Announcing the Winner ... and Asking a Favor

The winner of my spur-of-the-moment fig jam giveaway is .... #24 Kelly Ann, of Kelly Ann's Quilts.  Since you're right up the road, I will bring your jam to you next week.  Congratulations, Kelly!!

Choosing the winner  wasn't as straight forward as it should have been.  My rules were simple ... leave a comment, and be sure that your comment includes your contact information.

It took FIVE tries for me to draw a winner that I could contact directly.  Selections 1, 2, and 4 chose comments from people who do not have their email visible in their blog profile, and who did not leave their email address in the body of their comment.  For each of these, the return address on their comment was the dreaded "noreply-comment @ blogger.com"  (Selection 3 chose Comment #6, which was my own comment ... it would be weird for me to win my own giveaway.)  

Out of 37 comments/entries in the jam giveaway, 13 turned out to be ineligible. This gave much better odds of winning to the folks who played by the rules. 

 

 

I am one of the many bloggers who is on a quest to politely ask everyone to PLEASE do whatever you can to wipe out "noreply-comment @ blogger.com".  Most of the folks I approach about this aren't even aware that they ARE noreply bloggers.  Others have the idea that hiding one's email will make them less of a target for email spam ... not true, from my experience.

 

It is frustrating beyond belief to receive a comment or a question from a reader, and to have no way to answer that person directly.  I am hesitant to answer comments publicly in the comment section ... I don't know the chance of the original commenter seeing my response, and I may want to give info in my response specifically intended for THAT commenter. 

 

Using the Old Blogger Interface, it's a simple matter to make one's email visible in one's blog profile.  (If you use the new Blogger interface, see below.)

 

Click on the Blogger B button to access your Blogger Dashboard.

 

 

Click 'Edit Profile' on the left side of the page.

 

 

 

In the Privacy section, check the box that says 'Show my email address".  Type your email address into the Identity section, if it's not already there.

 

 

 

Scroll to the bottom of the page, click the orange 'Save Profile' button, and your done!

 

 

 

For new Blogger interface users, there are no instructions on how to do this because Google has apparently removed this option in the switch to the new interface and Google+ profiles .  I spent a very frustrating half an hour in the new interface trying to figure it out.  My genius computer guy husband looked for it, too, and it's not there. 

 

As far as I can tell, the only way for a new Blogger interface user to make their email address visible would be to make a temporary switch to the old interface to make the change as outlined above ... then you can switch back.  To access the old interface, click the Gear icon at the top of the new Dashboard page, select Old Blogger Interface from the drop-down menu, and you're there.

 

 

 

Speaking of the new Blogger interface ... I'm going to hold out and use the old interface as long as I can.  Google is going to have to drag me kicking and screaming to the new interface when the time comes for them to eliminate the old one.  It's not that I don't like change ... I don't mind change most of the time ... I just that don't see any of the supposed benefits that Google/Blogger is talking about with the new interface ... this sounds like the subject of a rant for another day.

 

 

Anyway ... back to the original subject of this post ...

 

Congratulations, Kelly!!

 

I know you'll love your jam.

 

Souvenir de la Malmaisson for GBBD ... and a Winner

Visitors to the garden for the past two weekends have marveled at the performance that Souvenir de la Malmaisson is putting on in one of my front yard rose beds.  While a huge majority of my roses are looking pretty shabby from the neglect that they have suffered this year, SDLM is a beacon of loveliness.

Here is a wide shot, so you can see just how many flowers are on this bush.  You can also see that it's surrounded by weeds, Bermuda grass and Creeping Charlie being the worst offenders.  (The tall rose on the right is Felicia.)

I shot these photos earlier this morning, just as the sun was rising above the trees across the street.  The gentle morning light perfectly showcases the soft pinkness of this beautiful rose.

This grouping of flowers below looks like a ready-made bouquet.  

I wish I could pass along the scent of this rose, as I was experiencing it while standing on my head to get these photos.

On to another matter ...

The winner of the tile tray is:

MarthaVA!!!

Martha said, "I love reading good blogs - it's like reading a book for me. I love hearing about other people's hobbies and lives and crafts.  And considering you don't live that far from me, I find it even MORE interesting.  Oh, and I do love the roses....my first experience with roses was that my mother's name was Rose. And we always had roses in the yard in NY."

(The accuracy and the results of this drawing are certified by the feline firm of Dorothy, Maggie, and Alice.)

What I loved most about this giveaway was getting to know a bit about many of you who spend part of your day here with me, reading what I write and getting involved in my world.  I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity.

Since today is the 15th, it's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!  It has been a while since I have participated, so I think I will head over to May Dreams Gardens to see what everyone else over there has blooming in their yards.  I'm also going to take this post on the road to party over at Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday. 

A Getting-To-Know-You Giveway.

