Kindness is King!
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Honoring Grads and Dads!
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A MESSAGE FROM FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CYNTHIA BRIAN
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Dream, Create, Inspire!
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Celebrate Earth Day with the Earth Gratitude Festival
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EARTH GRATITUDE
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Standing for Freedom and Support of Ukraine
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Teen Radio Creator/Producer, Cynthia Brian, Named UnSung Hero by Podcast Magazine
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Producing a successful radio broadcast is time-intensive, challenging work. The editors of Podcast Magazine chose 22 podcast and radio professionals to honor as Unsung Heroes in its March 2022 issue and Voice American Network veteran producer and host, Cynthia Brian, is among those being celebrated. Read about the Unsung Heroes: https://podcastmagazine.com/22-unsung-heroes-in-podcasting
Besides producing and hosting her weekly LIVE lifestyle broadcast, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!®, in 2011, through her company, StarStyle® Productions, LLC, Cynthia Brian launched a broadcast, Express Yourself!™ for teens, by teens, and with teens, completely unedited and uncensored under the auspices of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity. She began by coaching five teens to be reporters and has now coached over fifty adolescents between the ages of 12-19 to be communicators and journalists. Cynthia produces every show, books the guests, coaches the teens to improve their performances, does the publicity, and she does it all without a salary…for FREE!
Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio is now in its eleventh year and has broadcast 620 podcasts. Cynthia believes in the voices and opinions of young people as the future of our world. Her hosts and reporters are asked to make a list of the subjects that interest them, then she finds the guests that will inspire and motivate the teens and listeners. Guests include a global roster of artists, authors, actors, celebrities, sports figures, Olympians, teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, scientists, innovators, teens, and others making a difference. Her goal is to find permanent sponsorship and grants to keep this empowering, positive message program on the air.
Cynthia credits her team of professionals at the Voice America Network for making both programs sound and look first-rate. “After almost two decades broadcasting on the Voice America Network, we are one happy, dedicated family and I share this accolade with them,” exclaims Cynthia. With Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio, Cynthia’s goal is to give teens a voice so that they can speak up, speak out, and express themselves.
Express Yourself! airs every Sunday from 3-4pm PT on the Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel. https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself
StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® airs LIVE every Wednesday 4-5pm PT on the Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel. https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2206/be-the-star-you-are
For more information about both broadcasts, visit https://www.StarStyleRadio.com
For information about Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity, visit https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org
`WRITING WITH THE STARS! FREE Virtual Writing Workshop for Ages 9-12
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Share the Love!
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Pruning Roses
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Digging Deep with Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian
Time to Prune Roses
By Cynthia Brian
“I love to prune my roses. That’s the one thing I really feel I do pretty well!” Julie Andrews
My roses are still blooming, and the bushes are filled with leaves. Yet, it is February and time to do the heavy pruning. My grapevines are already pruned, but I’ve been waiting for my roses to remember it is winter before I cut them back. Towards the middle to end of January used to be the optimum weeks to prune roses. Last year, I didn’t prune until late February and this year will be the same. Pruning any later in the season will deplete the plant’s energy resulting in spindly shoots. Normally within two months of pruning, the roses are once again touting their fragrant flowers. I gave over a hundred canes of my various roses to my neighbor last season. She rooted three or four canes per container of potting soil and by May those canes were blooming.
Ah, roses. They are one of nature’s super spectacular specimens. Fossil evidence in Oregon and Montana indicates that the rose dates back at least 35 million years, long before humans appeared on the landscape. Cultivation probably began in China more than five thousand years ago. In the seventeenth century, roses and rose water were used as payment for goods and barter. Late in the eighteenth century, China introduced cultivated roses to Europe. Throughout history, roses have been used for perfume, medicine, symbolism, and legal tender.
For many years, I’ve had the privilege of chatting with various expert rosarians across the globe. The one piece of advice that is common to all is the recommendation to lose the fear of pruning. Although there are guidelines for proper pruning, if you make a mistake, or don’t follow the directions, most likely the rose bush will survive despite your best efforts to give it a bad cut.
