You’ll notice that I’ve added a Freebies page, with lots of garden-related printables; an Events page, with a list of my upcoming talks and appearances; and a Sugar Snaps and Strawberries page, with more information about my book.

In other news…I was recently featured in Sunset magazine! Check out the online version of the article, in which I dish on my favourite garden accessories and tools.

After several weeks of being hunched over my computer, it’s time for sand between toes, popsicle-sticky fingers, and yes, running through the sprinkler. Heavy Petal is taking a mini summer vacation this year, but I’ll be reposting some of my favourite posts from the past. Regular posting will resume August 9. Happy Summer, everyone!

Hello. Sorry I’ve been neglecting you. I know. It’s been a month. A month!

What can I say? On top of the usual spring gardening frenzy, I’ve also gone back to work after a year’s maternity leave (yes, one full year. I’m Canadian, thank goodness.). And that’s only for starters. There’s been a lot going on around here. Things are happening, friends. BIG things.

I’ve never been very good at keeping secrets, but I’m going to have to bite my tongue for now. Will share as soon as I can! In the meantime, look for frequent posts. I’ve got a lot stored up.

Let’s start the week off with a giveaway, shall we? I have one copy of Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love, by Julie Moir Messervy to give to a lucky reader.

In Home Outside, award-winning landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy demystifies the art and practice of landscape design. By introducing an easy, tangible yet intuitive process, she helps professionals and homeowners turn their property into a place of enjoyment – their own “home outside.”

“Ultimately, my goal with this book is to get people back outside onto their land by helping them realize the pleasure that’s involved in being out of doors,” explains Messervy. “I want to revive the home landscape as a place of importance in people’s lives. By teaching people what I know about landscape design, I’m hoping that they will learn how to create the spaces they love and go outdoors to enjoy them.”

This is a big, beautiful book that will be equally at home on the coffee table or next to the bed. Packed with inspiration, this is a user-friendly guide to creating a unique and personal landscape. Clear and concise writing, together with beautiful photographs, before and after images, diagrams, green tips and case studies, all illustrate that good landscape design is approachable, affordable and attainable.

You want? Just leave a comment on this post telling me why you need this book. A winner will be chosen randomly. Contest closes March 31, 2009, PST.

If you’re still wondering what it’s all about, here’s what convinced me:

1) Microblogging: it’s a great way to share thoughts, links, photos and ideas that don’t quite merit a whole blog post. I have about 59 million of those.

2) A better way to keep up with blogs: if you “follow” your favourite bloggers and they “tweet” (frankly, I don’t get the lingo yet, either) when they post something new, it’s easy to keep up with their blogs. I subscribe to hundreds of blogs through Bloglines and it’s so easy to get behind in my reading. Works the other way, too: self-promotion!

3) Community: it’s another way to interact with Heavy Petal readers and other bloggers.

4) Coolness: If I wasn’t on Twitter, I wouldn’t have seen this gem from Vancouver’s mayor: “relished digging up some city hall lawn to transform it into a symbolic community garden.”

You up for it? Follow me.

Sunset magazine is showing Heavy Petal some love yet again. Woot!

Heavy Petal appears in their March 2009 issue alongside some totally rad blogs – Housemartin, Beyond the Lawn, Garden Bliss, Victory Home Garden, and Orangette to name but a few.

Sunset, I love you!

Yay! My outdoor furniture makeover is on Design*Sponge today. Welcome all.

If you like before-and-afters, you’ll also want to check out our back patio makeover.

If you’re visiting Heavy Petal for the first time, you might be interested in the indoor and garden design archives.

And finally, just for something completely different, why not learn about guerrilla gardening or growing your own food?

Thanks for visiting and come back soon!

Here’s a link to the Design*Sponge post.

Here’s a recap: tell me what you want for yourself. Tell Delight.com what you want for a friend. Win both. See my original post for details.