Host J Schwanke explores two of his favorite topics: Pets & Flowers! Flora and fauna are inextricably linked; and both provide stress and anxiety relief. J visits with his pet communicator. Pets are the inspiration for an arrangement, a recipe, a craft, and a cocktail.

This episode of Life in Bloom is going to the Dogs- (and Cats) as I share some of my favorite Flower projects for Pets- and more on Life in Bloom!

A Visit with Ms Margo- the Bone reader – with Eleanor and LadyBird.

My friend Ms. Margo- ( www.theBonereader.com ) stops by to share her gift for pet communication with us- and she provides a reading for both my dogs- Eleanor and LadyBird. Ms. Margo is known- as a “See-er”- with her tribe- and her gift is amazing. I met Ms Margo- at a Women’s Expo- where she was offering readings- and one of the readings she was offering was a pet reading… of course I opted for that… and long story- short- she was right on the money – she was able to tell us intimate things about our dogs- with no previous knowledge- and her advice helped us change their behavior – and gifted us with much much better dogs… she carries on that tradition for us today- as a communicator for our dogs- and also shares her gift with Kelly and I for spiritual guidance and advice.

Ms. Margo- the Bone Reader- stops by to communicate with Eleanor and LadyBird- with her Native American Bone Reading Talents…

In this show- she communicates with Eleanor and LadyBird- our Two Cocker Spaniels… Ellie is not 12 and LadyBird is 6- and they are the best dogs- you’ll see them participate in projects in this show as well…

Learn more about Ms. Margo- in my Blog about her- in this LINK!

We’ve added some behind the scenes with Ms. Margo- as she reads one of our crew members- through a flower arrangement- they collected… it’s amazing! You can access that “Behind the Bloom” with Miss Margot- Flower Reading Video at this link!

Create your own Flower Puppy (or Kitty) with these easy steps – it’s a fun project for Kids!

Flower Craft- Puppies (or Kitties) made out of Flowers!

Creating a Novelty arrangement- that looks like a Puppy (or a Kitty) is easy to do- with Carnations or Mums- and the process is fairly simple- and it’s a fun project to do with kids! I used to make the Poodle Mums in our Family Flower Shop- many years ago- and I tell the stories behind those fun Novelty arrangements- we created- We’ll be showing more about Novelty Arrangements in Season 3 of Life in Bloom- so stay tuned!

You likely have all the ingredients in your pantry for these home made healthy dog treats… that are easy to make!

Home Made Peanut Butter Dog Treats- Recipe in Bloom- Flower This Link!

This is a fun recipe- and you most likely have all the ingredients in your pantry right now… it’s a fun project for kids- and think of how much fun you will have teaching them about baking- and making something they can give the dog as a healthy treat!

This delicious Cocktail is even better with Rose and Grapefruit Infused Vodka- Yummmy!

Yappy Hour Greyhound Cocktail -#Flower Cocktail Hour Recipe- Follow this Link!

This is a classic cocktail – with a twist- serving it in a mug- over ice… it’s a refreshing drink for a hot summer day… and I love my juicer- It’s fun to make your own fruit juice- for cocktails, breakfast or a snack…

My Niece Grace stops by to share her tips for Catnip – to treat and train- and we get to meet my Great Niece FLOSSY!

Catnip Container with Grace Boersma and Flossy (Visit Flossy’s Instagram here!)

My Niece Grace is back for another episode about pets. I don’t have a cat- but Grace does and Flossy is my great niece- she’s a wonderful kitty and she’s very special. Hey- she even has her own Instagram Account. Grace is a high school Chemistry Teacher- and her students- are BIG Flossy Fans- so they are going to be super excited to see Flossy on Life in Bloom.

Meet my Great Niece- Flossy- she’s the star of this segment about Cats… Follow her on Instagram!

We talk about Botanicals for your Cat- that include Cat Nip- and Grace shares how she uses Cat Nip as a treat, and training tool for Flossy! I also learned that you can make cat nip into a tea for humans- and that it is best known for use in fever therapy – as it makes us sweat. We also discuss Wheat grass- and Grace shares lots of fun photos of the Floss-meister!

Ellie joins me – as I create a Clematis Garland- using on Flower Stems- and Ribbon- for an ultra safe- and beautiful Flower Garland for your pet to wear!

Clematis Garlands for Dogs- with Eleanor

This is a segment we created a few years back- as you’ll notice- Eleanore (Yes it’s the same Dog- from the segment with Ms. Margo) look has evolved over the years. Kel and I joked that when we first brought Ellie home- she had dark markings around her mouth- and we used to call her “COAL MOUTH” because it looked like she had been digging around in  a coal bin… today her muzzle is a bit lighter with a little more grey- and her ears and eyelashes are a bit more closely clipped…

I used to reference Veronica Lake when I spoke about Ellie- because she reminded me of the famous movie star with her long eyelashes- and long flowing wavy fur on her ears! In this segment we create a Clematis Garland- that is made just with botanical stems and ribbon- so it’s super pet friendly- and Ellie loves modeling it for the camera. The Clematis are super durable- even though they look delicate.

I’ve now planted several different varieties of clematis in the garden and I love them for an unexpected cut flower addition to arrangements or flowers to wear- like this… Enjoy!

Pussy Willows are the featured flower (of Course) and here’s a close up of the Catkins- that resemble small fussy kittens…

Featured Flower- Pussy Willow

The Featured Flower is Pussy Willow- the perfect “Flower” for this Pet Episode- my other choice was Dogwood… of course… So the Pussy Willow we have are from all over the globe- the ones with the Black Catkins are from France- and others are right out of the backyard here in Michigan- I finally have a super spot for them… and the catkins this year were Super BIG and PLUMP- and as stated- the Pussy willow are great for preventing erosion- and they are doing a bang up job!  Learn more about Pussy Willows in our Featured Flower Segment!

LadyBird shares her paw prints as part of the flower craft- for this episode!

Flower Craft- Flower Footprints with Lady Bird!

Finally- our rescue- Ladybird joins me for a Fun Flower Craft- where we make a flower painting together- using Design Master Just for Flowers- to tint- the wooden palette – I use for the painting… and LadyBird supplies her paw prints as the center of flowers! This is a great way to involve your pet in your crafts- and using non-toxic paints is important- because Dogs and Cats- love to “work” on their paws-and we want to keep them safe at all times.

LadyBird- loves to give you her paw- and she will sit for hours on the couch- in my lap- and let me rub her paws… we asked Ms. Margo about it- and she says it’s comforting- and LadyBird just needs us to “hold her hand” and keep her safe… that’s what I love so much about LadyBird- she’s so grateful – and loving and kind… and she’s been an amazing addition to our family… She’s One in a Million- and she came to us with the name “LadyBird”… I think it was meant to be- because “LadyBird Johnson” left us the legacy of Wildflowers throughout the state of Texas- and of course our “LadyBird” is part of our FLOWER Family now… it’s PERFECT!

Go BEHIND the BLOOM- with Ladybird- and her painting project- HERE in this Exclusive Video!

This paw print flower craft is a fun way to get your pet involved- and safe for them- when you use Non-Toxic Paints… WOW!

Enjoy this episode- dedicated to our furry friends- and flowers… it’s the perfect combination!