A puzzle of bedtime stories

Growing up, puzzles were one of our favorite things to do. There were some mornings where my brother and I would take out every puzzle in our closet and attempt to tile the floor with them. We gradually progressed to larger and harder puzzles that sat out on the dining room table for the whole family to work on. The thing is, we all wanted to be the one to finish the puzzle. To snap that last piece into place and step back and look at the finished product. With three siblings, that means that we all wanted to be the last one to do the puzzle. So what do you think we did? Yup. You guessed it. We would all sneak away with pieces early on in the puzzle assembly each hoping that the others wouldn't notice. The trick was to take a non-obvious piece. You can't hide a corner piece or the really bright pink piece in the middle. You needed to take something more subtle that wouldn't be noticed until the end. And then it became a battle of wills. Who would be the last to give in and turn over the last piece?

Recently, my mom gave the girls a really cool puzzle. It's a collage of classic children's bedtime stories. The first free day we had, we dumped the puzzle out on the coffee table and began to work on it. As we started turning the pieces over and collecting the edge pieces, Madeleine kept leaving the room with a look of mischief on her face. I'm no amateur when it comes to doing puzzles in a Bokor household. So a little later at bath time, I asked her a question about the puzzle and again the mischievous look flickered across her face.

What puzzle pieces?

I glance at the jeans she had tossed on the floor and there are puzzle pieces pouring out of the back pockets. Sheepishly, she helped return those to the puzzle table. And then the next evening as we were finishing the puzzle, snapping the last pieces in place, she looked at us again with that 'I'm doing something and trying to hide it' look. As soon as there was one blank spot, she miraculously came up with the last piece and announced triumphantly 'I finished the puzzle'. The excited look on her face was too cute to scold, so we let her have her moment. Who knew that 'be-the-one-to-finish-the-puzzle' was a character trait that could be passed on.

Puzzles are great for rainy days, but right now, we're putting the puzzles away and enjoying the gorgeous spring weather outside. From trees to flowers, tropicals to veggies, it's the time to plant everything, including container gardens. If you've always wanted to add some gorgeous pottery to your landscape, then don't miss the Container Gardening Seminar, this Saturday at 10am. I'll show you how to create gorgeous combinations of flowers arranged in eye-catching pottery.

Oh, and one last thing. If you are a regular e-news reader, you'll notice a new section below called The Weekly Special. Every week, we'll highlight something that is giving us joy in our gardens and give you another great reason to get outside and have some fun in the garden.

The Weekly Special
Supertunias
2 for $10
6" Pot, Regular Price - $6.99
Offer valid through 3/21/19

Supertunias are cold-hardy, heat-tolerant and easy to grow. They come in lots of colors, but our favorite is the Bubblegum Supertunia with its show-stopping pink. This week only, 2 for $10.

Gorgeous color with container gardens.

Garden Tip
Designing Container Gardens

Container gardens are easy to plant and you can be as creative or as simple you want. The best rule of thumb to follow is: Thriller, Filler and Spiller. Pick a thriller for the pot, something that grows tall, stands out and will be the focal point of the arrangement. Then choose some fillers - mid-sized plants that will anchor the pot, creating nice texture or color in the middle section. Finally choose a spiller. A plant that cascades out of the pot and adds an extra dimension. No matter how large or small your pot, with a Thriller, Filler and Spiller, you can't go wrong.

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Sunday,  11am - 4pm