HAPPY EASTER and PASSOVER!
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presspass on No Good Card for This! By Cynthia Brian
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Teens talk and the world listens every Tuesday NOON PT on the Voice America Kids Network. Produced by StarStyle® Productions, LLC and Cynthia Brian, these young adults know how to rock and express their unique views. Join the fun!
Spring has sprung and a time to celebrate the re-birth of nature is upon us. Host Asya Gonzalez reads producer, Cynthia Brian’s article aptly titled Flower Fever that sets the tone for this program celebrating spring, empathy, and Easter. (http://www.cynthiabrian.com/gardening-articles) Author of There is No good Card for This, Kelsey Crowe adds to the conversation discussing her illustrated guide to effective compassion that takes you, step by step by step, past the paralysis of thinking about someone in a difficult time to actually doing something (or nothing) with good judgment instead of fear. Her empathy menu offers support with confidence, no matter the situation. In the final segment, Asya talks about her family traditions for spring including fun activities for an Easter or spring break filled with joy, adventure, and playfulness.
BIO: Kelsey Crowe, Ph.D. is the founder of Help Each Other Out. Crowe earned her doctorate in social welfare at the University of California, Berkley and teaches social work at California State University. Crowe’s first book, There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Gets Scary, Awful, and Unfair To People You Love), coauthored with Emily McDowell. Written in a how-to, relatable, we’ve-all-been-that-deer-in-the-headlights kind of way, There Is No Good Card for This isn’t a spiritual treatise on how to make you a better person or a scientific argument about why compassion matters. It is a helpful illustrated guide to effective compassion that takes you, step by step by step, past the paralysis of thinking about someone in a difficult time to actually doing something (or nothing) with good judgment instead of fear.
Crowe’s organization Help Each Other Out is a growing collective of people embracing the idea that being there for others is often easier than we think, it can be learned, and that it matters. Taking the principles found in There Is No Good Card for This along with her many years of experience in the field and organization, a presentation with Crowe is not one to miss. From universities to health care organizations, every audience member will walk away feeling inspired.
Currently, Crowe resides in San Francisco, California with her husband and daughter. She hopes for a day when no one has to suffer a personal trial alone because the people around them just didn’t know what to do or say. http://www.helpeachotherout.com
Listen at Voice America Kids Network
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Express Yourself! Teen Radio is produced by Cynthia Brian of Starstyle Productions, llc as an outreach program of Be the Star You Are! charity. To make a tax-deductible donation to keep this positive youth programming broadcasting weekly to international audiences, visit http://www.bethestaryouare.org/donate.htm. Dare to care!
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Grow a WildFlower Garden with Cynthia Brian
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âMay all your weeds be wildflowers.â
When I was a child weeds and wildflowers were synonymous. I would meander through the hills and creeks with my handy Golden Nature Guide called âFlowers: A Guide to Familiar American WildFlowersâ along with notebook, paper, and a Brownie camera to capture the images and properties of as many specimens that I could find. Trillium, morning glory, lupin, California poppy, clover, stargazer, brodias, columbine, buttercups, and mustard all captivated me. I would pick the flowers to quickly bring home to iron between wax paper and catalogue into my wildflower scrapbook. In a field of specimens, Iâd dig a plant up with the attached roots to transplant into my personal flower plot.
What I found out is that wildflowers arenât fussy. They grow in all kinds of soil, donât need water once they are established, and add stunning textures and vibrancy to your landscape.
1. Find a place where the flowers will get at least six hours of daily sunshine. Wildflowers need lots of sunshine.
2. Before spreading the seed, clear the dirt. Purge all weeds, grasses, or any other growth from the area. Turn the toil with a hoe or a tiller.
3. Rake the soil.
4. Add sand to the seeds at the rate of ten parts sand to one part seed. This will help you to see it when you spread it. Use a seed spreader if you are seeding a big area, or feel free to sprinkle by hand.
5. Donât cover the seed with soil. It does need to be compressed for better germination either by walking on it or rolling it. I use a five gallon bucket to roll over the seeded soil in any smaller locations.
6. Water the seeds regularly until the plants reach six inches. After that, wildflowers flourish without the addition of extra water, especially great addition to any garden when there is a drought.
7. Prepare for a cavalcade of colors. Annuals bloom quickly, usually within five weeks while perennials may not blossom until the second year.
While many of these flowers are sold in nurseries as annuals, they are wildflowers that will look handsome in your new garden. Annuals live, bloom, and die in one year. Many spread their own seeds after they are done flowering.
African Daisy
California Poppy
Cleome
Cornflower
Coreopsis
Cosmos
Delphinium
Forget-Me-Not
Four OâClock
Gaillardia
Lupin
Morning glory
Shirley Poppy
Sunflower
Tithinoa
Zinnia
Perennials are interesting as most of them are blue, yellow, orange, or pink. Perennials come back year after year and continue spreading their seeds and beauty. They do need to be pruned back at the end of the season.
