Hello there all Romantics (me too),

What are you planning for your Valentine? 14th February will be here sooner than you blink! In any event RED is the colour not so?

There are all sorts of things a person can do with little imagination and not everything needs to cost what single red rose is likely to cost from the general vendors at this time of year either!

What ideas could you come up for the container gardeners in your life?

How about one or a mix'n match of these ...

* If you're lucky enough to have a RED ROSE from one your own-grown containers, well then there is the intro to the chockies and dinner date.

* A potted red-hearted Bromeliad with a white stone chips surround in a nice red porcelain pot. Easy to look after and will remind him-her of you for much longer than just Feb 14th.

* A small gardening tool set with red handles - I am sure you will have fun looking for them and giving them along with a small red notebook for going to the nursery-garden centre with.

* A wall plaque (home made by your crafty hands) with our favourite saying like that Robbie Burns one "My love is like a red red rose ...

* A red painted trug to carry around tools with a red sun hat of sorts or a pair of red checkered (gingham) gardening gloves.

* A gardening notebook into which you have written all your favourite red flowers and plants and veges etc. Maybe some seeds or bulbs (where appropriate)

* A nice new reference gardening book wrapped in a red kerchief (a la John Wayne) for those hot days in the 'garden'

No Money?

* Beg borrow or find a checkered table cloth and just make a sweet tea-for-two with some strawberry scones and a smile or so.

Got a 'partner' who is just not into gardening?

* Have he-she around anyway to spend some quality time in your spruced up container space!

Alone this year?

No matter - do something special for yourself!

What ideas do you have that you have planned or are thinking about?

Tell us please and have a

H A P P Y V A L E N T I N E ' S D A Y anyway

Cheers now

Thanks for the gentle reminder - I was thinking of having a tea party with some girl friends but for Presidents' Day. I have so many obligations between now and the 16th of February that I can't think of too much extra. My husband's Valentine Day will be a celebration after Feb. 16th. I have a huge luncheon to put on and I will be so happy when it is behind me.

Hello Angie and everyone,

Wow but you sound really busy Angie and happy to be so, but tell me please when is President's day ... is this when he is sworn in again - I thought that and all the balls and celebratory parties and first waltzes had already happened.

Still valentine's tea with a bunch of girlfriends does sound good and I hope you find time to pull it all off. You have given me an idea - think I will get together with some of mine (though it'll not be on 14th Feb.)

What do they say - life is about the journey and not the destination ... that way planning and doing and then attending and enjoying makes the effort of it all really worthwhile.

Good luck I say and enjoy.

Who has any other gift ideas to pass on for Valentine's day - have you picked out your 'valentine' yet! Remember too, it's supposed to be a mystery, got to keep 'them' guessing!

Cheers now

LOL, Lestie, one swearing in is enough.

When I was a kid we celebrated two holidays - Abraham Lincoln on the 12th and George Washington on the 22nd - birthdays - now they are stuck together and we celebrate Presidents' Day on the third Monday of February.

Hello There,

The day is nearly here! Have you had time to plant up something red and pretty to give away? A Red rose, (so many to choose from), some RED Begonia offset with some white Alyssum maybe in a red pot?

How about designing some "Love Cheques" promising to walk the dog or water the container garden or mow the 'lawn' or make some cookies for the next garden circle meeting?

What ever you don't do you will regret ... especially if you meant to do something and just got too busy. There is still time to make a someone in your life feel special!

Cheers now