Here’s the Dirt

By Tonia

I love to garden. I sometimes garden in the dark by flashlight. Hell, I’ve even been known to pull weeds and deadhead marigolds at the fast food drive-through. Gotta’ love an activity where you don't have to shower or comb your hair to show up. I only have to slap on the SPF 1,200 sunscreen so my age spots don’t look like age stamps.

I grow lots of hostas because I have mostly shade (which is great for my outdoor parties). There are a bazillion different kinds. I like the ones that remind me of…uh…other pleasures – the Big Kahuna, Little Stiffy, Get Nekkid, Nooner, Striptease, Feather Boa and Risky Business.

But I do have some gardening handicaps – mainly 2 Siberian Huskies. When I plant, I see them watching with evil anticipation. “Can I pee on this? Chew on it? Dig it up?” Damn canines. I did learn a little gardening trick, though, to keep them off – put their feces on the area. They won’t go near it. After years earning a PhD, I’m now a dog shit hunter and mover.

But what does all this have to do with women’s parties? Well, a great way to indulge in two pleasures (not the one alluded to with the hostas) is to get together with your gardening girlfriends and swap clippings and/or seeds from your garden. Girlfriend fun AND stuff for the garden!

A cute refreshment/table decoration to serve is Potted Carrots.

Ingredients:

Hummus

Baby carrots

Curly parsley

Supplies:

3 oz cups

Mini terra cotta pots

Directions:

Spoon 3 tablespoons of hummus into each paper cup

Poke a hole in the top of each carrot and place a sprig of parsley into each hole

Then “plant” 3-4 carrots in the hummus.

Put the cups in the mini terra-cotta pots and enjoy!