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Page 10A The Braselton News Wednesday, November 28, 2007 Terrarium creations: Great gifts for neglectful gardeners I can’t tell you how many times I’ve given beautiful potted plants as living holiday gifts, only to dis cover they perished from neglect in a matter of weeks. But, after suffering such disap pointment repeatedly, I found a perfect substitute without resorting to presents made solely of silk or plastic. By learning to create miniature gardens in a attractive bottles, jars, or fishbowls, I discovered a way to share my love for gardening with friends and neighbors cursed with brown thumbs. I accomplished this simply by turning an assortment of tiny houseplants into fully self- contained and mostly self-water ing little conservatory plantings that my recipients would find hard to kill, at least for most of the winter. Thanks to a good assortment of small tropical plants in many garden centers, this is easy enough for a child to accomplish. But do remember that even the most diminutive tropicals in tiny pots can get large in a hurry when sur rounded by ideal conditions like those provided in closed contain ers. In a very short time, this can turn an otherwise attractive ter rarium grouping into a crowded mess if you over-do. In a one-gallon jug, for example, three plants, some living moss, a few ornamental rocks and, maybe, a dead twig covered in lichen is probably more than sufficient to keep things in balance. And, by all means, avoid trailing plants like pothos, philodendron, and wander ing jew unless you’re converting a 20-gallon aquar ium to a small greenhouse. Small parlor palms are good for vertical inter est, and won’t outgrow their assigned space too quickly. For lower growth with a little color, consider fitonias, alu minum plants, miniature African violets, and little bromeliads. Some of the smaller ferns may be substituted for palms. And, if you prefer a desert scene to a miniature rain forest, you can substitute a variety of cacti and other small succulents. Before you begin your creative planting, it’s best to assemble everything you need on a work table, and keep a small hand spray er and a pitcher handy for watering in plants and washing excess dirt off foliage and glass. Non-botanical material should include some aquarium or pea gravel, a small box of aquarium filter charcoal, a bag of potting soil, a large plastic mixing bowl, some coat-hanger wire, a pair of tongs, scissors, and an ice tea spoon or very small trowel. Soak the plants before you remove them from their pots, and put them aside to drain. Then, mix about a half-cup of charcoal with potting soil in your plastic bowl. Finally, add a one-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the container and, on top, add your charcoal-soil mix to a depth of two to three inches. You’re now ready to introduce plants. B u t before you do, inspect them care fully for diseases and insects, particularly mealy bugs and scale. If you notice any of these, remove any heavily infested leaves, and spray the remaining foliage with a good houseplant insecticide. Allow time for this to dry completely before placing the plants inside the containers, and you won’t have to clean spots of spray off the glass. Begin planting from the center outward, taking care to position taller plants closest to the middle of the soil area. To accomplish this neatly, it may be necessary to trim off some of the roots as you remove the plants from their original pots. It may also be beneficial to pinch the growing tips on specimens which appear leggy or otherwise likely to flop over on other plants as mois ture accumulates on their foliage. To finish the job, add green moss, a little gravel, and a few ornamen tal rocks to the outer edges of your planting. Then, squirt in just enough water to wash any dirt off the leaves and glass and to thoroughly moisten the soil. Next, place the lid on the container, and leave it closed for at least a day or two. From that point on, remove the lid at night and peri odically during the day to allow an exchange of air. After the plants are well-estab lished in their new soil and show ing signs of fresh growth, it’s okay to add a little liquid plant food to your watering routine. But, take care to make sure that the plants are never over-watered. If you can see any accumulated water to a third of the depth of the gravel layer at the bottom, don’t add another drop and keep the lid off longer to let excess moisture evaporate. Keep in mind that terrariums enclose their own mini-climates and can trap excessive heat by receiving direct sunlight. It is best, therefore, to keep them in bright, indirect light like that you would find in a north-facing window or under bright artificial illumination. Terrariums also will benefit from being turned at least once a week. This will encourage even growth in all directions, and result in a more attractive display. Before you deliver these living works of art to anyone, do con sider typing up some of the