​I have been gardening for a long time.
When you get asked how we gardened 30 years ago , of course it gives you an idea for a blog... !

Back then I was freshly married and living in Mexico in a German Mennonite village.
When my family came to visit it reminded them of Poland and the villages where they had grown up.
The most impressive part of living in the Mennonite village was watching them make these huge gardens in their front yard. The whole family would be out there planting potatoes, seeding, hoeing and the endless watering using the row method of letting the water slowly go down one row and then the next. What I loved was seeing rows of flowers in between the vegetable rows. Mostly Marigolds, Zinnias and sometimes the most beautiful Dahlias and Gladiolas. One crop they used I was not familiar with... the Castor Bean Plant. Once I found out that this was the same plant the Bible mentions in Jonah , I was impressed with it and used it often to tell the story of Jonah to the Sunday School kids.

Doing a bit of research here at Blumenflor we found out that back when Grandma was making her garden she was also teaching her children the necessity of planting flowers for pollination of the vegetables by bringing in the bees through flowers. Another interesting find was why the Castor Bean plant was also in the garden, it apparently repels rabbits!  It is a toxic plant but the children were taught to not eat the beans. So much was maybe considered Tradition back then but yet it was a way of life that served the German community well. 
Once it was time to harvest the bounty from the garden the family then learned to can and preserve. If you would ask how many 1 quart jars of Tomato Catsup was needed for a family of 8 , you would get the answer just like that. Everything was mentally calculated at the time of seeding and many a prayer went up that the crop would do well. The garden was a necessity in those days. 

I feel we are  going back to those earlier years of gardening. Looking at the rate of new gardeners and their commitment to carry on another year is encouraging. 

The family legacy of gardening , canning, preserving was on the brink of going lost but is now finding it's way back into our communities. There is always a silver lining during hard times.
I loved making gardens back then and talking over the fence with my neighbour about how the beans are coming along and if we had enough "Pepper Kraut" Summer Savory to make "Schubbel Sup" Bean Soup. 
Not only the women were good gardeners but the men, being farmers, would look after the fields of corn and  the home apple orchard. 
When the field corn was in its "milk" stage the the tamales were made. That was always a   gathering of neighbours and friends. 

Reminiscing about 30 years ago has brought back wonderful memories! May we keep on passing down the tradition of gardening, it is worth it!


Check out our online store where you can get your seeds and potting mix  to start that garden. 
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Every winter we bring in all the indoor plants that were out in the greenhouse or outside that can't handle the frost. This year we added all the new indoor plants from our metal building. Our porch addition to the house was enclosed years ago and we have 9 windows which is perfect lighting for the plants. We now have an indoor jungle.
Out of curiosity look up #indoorjungle on Instagram. Many wonderful pics come up and interesting ideas on how to fit in one more plant. 
Not only are plants good for us in that they help filter our air but they also give us a sense of responsibility like pet owners. Watering, fertilizing, snipping away yellow leaves, talking to them etc. Plants are therapeutic and help to keep us grounded in a world that is so uncertain right now.
For example our Amaryllis plants, when they started growing it was a daily measuring and being in awe that they can grow 1 inch a day. They are now 18 inches and putting on the most beautiful blooms.
Another plant is a common Aloe Vera who got a bit too cold and is sending out a beautiful orange colored bloom. Who knew they bloom when they get a bit too cold but still survive.

Do you talk to your plants? Yes that is a common thing to do ... even giving them names.
Love those botanical names, a favorite is the "Sanseveria trifasciata larenti" also known as the Snake Plant. 
I grew up in an Indoor Jungle. My mother has 10 green thumbs! My dad put in a huge picture window in the dining room just that mom would have more light for her plants.
Oh and all the macrame hangers back in the 70's, Yes our house was a jungle of plants.
Now that mom is in an assisted living home at 93, she still looks after plants. She convinced  one of the residents that they needed  stands for all the plants. A nice big one was built in the rec room and is now full of plants. Daily watering and looking after them has been therapeutic for her. She is truly an inspiration. 

Indoor plants is very trendy at this time also macrame hangers. Check out our online store and all our plants that are available right now.

May we all find room for some indoor plants, they are worth it!

Mom and her walker/utility cart.                                                  Amaryllis amongst other plants

​My attempt at a  Newsletter ended up in the Blog section
 I will learn to use my new laptop yet! Feeding chickens is easier!

​Jan. 6, 2021


A New Year of Gardening starts in January
We are all looking into this New Year with much anticipation. Gardening was for many a way to cope with this past year. Hopefully you gained many new skills in the garden or maybe you are a new gardener. We are here to help you with this coming year. Be it in the vegetable garden, flower garden in the newly planted home orchard or acquiring a green thumb for indoor plants.

January is the time to check your seed supply and order more if needed.
 1.     Start seeding peppers in January
2.      Onion sets can be planted in January
3.      Deep water your trees in the winter.


We close down for the months of January and February to catch our breaths, relax after the busy holiday season and to reflect on what to do again for the spring and upcoming year.

We have you covered for the spring…
We were busy as bees in the fall getting orders placed with our suppliers of seed, bedding plants, roses and trees, soil amendments etc. It was a bit chaotic having to order so much sooner than we usual do. A pandemic makes you think more of having a sustainable future.
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Our online store is always open!
We, as so many other small businesses have added an online store. It is also a steep learning curve but very practical for our customers. Curbside pickup is available and we are also including shopping by appointment. We appreciate our customers buying local and want to make it easier, convenient and safe. Any order placed online can be picked up within a day or two at our physical store.
 
Do you have a seed and fertilize “Bank” secured? Let us help you!
 
We have added an Indoor Plant section, check it out on our  
Online Store - Blumenflor

          
How plants clean the Air
Houseplants absorb carbon dioxide from the air through their leaves. Co2 is then combined with water and sunlight to make carbohydrates that plants use to survive. During this process known as photosynthesis, oxygen is released into the air for humans and animals to breathe. Plants also absorb many other gases which may be harmful to us. Nasa did a study on this back in 1989 and found that Indoor plants are a natural type of air filter.
                                                                                                            
 
 
Mary, Mary quite contrary…
How does your Amaryllis Grow ?
If you received an Amaryllis for the holidays hopefully it is growing! We measured a growth of 10 inches on one of ours. They are fascinating to watch grow indoors and can be planted outdoors on the east side of your house in the spring. They bloom the next year in Spring.
 
  Upcoming News  
We are excited about our Farmers Market this year.
It will be held on a Friday night and a Saturday morning,
on the third weekend of the month from March to October 2021
More details in our next Newsletter!
 
Blumenflor Garden Center
695 B State Hwy 214
Seminole, Tx. 79360
Email: blumenflor@yahoo.com                          Happy New Year, may it be a blessed one!
www.blumenflor.com
432-209-5651