. But two pairs and the fleece socks? Now that’s a wealth of riches, and worth writing about.
That said, I created a gate for these fabulous neighbors, and there was no time like the present to get the project done. Having two curious pugs new to the neighborhood they wanted to keep Lala and Boss on the property so as to not have to worry about them wandering. Quotes for a new gate were ridiculous so I offered to come up with a solution of using something old as something new. Perhaps an old gate that we could purchase and retro-fit the area. At the time I did not know what exactly we would find but when I saw an old teak bench being tossed in the trash pile because of it’s broken legs I immediately knew I could use it. In no time, I asked if I could have it and brought it home. The size was perfect after removing everything but the back resting area of the bench. I turned it upside down so the arch of the bench-back fit into the groove of the walkway – and it clearly offered us the perfect solution. All it needed now was some fancy hardware to keep it in place. I went off to my local hardware store and in less than twenty minutes I created a fabulous gate that looked as if it was there for years. Something old became something new. Dave and Kate found me putting the finishing touches on it and Dave said to me, “Mar, is there anything you can’t do?” I would reply, “golf!” This new doggy gate cost less than twenty dollars. What can we all learn from this? Rethink, reuse and recreate something old into something new, the opportunities are endless.
You may have noticed that my blog has posted early this week as we all agreed that you probably wanted to read it as you start your weekend, so rather than posting on Saturdays we will now post on Fridays. Tell your friends, come back and remember you can always get the latest updates on Facebook or Twitter.
Life On Mar’s, A Four Season Garden is available to Independent Retailers and Chain Stores through Ingram Book Group, Baker & Taylor, or through our North American Distributor: Blu Sky Media Group (888-448-2764).