basic care instructions I’ve mentioned in this column, and present these as a cultural guide along with your gift. Hopefully, this will eliminate any assumption on the part of your recipients that their attempt to keep your gift alive is likely to end in failure. Fil Jessee lives in Braselton, where he works as a freelance jour nalist. Fie is a Georgia Certified Plant Professional with experience in ornamental horticulture and landscape design. Reader ques tions relating to gardening can be sent to Fil at fllwrites@aol.com. Gardener’s Grapevine with Fil Jessee filwrites@aol.com More on Nashville: Plenty of dining options and accommodations Dining in Nashville is a real adventure. With hundreds of res taurants, it can be almost over whelming to decide where to eat. Nashville restaurants represent every culinary flavor from around the world, and visitors can try Chinese cuisine one night, and Italian the next. Some restaurants not to be missed are: •Cabana, located in the Hillsboro Village, provides casual Southern comfort. For an appetizer, be sure and try the “Tennessee sliders.” These freshly baked mini sweet potato biscuits with housemade peach preserves include your choice of buttermilk fried chicken tenders or country ham. Other great starters include the fried green tomato stack and house made potato chips. For your main dish, hand tossed crust baked pizza, rainbow trout, grilled salmon, yellow fin tuna, buttermilk friend chicken and pasta are among the many choices. I selected the seared ahi tuna with Asian greens, pickled cucumber, ginger salad in a sesame soy vin aigrette, and I was not disap pointed. It was wonderful. For dessert, the fried pies are a must. Chocolate, peach and apple are all offered with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. Something unique are the cabana seats leading into the restaurant. They are a great place for a group of friends to meet for dinner. For more information, go to www.cabanasnashville.com. •Monell’s is a great place for a family-style Southern breakfast. After breakfast at Monell’s, you won’t need lunch. You might not even want dinner. The abundant Southern food is served family style in a charming, historic home. On Saturdays and Sundays, the country breakfast is served on a table that is overflowing with dishes, including fried chicken, ham, sausage, bacon, corn pud ding, biscuits, gravy, fried pota toes, pancakes, eggs, cheese grits and fried apples, all served family style. Owner Michael King opened Monell’s 14 years ago in the histor ic Germantown area of Nashville. Lunch is also offered. Monell’s is located at 1235 6 th Avenue North. For more informa tion, go to www.monellsdining. com or call 615-248-4747. •Jack’s Bar-B-Que is a great stop for for some mother-watering Southern sytle barbecue that is a favorite of tourists, Nashville residents and, of course, coun try stars. The menu includes Tennessee pork shoulder, Texas beef brisket, smoked turkey, Texas sausage, St. Louis style ribs and smoked chicken, all with Jack’s award-winning sauces. A lot of events are held at Jack’s, including Brad Paisley’s Opry induction party upstairs at the restaurant. The patio outback overlooks the Ryman Auditorium which makes it a favorite dining spot for lots of Opry stars and other performers. Jack’s has been declared the “number one barbecue” in Nashville by USA Today, Southern Living and The New York Times. The barbecue is prepared by the old-fashioned process of slow cooking, which is why it is tender and has the smoke flavor. No gas or charcoal is used. It’s a friendly, down-home spot where you are as likely to see someone in a suit and tie as you are to see someone in over-alls. All are welcomed and made to feel at home. As the manager told us, “You never know who is com ing through the door. Treat them all the same.” Jack’s Bar-B-Que is located at 416 Broadway. For more informa tion, go to www.jacksbarbeque. com or call 615-254-5715. DINING AT GAYLORD The Gaylord Opryland resort has some wonderful dining choices. A few of those I recommend are: •Water’s Edge Marketplace Buffet is a one stop treat to food from around the world. The vari ety, quality and abundance of food is overwhelming. It’s not your typical buffet. It’s much more upscale. The international menu includes creative offerings that change daily. The hardest part is deciding what to try. There are so many choices. Breakfast offerings includes everything from pastries to fruit to omelets made while you wait. Special requests are avail able and you have interaction with the chefs. Lunch and dinner also are offered. For dinner, our selections included swordfish, rack of lamb and pasta. The desserts includ ed strawberry shortcake, banana filled beignets and chocolate fon due. •Old Hickory Steakhouse where we had sweet treats and cheese for a late night snack. This is a great spot to sample cheese from around the world. We sampled aged gouda from Holland, as well as selections from France and England. Maitre Fromager Richard Peterson knows his cheese. The