valentine flower - December is a busy month for popping the question

NEW YORK — The heck with lovey-dovey Valentine's Day. Turns out December, with its holiday cheer, romantic winter backdrops and family gatherings, is among the busiest months for popping the question.

"It's a pretty time of year," said Jake Nyberg, 31, a video producer in Minneapolis. He chose Christmastime to drop to one knee in a gorilla suit while teetering on ice skates in front of his beloved. "You know you're going to be around a lot of family. You're going to be seeing all the people you'd like to see after something like this happens."

Sarah Pease, a professional proposal planner in New York, usually gets one or two inquiries a week from nervous grooms-to-be, but once Thanksgiving rolls around, it's more like one or two a day, with most guys looking to propose in December.

While she specializes in elaborate surprise proposals, she says the simple engagement-ring-under-the-tree trick is still popular. "That's a great way to have it as a family affair," she said. "It's dreamy. This is definitely THE busiest time of the year."

Laurent Landau in New York, a partner in the jewelry site DiamondIdeals.com, also sees the December bump: "October, November and early December, we probably see a 50 to 60 percent increase in the number of people buying rings with the purpose of proposing during the holiday season."

And it's not just regular folks; celebs confirm the trend too. Matthew McConaughey announced in a tweet that he proposed to his girlfriend, Brazilian model Camila Alves, on Christmas Day this year. And two days after Christmas, a spokesman for John Legend revealed that the singer recently proposed to his girlfriend, model Chrissy Teigen, in the Maldives.

Christmas is considered one of four big proposal days, along with valentine flowers, Thanksgiving and New Year's. Thirty-nine percent of proposals occurred between November and February among 20,000 newlyweds surveyed by the popular wedding website TheKnot.com. Of those, 16 percent got engaged in December, more than any other month, according to TheKnot editor Anja Winikka.

Winikka's on board. Her fiance, Benjamin Bullington, proposed Dec. 20 by matching a fantasy she'd had "as a child that on my very first date ever I would wear a red dress and we would go to Red Lobster in a red car." Bullington sent a red dress and shoes to her office, then whisked her off in a red car to dine on red lobster.

With help from Pease, the wedding planner, Matthew Fowkes surprised his honey with an impressive yellow diamond on a romantic Christmas week getaway to New York.

"We thought it would be a magical time in the city with all the lights and everything — and it was," said Fowkes, 35, a website founder in Pittsburgh.

Fowkes took Melissa Barnickel, 25, to a French bistro in Brooklyn on Dec. 2 where they were the only guests. The evening included singers belting "Marry Me" by Train, a videographer and photographer recording it all, a tiered proposal cake and a bottle of wine identical to one the pair drank during their first trip together, to Canada.valentine flowers

Fowkes had the wine placed in a box made of Canadian wood, carved with their names. They'll fill it with remembrances at their Sept. 29 wedding and seal it as a time capsule to be opened on their 10th wedding anniversary. And they might just duplicate the proposal cake for their nuptials.

"I was completely surprised," said Barnickel, an analyst for an insurance company. "It was such a fairy tale. Everything was just so thought through."

Brad Carlson, 41, a production executive for Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, went for the fake-out.

He and Allison Koeppe, 34, had been talking marriage for a while. She thought it might be nice to get engaged the weekend of Dec. 16, when he had business in New York, but he held her off, suggesting they wait until they could figure out a plan.

"She was, like, a plan. What do we need a plan for," Carlson recalled. What she didn't know was he had hired Pease months before to make every moment meaningful when he proposed that Saturday.

They stayed at a fancy downtown hotel and strolled through Washington Square Park on their way to dinner at Babbo. Along the way they encountered a painter in the park whose easel bore a replica of a favorite photo Koeppe had taken on a trip to Italy. As she realized what was about to happen, a guitarist materialized and played "Reminiscing" by Little River Band: "How to tell you girl/ I wanna build my world around you/ Tell you that it's true/ I wanna make you understand/ I'm talkin' about a lifetime plan ..."

Carlson let Koeppe's closest friends in on the secret and presented her with a video featuring their congratulations back at the hotel. That gesture moved her to tears.

"It was beyond anything I could have imagined," said Koeppe, who's originally from Hopewell Valley, N.J. "New York in December is one of the more romantic places you could be."

Nyberg also went stealth. His fiancee is a freelance photographer and he concocted a fake client who was going to propose in gorilla gear at an outdoor skating rink in downtown St. Paul, Minn.

Nyberg showed up himself Dec. 16 with several friends, all dressed as gorillas who took to the ice.

"There's a nearby park and the trees were all lit up with Christmas lights. The rink is framed by all of these historic buildings. It was perfect," he said. "And I'm not a good skater. I managed to drop to one knee in skates on ice in a gorilla suit. It's sort of a minor miracle."

