The old clock from my great-great-great-grandfather's farmhouse.

Time is a funny thing isn't it. One moment it seems like a day will never get here, and then suddenly you are speeding past it, wondering where it went. You look back at old memories and think, that was a few years ago right? Nope. It was a decade or two. We mark time with birthdays, anniversaries and holidays, and we keep time with calendars, smart phones and clocks. But what happens when your clock starts acting up on you . . . I have this old clock from the late 1800s that my grandfather rescued from his great-grandfather's farmhouse outside of Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania. He removed at least 3 coats of various paint colors and had a clockmaker get it back in working order. Each week he would precisely wind two different springs to make sure that it always kept the right time. It sat on the fireplace mantle in the living room and when I was a child, I was a little scared of it. When I spent the night at my grandparents, they would make sure it was 'set to silent'.

I have the clock now, but I haven't kept up with winding it the way my grandfather did. And I'm not sure my girls would sleep with its hourly dings and dongs. But sometimes, and we aren't sure why, a spring inside will release a little energy and it will chime, for no reason at all. It must get bumped or jostled by someone to cause it to wind up a little. Or maybe not. Sometimes I think it's like the story of the cardinal - you know when you see a cardinal it is the spirit of a lost loved one. When I hear that clock sound, I figure my grandfather is keeping an eye on me.

We were cleaning just the other day, and I actually gave the clock a little wind and it tick-tocked and ding-donged right on time, just like it always used to. Although I was scared of the sound as a child, now when I hear it, it brings back great memories of time spent with my grandfather. Planting a veggie garden, fishing the Rainbow River and yes sleep-overs when they had to turn the clock off. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed since those memories were made. Harder to believe that the things we are doing today will soon be faint memories in the past. But you know what, we're all given the same amount of time in the day. The question is what will you do with the time you are given? I hope that you make it amazing and make it memorable. That way decades down the road, you have some great things to look back and remember.

Garden Tip
Think Vertical
 
When you run out of space in a garden, you have to start thinking vertical. Vines are a wonderful way to add flowers to unused vertical space, to block out pesky neighbors or to provide a softer barrier to your yard than a fence does. So find a trellis, some lattice, or just let a vine run wild on your fence. Wherever you grow them, they will fill your yard with beautiful flowers and even bring butterflies to call. So check out some of the cool vines that grow well in our area. It is always a 'vine' time to get out in your garden and have some fun.

Florida Flame Vine - In late winter, we always get a question about the big trees that are blooming orange around town. Our response is that it isn't a tree, it's the florida flame vine (to which we often get incredulous looks). It may be hard to believe, but that winter-time orange is really a vine that has grown up the trees. The flame vine is fast-growing and will fill a fence or arbor quickly. The late winter blooms will really light up your garden.



Coral Honeysuckle - Native, colorful and one of the best butterfly and hummingbrid attractors. A must-have in a butterfly garden.

Garlic Vine - A cool vine that gives off the faint aroma of an Italian kitchen, (it is stronger if you crush the leaves). The gorgeous sprays of purple flowers appear a few times a year.





Passion Flower - Another fast grower with gorgeous flowers in purple, red or burgundy. This vine has a bonus - butterflies. Planted in the sun the gulf fritillary will lay eggs on it, and planted in shade, the zebra longwings lay their eggs on it. Beautiful flowers and beautiful butterflies.



Confederate Jasmine - This fragrant vine ushers in summertime with its sweet smell. Hardy and evergreen, it is one of the easiest vines for covering a fence or for great fragrance over a pergola.

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