Agastache
Aster
Bee Balm
Blanket Flower
Blazing Star
Blue Eyed Grass
Blue Flag Iris
Blue Flax
Butterfly Weed
Cardinal Flower
Columbine
Echinacea
Goldenrod
Gloriosa Daisy
Indian Paint Brush
Joy Pye Weed
Lobelia
Mexican Hat
Milkweed
Oriental Poppy
Turtlehead
Purple clover
Soapwort
Shooting Star
Wild Petunia
Biennials are plants that live for only two years. During their first year they have foliage but no flowers. In the second year they bloom, set seeds, then, die. Their complete life cycle is two years.
Black-eyed Susan
Canterbury Bells
Dameâs Rocket
Evening Primrose
Hollyhock
Queen Anneâs Lace
Sweet William
Where to Find Seeds:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: www.RareSeeds.com
Reneeâs Garden: www.ReneesGarden.com
Sow True Seed: www.SowTrueSeed.com
American Meadows: www.AmericanMeadows.com
Territorial Seed Company: www.TerritorialSeed.com
Select Seeds: www.SelectSeeds.com
John Scheepers Garden Seeds: www.KitchenGardenSeeds.com
Lady Bird Johnson may have said it best with her heartfelt words about wildflowers. âAlmost every person from childhood on, has been touched by the
untamed beauty of wildflowers. Buttercup gold under a childish
chin, the single drop of exquisite sweetness in the blossom of
wild honeysuckle, the love-me, love-me-not philosophy of daisy
petals.â
Wildflowers have certainly been an essential element in my life. I still have that Golden Nature Guide (it cost me a hard earned $1.00 selling chicken eggs) and that Brownie camera (now on display on my collectibles shelf) but most of all I still have the passion for wild flowers. My wild flower garden has been sown and I look forward to sharing photos with you once the blooming begins.
Spring forward and enjoy the outdoors. Plant a wildflower meadow.
MID MARCH REMINDERS from Cynthia Brian
CONGRATULATIONS are in order to the Lamorinda Wine Growerâs Association for their diligent efforts in getting the 29,369 acres of Lamorinda recognized as an American Viticultural Area (AVA). To buy local wine or learn more, visit www.LamorindaWineGrowers.com
CUT the spent blossoms off of daffodils and narcissus but leave the leaves to add nutrients for next years blooms.
HARVEST asparagus spears when they are six to eight inches long.
DYE eggs for Easter with colors from your garden. Red and yellow onions, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, beets, and more will give a unique look to your egg hunt.
PLANT your bare root roses, vines, and trees. Prepare the soil with compost, dig the hole according to directions, fill with top soil, water, and wait for the magic.
UPCOMING GARDEN EVENTS
VISIT the San Francisco Flower and Garden show March 16-19 from 10am-7pm at the San Mateo Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo to find answers to your gardening dilemmas. $22. www.sfgardenshow.com
ATTEND the Water Conservation Showcase on March 22 between 9-6pm at the P.G. & E. Energy Center, 851 Howard Street, San Francisco sponsored by the United States Green Building Council dedicated to educating and inspiring solutions for saving water, energy, and our earth. Jackson Madnick, Founder of Pearlâs Premium grass seed will be presenting at 4pm. This is a great opportunity to meet the lawn pioneer in person to understand how revolutionary his seeds are and how you can have a lawn in a drought.
SWAP plants and tools on March 26th at 4500 Lincoln Avenues in Oakland from 12-4pm. Trade your goods for other garden elements. Free. www.theplantexchange.com
MARK your calendars for wine and books event benefiting Be the Star You Are!® charity on Saturday, April 9th from noon until 7 at Dawnâs Dream Winery Tasting room, NW Corner of 7th & San Carlos, Carmel-by-the-Sea.
SAVE the earth April 17 from 11:30-4:30 for the Wildlife Earth Day Festival at Wagner Ranch in Orinda.
Happy Gardening and Happy Growing.
©2016
Cynthia Brian
The Goddess Gardener
Starstyle® Productions, llc
Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
www.GoddessGardener.com
925-377-STAR
Tune into Cynthiaâs Radio show at www.StarStyleRadio.com
Garden and plant consultations by appointment.
Diabesity, Voice Aging, Easter by Cynthia Brian
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with Cynthia Brian and Heather Brittany on StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® Radio brought to the airwaves under the auspices of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity, LIVE, since 1998.
This hour is fun, informative, and lively. Join us!
Obesity and diabetes are symbiotic partners. Whatâs the link and how can you avoid both? Heather Brittany  gives you the vocabulary to steer clear of diabetes and obesity.
How old do you sound? Our voice ages like everything else on our body, but there are ways to keep a youthful sound. Broadcaster Cynthia Brian will share exercises that will help you keep from croaking out your words.
Children love Easter because the Easter Bunny arrives with lots of colored eggs. Learn the history behind the Easter holiday- biblical, pagan, and secular and enjoy the hunt.