One of the things I love most about blogging are the relationships that I have with my readers and with other bloggers.  This blogging hobby of mine has created a whole world of new friends, some of whom I know and most of whom I don't.

There's a lot going on here in Hartwood, and my blog reflects that.  It's been almost four years since I started blogging, with the intention of using it as a way to keep track of what was going on in the garden ... I never could keep up with a traditional garden journal, and blogging seemed like something I could stick with.  Stick with it I did, 450 posts now, and my little slice of cyberspace has evolved to be a pretty accurate reflection of who I am.  If something interests me, I share it ... and I hope it interests you, too.  I figure you know me pretty well by now.

We have a pretty close-knit group of regular commenters here, and I have come to know a lot about many of you.  Sometimes it seems as if I have a whole family that I never knew about until I started blogging.  Occasionally I find a comment by a drive-by one-timer, and I'm thrilled.  Lots of you read posts here each day without leaving anything behind to say you were here.  That's okay ... I do this a lot, too.  Many mornings while I'm reading blogs, I don't have anything profound to contribute.

The idea of this giveaway is to flush out some of my regular and not-so-regular readers so I can learn more about you.  I hope to use this info as guidance to find out about the type of posts that you can't wait to read, and which ones bore you to tears.  There may be something that you've been for me to tell you about, and I have absent-mindedly neglected to even mention it.  This is your chance to speak up.

Now about the Giveaway ... here's what you have to do: 

Leave a comment on this post telling me and the other readers of this blog something about yourself to help us get to know you

AND

In the same comment, tell us something about what you most enjoy when you come here  OR offer a suggestion for something you'd like me to show you more of. 

You don't have to be a Follower, though I would love it if you were.  You don't have to post about this, or do anything on Facebook, or tweet or chirp ... a heartfelt comment is all it takes.   One entry per person, please.

In exchange, you will receive one entry in the drawing for a chance to win this lovely tray with hand-painted tiles.  I chose a tray with an autumn theme, a White Oak like the trees in our front yard.  (The tray itself is the color of dark mahogany, almost black, and the handles are brushed silver.)

The Random.org number generator will choose the winner from among the qualifying entries at 8am on Thursday, September 15.  (I will contact the winner via email immediately thereafter ... if your email is not visible in your profile, please considering doing so.  It will be a good thing for you, I promise.)

Thank you, all of you, for spending any amount of your valuable time reading what I write.  It is humbling to know that so many of you care about goes on around here.

Sincerely,

Connie

P.S.  I'm guest-posting today over at Curly Willow DIY .  Run over there to see what I had to say.  (Blogger is misbehaving today, and poor Vicki had a devil of a time getting my post to publish ... poor Vicki.)

Lucketts Part 2, the Design House ... and a Surprise

While The Husband and I were visiting Lucketts, Virginia, on Labor Day, I took so many photos that I figured I should break our visit into two blog posts.  (If you missed Part 1, scroll down to the post from yesterday.)

Old Lucketts Store is three stories high, with booths and shops throughout the building.  As we reached to top of the stairs on the third story, I saw this:

We all read her blog and we are inspired by her story, but how many of us have actually run our hands over some of Miss Mustard Seed's fabulous pieces?  It was a treat to see these things in person.

One weekend per month, the folks at the Old Lucketts Store open their Design House, which is a separate building on the other end of their parking lot.  The items inside are high end, high style, and displayed beautifully.

There are items displayed outside the design house, too.  I wasn't able to convince The Husband that we NEEDED to have a life-size bull for the front of our house.

This display of industrial lockers, tables, and other stuff wasn't bothered at all by the steady rain.

This was my favorite of all of the signs we saw!

It would take a very large kitchen to make use of this island ... but what a statement piece it would be!

This little shed outside the door to the Design House is totally adorable!

I practically drooled all over this dry sink, and the double pendant light fixture above it.

I took a photo of this canvas "21" pillow for our friend Alison at The Polo House.

The styling in the Design House is perfection!

A white mantel in one of the rooms was decorated with silver and mercury glass accessories.

As we left Lucketts and headed for home, I felt energized and motivated to tackle a few more of the projects I have here at home.

Now for the surprise ... one lucky Hartwood Roses reader will win this hand-painted tile tray.  Details will be in tomorrow's post.  (this one is long enough already)

See you tomorrow!

... and the OWOH Winner Is ...

One World One Heart was a three-week blog tour that took me to the blogs of some amazing and creative folks.  Yesterday was the last day.  At 9:00 last night, I let the random number generator do its thing, and the winner of the crocheted scarf is:

Paula in Tennessee, of Serendipity!!