valentine flowers - Start the new year by taking art lessons in Hobart

Hobart Arts League is offering art lessons in oil and mixed media at its hall, 3850 Howard St., Hobart. Classes are available Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
The hall is also available for social functions. Call Kay Lyons at (219) 945-5248 for times and cost.
valentine flowers
Hobart American Legion Auxiliary members are planning to send Valentine's Day packages to U.S. armed forces serving overseas. They will box and prepare packages for shipping Jan. 28 and could use new DVDs and videos, new magazines, paperback books, socks, all types of snacks, gum and lip balm.
Send the names and addresses of your loved one serving in the armed forces to the Hobart American Legion Auxiliary Americanism Chairman or President at 208 S. Linda St., Hobart IN 46342, or call (219) 947-2054 or (219) 942-4062 for more information.
Toys for tots bring joy
Howlin Mad Marine Corps League, under the leadership of coordinator Bruce Wilkinson,  Rich Hamady and Pat Buda, completed the final distribution of Toys for Tots to more than 600 children this week in Hobart and Lowell.
Even in these difficult times, friends and neighbors, businesses, organizations and clubs were very generous with donations and toys for children, some of whom received no other gifts at Christmas.
The joy that a new toy can bring to a less fortunate child at Christmas time is immeasurable. There were 18 bikes donated which were won by children in a drawing of names submitted. Each toy brings joy to a child and reminds parents that someone cares and brings hope for the future.
Honoring the fallen
Howlin Mad Marine Corps League and other military groups will gather at 5 p.m. Friday at the Doughboy Monument, 7th and Main St., Hobart, to read the names of all U.S. military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice this month. A bell is rung as each fallen hero's name is read.
Church anniversary
Augustana Lutheran Church is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2012. They are the oldest congregation in Hobart, and built the first church.
Jan. 29 will be celebrated as Founding Sunday with  the history of the church commemorated after the 11 a.m. service and a visit from the Swedish counsel. And ethnic potluck meal made by members, displays and honors for families that have been members for five generations or more will be included.
The church is looking for photos and stories for the archives and a historical book. Send photos to the church at 207 N. Kelly St., Hobart, IN 46342.
Happy new year
I hope all readers had a valentine flowers with family and loved ones. May you all have a safe and happy celebration on New Year‘s Eve.

valentine flowers - 2012 Wild Flowers to Bloom

It's a great time to get ready for Spring in your garden.

The spring season for nursery owners started last fall and ends in a flurry of activity as the New Year approaches. Preparing for spring is easy for once the right plan and the last of the crop decisions have been made.

Computers help in preparation, but getting out and talking to customers to get a feel for the local economy is much more helpful. That’s what I’ve done and that’s why I'm planning on crop increases of 7-8% through spring of 2012. This may seem optimistic, but the crops have been committed!

Flowers plugs have arrived and are in the greenhouse as this goes to press. Trees and shrubs have been pruned back one last time for the spring flush of growth. Many of the new tomato cages, watering cans, and stylish new garden gloves for 2012 arrived this week. I'm still working on two new organic fertilizer registrations for the state of Arizona and five new bug killers to be introduced next spring, so I'm ready to dig into the New Year (pardon the pun). I really am looking forward to the garden season to come. Spring 2012 should be very good.

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This rain and snow is every gardener’s dream! If we receive a few more good storms like we’ve had this week, wildflowers should be over-the-top this spring. I usually wait until the first rains in January to write about wildflowers, but weather has been absolutely perfect for spreading these wilder versions.

'Beauty Beyond Belief' is the seed of choice for wildflower purists. It is the best collection of truly wild seeds collected throughout the Rocky Mountains for use at high elevations. This family business is so helpful to local garden centers that, by working together, we were able to develop an 'Arizona Mix' of wildflowers. This mix is my personal favorite, but I have dozens of other good local wildflower mixes as well.

You have plenty of time to plant wildflowers, but try to finish by Valentine’s Day. There are four simple steps that really make a difference between wildflower success and failure. Here are the specific planting techniques that I count on to guarantee breath-taking crops of wildflowers:

Step 1: Select and prepare the planting area. valentine flowers, except those that are shade loving, need a considerable amount of sunshine so choose an area that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily.

Planting in weed-free soil assures optimal results so pull out any growth you don’t want mixed in with your wildflowers. Then rake the seedbed to loosen the top 1"- 2" inches of soil. I find that better growth occurs when a natural plant food is raked into the seedbed when loosening the topsoil. My 'All Purpose Plant Food' is well suited for this use. It releases slowly throughout the spring and is exactly what’s needed during the germination period because slow feeding creates healthier roots and better valentine flowers.

Step 2: Create your own hydro mulch. Some of the seeds in a mix are so small you can barely tell if you’ve spread the seeds evenly across the soil. Buy a bag of composted mulch, pour it into a wheelbarrow, and mix in the seed. Spread this seed-mulch blend over the prepared seedbed. This simple trick helps you see where the seed is placed, ensures good seed to soil contact, insulates the seed, and camouflages it from hungry birds.

Step 3: Keep the seedbed moist. If sufficient moisture is present, seeds will start to germinate by the end of February through April, as soon as soil temperatures warm. Regardless of planting location, your wildflowers will require supplemental water if it doesn't rain enough to keep the seedbed moist. A layer of snow over your seedbed is perfect for wildflowers. It maximizes germination every time without extra watering.

Step 4: Re-seed. In the fall, after the blooms are off and the seed heads are ready to drop, you can help spread your wildflowers for the following spring. Just trim back the drying plants with a weed whacker. Besides pruning back the flowerbed, this will send a mixture of seeds flying throughout the garden for next season’s growth.

I've been collecting a list of the best flower mixes and thier plant techniques for years. Ask for my ‘Planting Wildflowers 4 Life’ handout the next time you visit me at the garden center. Best of all, it's free to the readers of my column.

I'll see if my Watters Facebook page will upload this list, but they can be difficult to use with plant lists like this. Take a look at www.facebook.com/watters1815 . Hit the 'Like' button at the top and your page will receive a copy automaticly when it post. I shot a quick video on how to prune Russian Sage that will post this week to fans as well. Join the garden conversation and share it with freinds.

Have the merriest of Christmas everyone and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Until next week, I'll see you at the Garden Center.