Take a Trip Back to Your Roots

"He loves me ... he loves me not ... he loves me ..." Remember the days when you couldn't possibly consider dandelions to be weeds? In a child's eyes they evoke just as much wonder and amusement as roses. Whether petals are picked apart to predict a crush's affection or buttercups are held under a friend's chin to predict one's love of butter, flowers are a constant source of entertainment for youngsters. They're also a popular source of creative inspiration in kids' artwork so we've chosen a few from NaturalChild.org to bring you back to your roots.

Sydney G., age 8
Mackenzie J., age 4
Fatima Z., age 7
Owen C., age 7

- Kait

Little Garden, Big Colors

While dropping off more stuff at our new apartment, my dad, the nerdy but friendly guy that he is, thought nothing of telling Sean-from-next-door how “cool” his front garden looked. We had been living in our apartment for a week already and we hadn’t given the 6 by 6 square of soil a second glance. “You know, you work with what you have here,” Sean told my dad. That conversation literally opened my eyes to the array of hydrangeas and marigolds that bloomed up and down our street. The Big Apple may not come with big plots of land but its people really do make the most of the space they have. We took a little field trip Sunday morning and Joe Merola, Jr., owner of Kings County Nurseries Inc. in Brooklyn, showed us around his urban jungle. Use his tips to take a concrete slab from drab to fab:

1. Most people in Brooklyn don’t have much more than a small enclosed front yard area that’s often paved over. If you’re planning to start a garden you’ll have to dig up that concrete, take out the subbase, and fill the area with new soil.

2. Take into account the amount of sunlight your garden will receive and choose plants accordingly. In the NYC area, rhododendrons, azaleas, and holly tend to do well in lots of sunlight while liriope, coral bells, and hosta thrive in shady spots.

3. Perennials are nice because they come back every year but they normally don’t bloom for the whole season. You can always throw in some annuals such as marigolds and petunias to give some color.

4. Before you arrange anything in your garden, think about the height of each plant. If you pick out plants with similar growth patterns it doesn’t matter where they’re placed; otherwise stagger plants with the shorter ones towards the front.
-Kait

“Summer’s Here (and so are fruity flowery cocktails!?) "

New York City’s radiating pavements always means 90+ degree weather, so why survive in city pools and misty fans when you can settle down for an ice cold mojito or margarita? This being our flower theme week and all I’ve decided to whip together some delicious cocktails with a flowery twist.

Drink 1: Hibiscus

Alrighty beer lovers its your turn. Step up to the bar and fill up your glass with any beer (we suggest something like Sam Adams Cherry Wheat or Corona). Now add either hibiscus syrup (see drink three for homemade recipe) or some flowers. A dash of hot sauce and lime juice and you're ready for a beach side fiesta.

1 beer

hibiscus syrup/flowers

hot sauce

lime juice

Drink 2: Violet

Try this for a twist on Sunday brunch mimosas. Mix One glass of champagne with two or three raspberries at the bottom and use violets as garnish. Eventually the varnish will be soggy and sink but it only infuses the drink with a subtle and enticing flavor.

champagne

violets

raspberries

Drink 3: Rose

This first one eases you into the world of flowery drinks. In this drink we're going to use rose syrup (you can do this with other flowers). One third roses, sugar and water is needed for this recipe (I used one cup of each but it's up to you how much you want to make). Place the ingredients in a pot and simmer until you get a delicious syrup. Now mix two tablespoons with a glass of prosecco and add a dash of sprite or seltzer for kick.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup rose petals

prosecco

seltzer/sprite

Experiment on your own or throw together a flower buffet and get some friends together. Not all flowers are a sure bet so make sure you do some google-ing before you pop in something poisonous...Be sure to send us some of your pictures if you try these and loved it ;)

Extra tips:

Plants so pretty I would plop them into drinks without thinking but shouldn't on account of their poisonous potential: jasmine (yes, despite your tea drinking habits),lilies of the valley, sweet pea, and morning glories

Plants so pretty that you CAN plop in: lavender, violets, rose, pansies, marigolds, carnations, dandelions (ew, I know) and petunias

-Deborah

What's the Story, Morning Glory?

Someone once told me that flower districts always pop up by hospitals ... and bars by funeral homes (morbidly interesting). That got me thinking about flowers. Somehow no matter where I am in the city, I undoubtedly run across a teeny girl touting a huge orchid or a burly man dragging some fern-ish looking plant home to his unsuspecting wife. Flowers are so common and oh so pretty but how useful are they? This week we tackle: FLOWERS.

- Deborah

The View from the Stoop

Let's just say we make things work (sort of, most of the time). As roommates for three years in college, we lived in incredibly small spaces together and not only made it out alive, but we made it out as friend. Now we're out of college and just can't get away from each other. Kait is an aspiring editor, loves all things magazine and is on the job hunt as we speak. Deborah on the other hand is an aspiring TV reporter, also on the job hunt and loves all things shiny.
Kait "People used to get jobs after college but I'm the lucky recipient of a bachelor's degree in the midst of a massive financial crisis. A small town girl with city dreams, I'm chipping away at my second summer as a research intern at Real Simple magazine. I continue to do freelance writing for Vermont magazine, where I've also spent time as an intern. My portfolio may be bursting at the seams with wedding and home stories but I've never been pegged a CosmoGirl. I have a thing for skinny dipping and strawberry ice cream, though not necessarily together."
Deborah “So despite my recent graduation I’ve crash landed in a fantastic late night masters program at NYU. While my true love will always be news, I’ve dabbled in fashion, food and travel reporting. I’ve done everything from test drive bizarre products to write articles in mosh pits. A product of my crazy-eclectic French Korean family I’ve been thrown into random activities my entire life – from Tae Kwon Do and piano to…golf. My domination at most board games almost surpasses my love of reporting. But not quite.”
One 90-year old landlord, two high speed fans and about a hundred boxes later – We're finally settling down in our new home in New York City (well, Brooklyn). For the first time we are putting together our skills and collaborating on a project we hope you will love as much as we do. Each week we’ll pick a theme and the cover that one topic in-depth from two different viewpoints. Now, we’ll start off with some easy ones but don’t worry we’ve got some head-scratchers coming your way too.