Listen at VoiceAmerica
Listen at StarStyle Radio with photos and descriptions
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The award winning positive talk radio program, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® broadcasts on the Voice America Empowerment Channel LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5pm Pt/7-8pm ET.  Cynthia Brian and Heather Brittany are the Mother/Daughter dynamic duo who have been co-hosting this program live weekly since 1998 bringing upbeat, life enhancing conversation to the world. With Cynthia’s expertise in interviewing the trailblazers, authors, and experts and Heather’s healthy living segments, these Goddess Gals are your personal growth coaches helping you to jumpstart your life while igniting your flame of greatness. Brought to the airwaves under the auspices of the literacy and positive media charity, Be the Star You Are!®, each program will pump your energy to help you live, love, laugh, learn, and lead.
For photos, descriptions, links, archives, and more, visit StarStyle Radio.
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March Garden Tips from Cynthia Brian by Cynthia Brian
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âThat which surrounds you is within you.â~ Karl Schmidt
After visiting the Yucatan Peninsula for a week at the end of February where I snorkeled and swam in underground cenotes (rivers) as well as the aqua waters of the Caribbean, I returned to a garden exploding in blooms. Bearded iris, tulips, anemones, freesia, cyclamen, calla lilies, oxalis, Chinese fringe, rosemary, ranunculus, cinerera, gladioli, plus hillsides of daffodils as well as fruit trees of Asian pear, peach, apricot, prune, and crabapple. As the wind blew, the air rained pear blossoms. The soothing smell of springtime permeated my nostrils. How lovely to come home to beauty.
The recent insert in our water bill made me laugh with ways to use only thirty-five gallons a day. Besides the fact that they failed to recognize that most households contain more than one individual, they also completely overlooked water for gardens, indoor plants, and pets. Although my water conservation efforts have placed me in the top 20% of savers, the water company also recognized that 68% of my water usage is for landscaping. If only we had access to the water of those 6000 cenotes in the Yucatan!
Many emails have arrived asking about more information on the Pearlâs Premium lawn seed. Since the ground is warming yet the heavens still shower us with rainfall, March is an opportune time to seed and re-seed your lawns. Since my November 4th, 2015 article about this award winning lawn seed, Iâve learned that new research indicates that the roots grow to twenty inches, making the grass, once established very drought resistant. The one draw back that I have discovered from my personal experience is that in our area, the birds do indeed like the seeds. Make sure to roll the seeds for good soil contact and water deeply. Water daily until sprouting occurs. You may have to over seed a few times to get the lush green thickness you desire.
What to do in your March garden:
PICK up all fallen camellias to prevent petal blight on the plant. Remember that camellia bushes grow into camellia trees so plant in an appropriate location.
PLANT asparagus crowns as soon as the soil is dry enough to work.
SOW Irish potatoes, English peas, radishes, turnips, kale, and carrots any time this month.
ATTRACT Monarch butterflies to your garden by planting milkweed. Â A caterpillar increases its body mass 2000 times as it nibbles on milkweed.
ADD the perennial vegetable rhubarb to your potager along with strawberries. Theyâll be ready to harvest at the same time, just right for pies, jams, sauces, and other treats.
ESPALIER apples, kiwis, and grapes for easier picking as well as space saving.
SEED and reseed lawns. Clover is an excellent option if you are seeking something other than grass.
FERTILIZE lawns with an organic feed high in nitrogen. All plants can use a boost of nitrogen.
TIME for a tetanus shot if you havenât had one in ten years. Tetanus does not occur just from rusty nails. You can get it from digging in the dirt.
REPEL insects naturally with swaths of pennyroyal, nasturtium, calendula, and marigold.
NET plants, shrubs, and trees that you donât want nibbled by birds, deer, rabbits, and other foragers.
DIVIDE agapanthus, daylilies, and iris while they are still semi-dormant.
COMPOST all organic matter to add to your garden. This includes newspaper, shredded cardboard, food scraps (except meat), eggshells, tea leaves, and coffee grinds.
BUILD hugels now while the soil is still easy to dig to help with moisture retention for the summer months.
PLAN your vegetable garden. Check the soil, turn over the cover crops, determine the sunlight conditions, choose your seeds, and write a list of plants you wish to purchase to keep you eating fresh all season.
PLANT culinary herbs including cilantro, chives, dill, mint, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.
PREPARE for Easter celebrations with arrangements of tulips, hyacinths, lilies, and colorful annuals.
START seeds of eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers indoors to get a head start on your summer barbecues.
WEED! After all the rainfall, weeds are proliferating. Start pulling them up or turning them under before seedpods set.
MARK your calendars for wine and books event benefiting Be the Star You Are!® charity on Saturday, April 9th from noon until 7 at Dawnâs Dream Winery Tasting room, NW Corner of 7th & San Carlos, Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Allow your surroundings to sink deeply into your soul. You have the power to bring beauty to your everyday environment.
Happy Gardening! Happy Growing! Happy Spring! (almost)
Read more
©2016
Cynthia Brian
The Goddess Gardener
Starstyle® Productions, llc
Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
www.GoddessGardener.com
925-377-STAR
Tune into Cynthiaâs Radio show at www.StarStyleRadio.com
Garden and plant consultations by appointment.