selection is huge and he knows all about each cheese offered. While we were in the restaurant for dessert only, Richard offers cheese to guests having meals at the steakhouse. He takes a cheese cart around and makes sugges tions to compliment the meal. For something sweet after our cheese, we had chocolate fondue, popcorn flavored ice cream, choc olate souffle and cheesecake. All were delicious and a perfect end to a wonderful day in Nashville. •Cascades, which offers three meals daily. It’s one of the most scenic spots in the hotel. You will be able to enjoy a great meal with a waterfall and lush garden sur rounding you — all, amazingly enough, located inside the hotel. We dined at Cascades for break fast, and I had loaded banana toast, which includes griddled bri oche, raspberry marmalade, corn flake crunch and whipped cream. Another one to try is the “Harpeth River breakfast,” which is two fried eggs, biscuit, potato casse role, sausage gravy and country ham. WHERE TO STAY The Gaylord Opryland is a great choice to stay during your visit to Nashville. Gaylord Opryland has nine acres of atrium-covered gar dens and walkways that provide a one-of-a kind experience for your stay in Nashville. Where else can you go on a boat ride along the Delta River without leaving the hotel, have a dining experience that could include steak or sushi, spend a few hours in the spa or check out some live entertain ment? These are just a few of your choices at the Gaylord Opryland. The Gaylord has three main areas: The Garden Conservatory, The Cascades and The Delta. All are uniquely different and offer lush gardens, waterfalls, shops and restaurants. The hotel has 2,881 rooms, including 750 with an atrium view. These are your best choice. You can sit outside on your bal cony and check out the sights and sounds below. It feels more like you are looking down on a bus tling city instead of being inside a hotel. A country Christmas celebra tion is under way at the hotel now. It includes the Pam Tillis Christmas dinner show, the ICE sculpture display, performances by the Radio City Rockettes in the Grand Ole Opry house, Christmas on the Cumberland aboard the General Jackson showboat, a Hall of Trees display of 30 trees and the Treasures for the Holidays arts and crafts show. For more information, call 615-889-1000 or go to www.gay- lordhotles.com. Angela Gary is an editor with MainStreet Newspapers Inc. She can be reached at AngieEditor@ aol.com. Athens blood and marrow donor drive set for Dec. 13 A national marrow donor pro gram and blood drive in honor of Jackson Austin will be held on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 3-8 p.m. in Athens. Austin is a Jackson County boy who has cancer. The drive will be held at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, Hill Atrium, on the cam pus of the University of Georgia. Donors are encouraged to give blood and/or register for the National Marrow Donor Program. Since Clarke County has a grant, all testing for the National Bone Marrow Registry is free and only involves a cheek swab. All blood donors are strongly encouraged to eat a full meal or snacks, and drink lots of caffeine- free liquids before donating blood. To make an appointment for the event, contact Danielle Austin at daaustin@alltel.net or Janet Jarrett at jarrettja@usa.redcross.org. For more information about donating blood, visit www.give- bloodredcross.org. For more infor mation about the National Marrow Donor Program, visit www.mar- row.org. The Georgia Center for Continuing Education is located at the corner of Lumpkin and Carlton Streets, near the UGA track. Love Light Celebration ahead Monday, December 3 at NGMC Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) will hold the annual Love Light Celebration at 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3 in Gainesville. Due to construction at the main campus, the 2007 Love Light Celebration will be held at the medical center’s Lanier Park Campus, located on White Sulphur Road in Gainesville. The Love Light tree will contin ue to be placed atop the outpatient services building on the main campus on Jesse Jewell Parkway. The Love Light Celebration is sponsored by The Medical Center Auxiliary and is a cel ebration of Love Light donations made throughout the year. Love Light donations support Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, which provides in-home nursing care for patients with a life-limiting illness. For a minimum donation of $10, a light will be placed on the tree. Donations of $100 or more are designated as “Star” gifts, and donations of $500 or more are “Angel” gifts. Love Light dona tions can be made year-round in honor or memory of someone, and that person or the family will receive a card notifying them of the gift. “We are blessed to have the services of Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center avail able in our community, allowing terminally ill patients to remain in their homes with their families and loved ones,” said Michelle Weidner, who, along with