The reasons for pruning are numerous. Pruning does the following:
1. Creates a plant that will flower with high-quality blooms.
2. Shapes the bush into an attraction that fits with the garden.
3. Removes deadwood and diseased stems.
4. Removes canes that are weak or rubbing against one another.
5. Stimulates new growth.
Pruning is cathartic and good for the soul of humans! It is a garden chore that I always encourage a homeowner to do herself as opposed to hiring someone to do this chore. Tools of the trade include heavy-duty garden gloves, a sharp-edged pruning shear, and long-handled loppers for those thick canes. Sterilize your tools before you begin the task, then get up close and personal.
How to Prune:
Most roses are not fussy when it comes to how they are pruned. Repeat flowering shrub and bush roses are the most forgiving. English roses, hybrid teas, floribundas, patio, and miniatures can be pruned similarly. Reduce their height by 1/3 to 2/3 depending on how you want your plant to look and how tall you want the plant to grow. Thin stems to aid in disease control.
Since the goal of climbing and rambling roses is to climb and cover a pergola, fence, or other structure, only light pruning is necessary. Flowers are produced on side shoots which can be reduced to three or four buds, depending on the appearance you wish. If you must choose between cutting out an old shoot or a new shoot, always prune the old and save the new.
Many of the Old Roses like Gallicas, Damasks, and Albas that only bloom once will only flower on shoots from stems that are at least a year old. If you prune once-flowering roses too heavily, you will have no flowers. When they are five or six years old with tired-looking stems, you can cut them out to encourage new growth and flowering.
After you have pruned, offer the healthy canes of non-trademarked species to friends and neighbors who would like to begin propagating roses. Or cultivate a new rose garden for yourself by dipping the canes in a rooting hormone then planting in a container with good quality potting soil. Clean up any leftover stems, remove leaves from the bushes, and add to the compost pile.
To add to your collection of roses, purchasing bare root and planting in February is a cost-saving way to go that will yield blooms in late spring. Once you’ve brought your bare roots home, soak them in a bucket of water overnight and then allow them to drain for thirty minutes before planting. Never allow the roots to dry out. Check the roots for any damage and trim as necessary. If the roots look good, do not trim or cut.
Roses thrive in humus-rich, water-retentive soil with a pH of 6.5. Choose a bright, sunny location void of competition for root space, water, and nutrients. Improve the soil with rotted manure and compost and dig a generous size hole. Read directions on the package to determine the optimum hole size. Augment with mycorrhizal fungi to improve water supply and nutrients. Plant the bud union two inches below ground level. Water well. In spring, you’ll want to add a layer of mulch or compost around each plant and fertilize the roses. Companion plant with lavender to encourage beneficial insects to be on pest patrol.
Your roses will be lush, blooming, and beautiful just in time for barbecues and patio parties. By Mother’s Day, you’ll be picking bouquets. Instead of buying cut roses for Valentine’s Day, consider giving the gift of a potted rose plant. Miniatures make great gifts.
Now, back to pruning my roses because I do it pretty well, too!
Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Happy Valentine’s.
Photos and more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1525/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Time-to-prune-roses.html
Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, is available for hire to help you prepare for your spring garden. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com.
Buy copies of her books, including, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, and Be the Star You Are! www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. Receive a FREE inspirational music DVD and special savings.
Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures.
Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
Housemates with Houseplants
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“Having plants in your house is a natural way to continuously clear yourself!” Doreen Virtue
Forty-five! That’s the number of houseplants that filled my tiny dorm room on the 7th floor of Hedrick’s Hall during my freshman year at U.C.L.A. Every shelf, box, windowsill, wall hook, desk, and floor space were filled with a container sprouting something green. I had gone from being surrounded by nature on the farm to living in a high rise in the concrete jungle. My body, mind, and spirit craved a garden. I created an indoor oasis of easy-care houseplants that helped me breathe better in those days when Los Angeles was clogged with smog.
Eighteen! That’s the number of potted plants that currently grace my indoor space. The number doubles if you count containers on my porch and balcony. Most of my family of plants have been with me for decades. I have a fiddleleaf fig that began as a small specimen in a one-gallon pot that now towers to fifteen feet in my hall.
