By Donna Westfall – March 12, 2018 –

When we woke up from our nap this afternoon, wondering if Girl Scout Cookies still had GMO’s in them, we looked over at our truck filled with tall irises. The previous morning had been spent digging up a small part of a friends iris patch.

We’ve had people stop and take pictures of our garden when the wave petunia’s were in full bloom. That was last year; pink and white clumps of gorgeous colors.  In addition, dahlias are another attraction that range in colors and sizes from miniature to dinner plate.

Much of the flowers in our garden come from trading with friends.  In exchange for getting pots of  tall, yellow irises, we dug up borage (little blue flowers also called star flowers) from our garden which is excellent for attracting bees.  He’s a bee keeper.  Another plant that is prolific in our area are fortnight lillies.  They can be dug up, divided, shared and replanted.

There are number of garden clubs in our area like Roots & Shoots, the Fuschia Club and others.  If you’re new to gardening or the area, it’s a good idea to visit the clubs. If you have no interest in digging up another’s yard, there are several garden spots to purchase plants:

Worms Nursery off Elk Valley Road, Home Depot, and the Dutch Gardener on Bertsch Avenue to name a few. Starting in June, the Farmer’s Market will be opening again and then vendors will be bringing plants and flowers to sell.

Back to National Girl Scout Day so named because it started on March 12th in 1912 with 18 girls, now it has about 4 million members.

National Napping Day started by William Anthony, Ph.D., a Boston University Professor and his wife, Camille Anthony, in 1999 as an effort to spotlight the health benefits to catching up on quality sleep.

It’s observed annually the day following the return of daylight saving time. National Napping Day provides everyone with the opportunity to have a nap and catch up on the hour of sleep they lost due to the spring forward time change.

Mid-afternoon naps are an integral part of most cultures, and scientifically proven to be good for you.

A needed rest can make you feel better and also improve your mood. After having the extra amount of sleep, a person will notice that they will be more productive and energetic.

Numerous studies have shown that short 10-20 minute naps are the most effective when midday fatigue hits.  Improvements in alertness, productivity and mood have all been shown to improve with this type of snooze.

And then after your nap, you can go out and plant flowers in your garden. Spring is just around the corner. Don’t you wish there were hundreds of flowers blooming around the “S” curve welcoming visitors to town? That would be a sight to behold.