her husband, Geoffrey Weidner, MD, serves as chairs of the 2007 Love Light celebration. “The funds raised through Love Light donations have a major impact on the services provided to hospice patients throughout Northeast Georgia, and the needs that are met by Love Light dona tions would not happen without these gifts,” she said. This year’s Love Light tree, a 30-foot spruce, was given by Doris Lindsey and David Head of Gainesville. The Medical Center Auxiliary is dedicating the tree to the late Charles R. “Chuck” Frissell, a long-time medical cen ter volunteer who served as chap lain and with the auxiliary’s cour tesy shuttle service. Frissell also served as first vice-president of the auxiliary’s executive board. The Love Light tree will be lit by Dr. Frank Lake, radiation oncologist and medical director of Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, who will also make remarks at the tree lighting celebration. The program will spotlight a brief selection of holiday music by local schools including East Hall High School Brass Ensemble, Friendship Elementary fourth and fifth grade chorus, North Hall Middle School eighth grade ensemble, Johnson High School Chorus and soloist Stephen Greene. A children’s ornament decorat ing contest also will be a part of the festivities. All ornaments submitted will be displayed on a giant holiday tree banner in the Lanier Park Campus atrium, and the winners of the contest will be announced during the Love Light celebration. To make a donation or for more information about Love Light, call the volunteer services department at Northeast Georgia Medical Center at 770-535-3394. Emergency responders join forces for holiday toy drive Santa Claus and Sparky are teaming up again this year in the third annual Empty Stocking Toy Drive in Barrow County. Joining them in the fund-raiser will be the Barrow County Fire and Emergency Services, Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, and the Barrow County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The drive will be held the first three Saturdays in December. Santa and Sparky will be in sub divisions through out Barrow County. Personnel and units from the fire department and sheriff’s office will join them. There will also be members of the CERT team helping out and showing there Christmas spirit. The Empty Stocking Toy drive will accept new, unwrapped toys for children up to 18 years old. The toys will then be sorted and some will be given to the children that spend Christmas at Peace Place, a shelter for woman and children. The remaining toys will be given to the Holiday Connection. Every toy that is donated to the drive will be given to needy chil dren in Barrow County. If the drive does not make it to each subdivision, residents may drop off donations at any Barrow County fire station. Those who want to make a monetary donation may make checks payable to the Holiday Connection. The volun teers conducting the drive will be collecting checks, as well. “I am hoping that with the citi zen’s help, every child in Barrow County will wake up to a great Christmas and have toys under the tree,” said Lt. Scott Dakin of the Barrow County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. “With everyone’s help we can make that happen.” Showcase of Homes Dec. 1-2 Traditions of Braselton is ring ing in the holidays with its Holiday Showcase of Homes Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1-2, and Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8-9. The event will showcase seven custom-built homes, each profes sionally decorated for the season by an award-winning local design er. “Traditions is a beautiful custom home community with great ame nities,” said Cindy Clark of Peggy Slappey Properties. “We will have an agents’ day on Friday, Dec. 7. Agents can expect first-class ser vice, including chauffeured tours throughout the community.” During the Holiday Showcase of Homes event, visitors can drive into the community and follow the signs to the featured homes, or drive straight to the on-site Discovery Center and pick up a map. A team of sales profession als from Peggy Slappey Properties will be on hand to answer any questions customers may have or to guide personal tours of the homes. According to Clark, Traditions of Braselton is one of the few metro communities affordable for most home buyers, whether they’re looking in the $200,000 range or the $ 1 million range. Peggy Slappey Properties, a Buford-based company and one of Gwinnett’s and Jackson’s leading marketers of new homes recently partnered with the devel oper at Traditions. Peggy Slappey Properties was the winner of Gwinnett Magazine’s 2006 Best Realtor award. Traditions of Braselton includes a championship 18-hole golf course, a swim and tennis com plex, on-site fitness center, green spaces, multiple ponds and lakes, nature trails, children’s play areas, and a property owners’ clubhouse. For additional information on Traditions of Braselton’s Holiday Home Showcase, call the Discovery Center at 706-654-3606.