A precious peace lily that was gifted to me when Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul hit the New York Times bestseller list currently inhabits a nine-square-foot corner of my family room. An original four-inch size variegated bromeliad birthed pups and is a focal flora in my living room.
My lucky bamboo growing in water peppered with pebbles soars three feet or more.
With winter keeping us from digging outside, indoor plants offer a way to garden in inclement weather while adding beauty to your interior décor. Even better than the attractiveness that plants bring to our designs, they are air-filtering workhorses as well. Air quality has become a big buzzword during the covid pandemic. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants convert the carbon dioxide we exhale and also remove gases from the air through a process called absorption. Back in 1989, a NASA report concluded that “household plants could provide a “promising economical solution to indoor air pollution.” A 2020 study published in the Journal of Environmental Management indicated that it would take a green wall to improve the health index of an interior environment. No matter which is truer, one thing is certain, being in nature as well as being surrounded by houseplants lowers our blood pressure, reduces stress, and improves mental health.
Numerous specimens that make excellent houseplants. A few of my favorites include orchids, bromeliads, aloe, peace lily, snake plant, spider plant, pothos, dracaena, croton, fiddleleaf fig, dieffenbachia, anthurium, parlor palm, arrowhead plant, and lucky bamboo. All of these are very easy-to-maintain, offer gorgeous greenery, and can live for years with minimal proper care.
To grow healthy, happy plants that will provide endless enjoyment and attractiveness, these elements are necessary.
1. Provide the correct amount of light.
Before you purchase any houseplant, look around your home for your light conditions. Some plants need bright light in a south window, others prefer the low light of a north-facing window. Some like it hot, some like it cool. Do your homework.
2. Water cautiously.
Many houseplants drown from over-watering. The lucky bamboo is one the rare specimen that thrives in water. Make sure that you have adequate drainage in all containers. Put gravel or small pebbles at the bottom of the pot. Poke a chopstick or pencil into the soil. If it comes out soggy, do not water. If it is dry, offer hydration to your plant friend. Plants may dry out more quickly in winter when forced air heaters are operating. Most plants may require water once a week or less.
3. Fertilize according to directions.
Stop feeding plants in the winter. Start again in the spring. Leafy green plants will need nitrogen, plants that flower want phosphorous.
4. Eradicate bugs.
Placing a clove of garlic in the soil is a great way to keep your friend bug-free. To kill bugs, place a clove of garlic in the soil. Mealybugs, aphids, and scale can be removed with a spray solution of water, alcohol, and dish detergent. The solution can also be rubbed on the leaves. Make sure to let the soil dry out if fungus gnats appear.
5. Maintain humidity.
Cacti enjoy dry conditions; however, most plants prefer 50% humidity. In winter, our homes tend to be drier. If containers can be lifted, add a saucer of pebbles filled with water to increase the humidity, or spray with a fine mist. Another idea is to take your plant into your bathroom or shower.
6. Trim spent blossoms and dead leaves.
When flowers are finished blooming, or leaves die, remove them as soon as possible to allow for new growth.
7. Other things.
Always read the instructions on care before making a purchase. Turn all houseplants a quarter turn at least once every two weeks to maintain their shape as most will reach for the sunlight. If you receive plants as gifts, make sure to remove wrapping to allow for good drainage. Living Christmas trees need to be moved outdoors. Depending on the size, you may be able to use the tree for next year’s holidays. Or you may need to transplant your tree into a larger container to keep on your patio. If you are going to plant it in the ground, determine the placement carefully as these trees will grow into very large evergreens with expansive roots.
One final interest of mine that is an educational and exciting experiment for children is rooting vegetables in a glass of water on a windowsill. Avocados, fennel, scallion, green onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and leeks grow quickly. Refresh the water daily. I currently am growing leeks and continue to use the green tops in my cooking.
With a little effort, your interiors will be healthier and more stunning with the introduction of living greens. Bring nature indoors with you while enjoying cleaner air living happily with your organic artistic housemates.
Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.
Photos and more:
Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, is available for hire to help you prepare for your spring garden. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com.
Buy copies of her books, including, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, and Be the Star You Are! www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. Receive a FREE inspirational music DVD and special savings.
Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures.
Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
