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Greetings, Gardening Friends!

How is your garden growing along this Spring?? This week I've nearly finished my planting, although my pal Eric Wallien has promised to send me some special favorites in a surprise package later this week, so I am anxiously awaiting what he will choose for my garden, now that the Roberta's team is back home again in Indiana!! Despite planting lots of things I ordered from Cottage Farms and Roberta's this season, I still have some spots left to fill....mostly around my newly refurbished garden shed, and around my pet memorial garden area. I've found some wonderful stepping stones at the local grocery store, of all places, to go along with my new one from Plow and Hearth and have placed them in here and there in special spots.

I cherish each of our pets that are with us still, as well as those that have left us for Rainbow Bridge, and I love placing special markers and statuary throughout my garden areas. They are such a peaceful reminder of these beautiful little souls that have shared our lives and brought us so much joy in the short time they were here.

Each year I also find a new spot for the garden sign my parents gave me a few years ago... "Carolyn's Garden".  I just love it and I hope to find a similar one for next year's garden season that we can offer at QVC.  This year, I purchased this adorable Home Reflections Turtle with outdoor flameless candle, that flickers every evening near my beautiful sign, a lovely reminder of my ever-thoughtful Mom and Dad.

I love the soft, colorful beauty of Springtime in the Garden....the pink dogwoods and bright red cranberry blossoms...the soft creamy white of the pear tree blossoms....the yellow of the daffodils and multi color splendor of the tulips.

My peonies are shooting upward and will be blooming soon, along with the wonderfully fragrant lilacs!! The key to constant enjoyment in your garden is to plant flowers and trees that bloom and different times and then overlap...so as some are ending their bloom time, others are just beginning. My roses and hydrangeas will be coming on strong, as the peonies and lilacs fade, and then it's on to daisies, lilies, and crepe myrtles. I am so excited to see what my garden has in store for me this year!!

I love my new sheep from Plow and Hearth too! They look so real, yet don't eat the lawn!! (My dogs and the horses from the stables next door actually DID think they were real for a while!!  They even fooled my husband! I put them out on the lawn one evening and he didn't know it. The next morning when he looked out of our bedroom window he thought some sheep had wandered into our yard....until he noticed they weren't moving!! LOL!!

We all love to have a fun place to relax with family and friends, as we bring our living space outdoors for the season. I wanted to share a photo of our new patio furniture from AT Leisure, which we ordered from QVC.com. Isn't it lovely? I am so happy we offered it at the Q this year!  I won't kid you...it DID take some time to assemble....but we feel it was worth it. We are very pleased with the quality and we did not have to spend a TON of money like we would have at the patio furniture store!

You can add your own throw pillows for a splash of color, like we did, depending on your patio color theme. All we need to add now is the new offset patio umbrella and rug for the deck....I'll have to find time to do that THIS week, to make the look complete!

I've also included, thanks to my buddy Phillip Watson of Cottage Farms, another easy Gardening Tip on Video for you this week. Click here to see some helpful words of wisdom from Phillip!

One last thing....now that you've planted your flowers and plants, don't just walk away and forget about them! They need a little help from you along the way! Don't forget to water them when needed, and fertilize and feed your new plants to help them grow strong and big and more quickly!! Any of the Cottage Farms pre-measured fertilizers is great, along with Roberta's Spray and Flourish and Flower Magic. Apply those every couple of weeks. Also Root Blast is another terrific product and you'll only need to use it once per season.  

Till next time, don't forget your standing invitation to Garden Party with Carolyn, every Tuesday at 9am through the month of May. You can check in anytime to see what's coming up and what's already been on the show, on the Garden Party page on QVC.com, as well! Also, watch for the garden photos I'll be sharing throughout the Spring and Summer seasons on my Carolyn Gracie QVC Facebook page. "Like" my page and share your own photos as well!!

Happy Gardening!

Carolyn