Paula said:

Connie! I'm so glad I found you! Your blog is just wonderful! We have so much in common...I am also restoring a historic home. Ours was built in 1869. Have you discovered that living in and restoring an old house is a practice in patience?! You either love them and are in for the long haul, or you just don't attempt it. It's a good thing my husband and I are persistent and a little crazy, otherwise we would have abandoned this particular project a few years ago! HA! We are also big supporters of our local Humane Society and perform rescues of precious furry friends on a consistent basis. We live with our sweet animals, two dogs, two cats and various other critters that find their way to us. Both my husband and I are artists who work at other jobs by day and practice our craft in the evenings...after house projects, time with our sweet son, general upkeep on animals and said house, and a bit of time for conversation. In other words, we work that in where we can...even if it means in the wee hours of the morning. I bet you know how that is!

The scarf is absolutely gorgeous, and you are going to make one lucky person very happy!!! I certainly hope it's me, but even if it's not, I feel as though I've won a prize by finding your lovely blog. I'm signing up to follow you so that I can come back and visit again soon. Hope you'll stop by and visit with me when you have some time.

All good wishes!

Paula

Doesn't she seem like a lovely person?  As I read her blog, I was touched by her love for her husband, her house, and her pets.  I cried along with her as I read about their struggle to conceive and the emotional ups and downs of adoption ... and I rejoiced when I read the post about bringing their baby boy home!

This is Paula with her husband on their wedding day.  She posted this photo for Valentine's Day.

This is their house:

And here is Max, one of their dogs.  Everyone here knows how much I love dogs!

If I hadn't participated in One World One Heart, I probably wouldn't know about Paula and her blog.  I am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit with bloggers I may not have had a chance to meet otherwise, and make connections. 

Congratulations, Paula.  I'm thrilled that yours was the random number that was chosen! 

Now, Everyone, click HERE to go visit Paula for yourself.

One World, One Heart ... The Great Worldwide Blog Tour

Thank you VERY much for stopping by to visit me in Hartwood today.  This post is an introduction, meant for visitors who are here for the first time, or for regulars who might have missed something along the way, and it is my participation in the One World One Heart worldwide blog event.

Hartwood is a small village in north central Virginia (USA) ... not a village in the most literal sense, you understand ... it's really only a Post Office, a church, and a bunch of farms.  It's a very beautiful, very rural place to live, and I love it here.

This is our house.  It was built in 1848.

This blog started two years ago as a way for me to document what was happening in my rose gardens and at my rose nursery.  I grow 900 different types of heirloom and modern roses, and there always seemed to be something to interesting going on.  As I learned about my roses, I wanted to share what I learned on my blog.  (A few weeks ago, I did a post about how to prune and train rambler roses, for example.)

This is not a fake photo.  It's what my Rose Field REALLY looks like in May and June.

I love photography, and my roses are very willing subjects.  During warm weather, I can often be found outdoors photographing my gardens.  I can think of no better way to spend a day than being surrounded by roses.  My pets are also featured in my photos.  We currently have 4 indoor cats, 1 outdoor cat, and 2 retired racing greyhounds.  (I worked in greyhound rescue for many years.  Friends and I now run Greyhounds Rock, a nonprofit charity that raises money for canine cancer treatment and research.  The link to our web site is on my sidebar.)

This is my friend Kim's dog, TJ, who is currently undergoing treatment for Osteosarcoma (bone cancer).

As time went by, I began to include a bit of history and some DIY with respect to the restoration of our old house.  We bought this house in 2002, and we spent 5 full years on a whole house renovation before we could move in.  I was the general contractor, I did all of the design work, and I did much of the demolition, paint stripping, and carpentry work myself.  This is my dream house, in my dream location, and I feel blessed to wake up here every morning.  Things are far from finished, so sometimes I have blog posts devoted to construction and decorating projects, as well as subjects specific to old house issues.  (I did a tutorial in a post just last week about how to install a subway tile backsplash.)  Take a look at the sidebar, and you will find links to blog posts that introduced some of the rooms of our house, our barn, and the evolution of the house itself.

A really bad flash photo of me, say "Cheese", taken by the Husband ... as I was working to cut and install the top of my rolling work island.  Click HERE to see the full post.

As part of the One World, One Heart event, each participating blog is offering a giveaway to the readers who visit.  To celebrate warmth of our Hartwood country setting, I am offering item an item designed to chase away the winter chill ... a hand-crocheted scarf, with roses (of course) will be sent to the lucky winner.

Everyone who has a blog is eligible to enter.  Leave a comment on this post, including a way for me to contact you ... it's as simple as that.  I will draw the winner and contact them on the evening of February 17.


Thank you, again, for stopping by to visit.  If you like what you see, I would be honored to have you come back to visit again from time to time. Hartwood is a beautiful, friendly place, and I try to share that feeling to my readers.

Sincerely,
Connie

P.S.  I post here at least every day or two.  This post is going to get a little bit stale, as One World One Heart continues through February 17th.  If you want, click HERE to go to my most recent post and you can see what else is going on around here.

This giveway is now closed.  Thank you, all of you, for dropping by to see what my blog is all about.

... and the Winner of the Wine Tray Is ....

Congratulations to Ron S!!!!

Ron (I think I know which Ron you are, but I want to be sure.)  Will you please contact me to give me your address, and your tray will be on its way next week.

Thank you (again) to everyone who reads this blog and takes the time to leave comments and send notes.  Your feedback helps keep me motivated, and I appreciate every word.

Two-Year Blog Anniversary ... and a Thankful Giveaway

Two years ago, I wrote my first tentative words on this blog.  I had no idea what I was doing or what I hoped to accomplish.  I just knew that blogging seemed to be a great outlet for me, and I was determined to make it work.

My first post had no photos, and it was a bit of an awkward introduction.  I had no readers and no followers ... just me and some friends and family as an audience.  I thought this blog was going to be exclusively about roses and gardening, but I am a lot more than that, and I wanted to share it ALL.

In celebration of my anniversary, and as a way to say Thank You for all of you who have come along with me on this journey, I would like to offer a giveaway.

I was at the Habitat ReStore in Richmond yesterday, and they had received a donation of beautiful hand-painted tiles and tile trays.  I did some Christmas shopping, and I picked up a tray for one of my lucky readers, too.

The tiles aren't attached in this photo, so don't worry that they look a bit wonky.

The tray comes in Black or White, the tiles are the same on each, and I can't decide which one I like best.

I think it's only fair to let the lucky winner decide which one to take ... I'll keep the one that's left.

Do you prefer the Black one?

Or the White one?

Each reader can have up to three entries.

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me which tray you like best ... the White one or the Black one.

2. Become a Follower of Hartwood Roses, or if you already are a Follower (thank you!), and leave a second comment to let me know.

3. Tweet, Blog, or Facebook the Giveaway for a third chance ... Come back and leave a 3rd separate comment letting me know!

It's that simple!  The Giveaway will be open until Saturday, November 27th (the actual anniversary of my first blog post) at 9:00 pm EST.  

Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you!  (Have I mentioned lately how thankfull I am when I can send a personal reply for a lovely comment.  I am sad when I try to reply and I find 'noreply@blogger.com' for a return email address.  Consider making your email visible ... you just might make some very lovely new blog friends.)

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone, and Thank You, THANK YOU for being here!

Sincerely,

Connie

Flowers on Friday: My First Old Garden Rose ... and a Giveaway.

Portland from Glendora.  This is the rose that started the out-of-control collection that is my rose garden.

In the fall of 2002, two of my garden friends were going to Sherando Roses (outside Waynesboro, Virginia), and they invited me to come along.  I didn't grow roses at the time, because I had almost no sunshine at the house I was living in.  We had just bought this property where I am now, with its 9 acres of sunny old-farm soil, and my friends decided that I should grow roses.

This was Sherando.

I say "was" because the owner retired three years ago and closed the nursery.  It was the loss of Sherando (our only old-rose source in the whole area) that prompted me to open Hartwood Roses ... but I digress.

"Portland from Glendora" was one of three roses that I brought home with me from that first-of-many trips to Sherando.  (The other two were Frau Dagmar Hartopp and R. Eglanteria.)

I noticed "Glendora" blooming in the Rose Field while I was out on my beetle hunt on Wednesday.  This got me distracted (so what else is new) and I started photographing her beautiful pink flowers in the perfect overcast light that afternoon.

"Glendora" is a big girl.  She wants to be about six feet tall, and she supports herself quite nicely.

She is a Portland rose ... a small class of roses developed in the second quarter of the 19th Century.  Like other Portlands, "Glendora" smells WONDERFUL!  She gets a bit of blackspot, so a little fungicide is probably necessary to keep her looking her best.

Now to the Giveaway part of today's post.  One lucky Hartwood Roses reader will win "Portland from Glendora" for their own garden.

To enter, simply post a Comment here and tell me about something in your garden that makes you happy.  No need to become a follower (though I would sincerely appreciate it if you do).

This giveaway will end at 11:00 pm EDT, on Thursday, June 25.  I will announce the winner during Friday Flowers here on June 26.


(Because this is a giveaway for a live plant, there are a few little 'fine print' issues that I have to address. I am not licensed to ship to CA, OR, WA, AZ, AK, HI, or anywhere outside the US.  I have a lovely alternate prize if someone from one of these states is the winner.)

Fertilizer Friday

Remember, I have cancelled tomorrow's on-site nursery hours because I have to go out of town to attend a funeral for a friend who passed away last week.  Regular hours resume on Saturday, June 26th, from 10am - 3pm.

Be sure to visit tomorrow, when I unveil our Family Room for the 'Where Bloggers Create' feature.

(written by Hartwood Roses.  Hartwood Roses blog.)