First Flowers

The hydrangeas that we planted in the front yard bloomed. And they are dandy indeed.


Look at that big beautiful head of blooms! And with such skinny little stems and an exotic flare, they are like the Eva Longoria of the flower world. I couldn't wait to prune the ones that reached their peak to put in my kitchen.

Pruning apparently helps the soon-to-be-blooms flourish so hopefully there will be many more little Eva's for my kitchen later. (Please Lord, make my garden grow...I know it sounds petty. Well, compared to natural disasters, plane crashes, PMS prayers and the occasional 'please help me not kill my husband' shoutout, yeah, some people might think it is unimportant. But my brown thumb really takes a toll on my self esteem and does a real number on the hope that one day I could possibly grow a human. Love you, thanks.)


So what I am really here to share with you is a quick tip on hydrangea cutting. You can prolong the life of your blooms by doing one simple step. Once you cut your hydrangeas to the desired length, dunk the end of the stems into boiling water for 30 seconds. This dunkage prevents the build up of a sticky substance that will clog the little sucker from, well, sucking. And after your flower take the boiled baptism, the blooms can be placed in your vase with room temperature water...just like normal!


So get ready to say goodbye to wilted hydrangeas, and HELLO to beautiful blooms for many days to follow. Happy pruning!

Ladder Plant Stand

Recently I saw this photo in my May 09 issue of This Old House:


And it struck me like teen Disney stars hit medians..."there is an old ladder in the basement." After I did my little heel click, I ran to go get her. She was all raggedy and worn in her old age - just like I hope to be one day.


Then came the issue of the pots. I had a bunch leftover from a church event that I decorated - the theme was 'Names of God'. We stamped "BREAD OF LIFE", "CREATOR" etc. At first I wanted to do "STUD MUFFIN" and "ULTIMATE HOMEBOY" but we couldn't actually find where it said that in the Bible. It's gotta be in there somewhere. Note to self - read Bible more. The leftover painted pots meant the only cost was the plants and some exterior paint. SCORE.


So with the ever helpful instructions that Sherry posted (I know what you're gonna say - Katie, shutup about TYH already. I really should but I just can't. They are still in third folks. Please go vote for them - future fab home improvements are on the line here peeps! Dontcha realize your vote is investing in the future!) about painting pots, I got to it. I chose a pale green, pale pink and pale yellow. Yes, it is like a baby shower exploded.

And now for my grand reveal of my ladder plant stand (hold your breath, it'll be more dramatic that way!) -


I really like it even with it's 'too-sweet-for-bunnies' feel. And the thing is...our deck is pretty crappy. So it definitely draws the eye away from the ugly structure and to the plants with it's easter-just-became-every-day color palette.


And because I could help but take some close ups - everybody loves a macro :)


So there you have it...one free plant stand. So how bouts it? What do you use as a plant supporter...have any unique potting methods? I saw this one using old cans & knew that you would love it. (Hi Kim!!!) And if you wanna holla out your cool-as-the-tundra plant stand ideas or potting ideas, please don't be shy!

Making a Garden Bed - Part 3

Geesh...I am tired of talking about this project. So I can only imagine that you all are tired of hearing about it. Sorry. Let's wrap this sucker up faster than a Taco Bell chalupa.

We prepped the garden...whoopdeedoo.


Then we bought the plants and dug the hole to put em in.

Not rocket science...just dig a space two times the size of the plant. Make sure you loosen the root ball and if there are any roots encircling the bottom, cut them or pull them loose. This will help your new plants to get established. Also, check the plant info to see if they are supposed to be planted flush with the ground or slightly above it. Plant, fill, press, water. It's easier than convincing a Biggest Loser contestant to eat layered cheese fries.


After your plants are in the ground, it would help to add landscaping fabric (to prevent hours of weeding that would take you away from your addiction to Twitter - don't deny it) and mulch. We still haven't decided what kind of mulch to use...I'll let you know when we do.


We chose the following for our yard - knockout roses, hydrangeas, phlox, hostas, azaleas, gardenias, howardi ligustrum, and delphinium. All whites, pinks, purples, and blues. We also wanted to plant some crepe myrtles but our landscaping friend told us to wait. So there you have it. Plants. Planted plants.


OOOhh and in the front bed of shrubs we also have a place to plant more flowers...see that big bare spot...yea...future flower bed right there. I thought about doing a bed of roses just to see if Christian Slater would appear...I'll let you know.

And because I am a dreamer...check out how I hope this area looks next week. A girl can wish, right?!?!

Making a Garden Bed - Part 2

In part 1 of this outdoor project we tackled the painful task of clearing and turning the old flower bed. That step was definitely the hardest...so if you get through it, just remember it is all downhill from there. This was how we left the garden...


Because we decided to keep the sidewalk and the front steps, the next biggest concern was how to get the house to look balanced even though we live on a sloping hill. Like a wonderbra, we needed to fake it but make it look legit. We also needed to make sure that the ground would be graded to allow for proper waterflow.


Taking into account the fact that water is our house's numero uno enemy, we made sure that any aqua would flow far away from the house. Water can not only cause damage to the plants and cause pesky mosquitos but can actually grow mold inside your walls, ruin basements, create foundation problems, not to mention create thousands of dollars worth of damage to your exterior. If you have a problem with standing water or rain accumulating next to your home, I would recommend looking into a solution such as installing a french drain, regrading your yard, upgrading or reworking your gutters or talking to a professional about ways to improve your drainage system.

As you can see in the photo above, we reallocated some soil to ensure that the flow of any rainwater would be ushered away from the house.


In terms of leveling the ground, we had a great reference point of what is level....the bricks on the side of our house. We just chose a brick and made sure the soil was even across that line. But maybe you don't have a brick line like us...there are ways to make sure you still get an flat yard.



Use two sticks, some string and a level to create your own reference point. If you aren't bringing in any fill dirt or topsoil, set the string lower to the actual level of the current ground and rake or shovel till even.


Next we laid out our plants in their general zones. This was to help us identify different sections...we like to work in little sections at a time...sometimes the smaller parts are easier to conquer than the whole thing. And it doesn't mean that you aren't producing quality goods. Just ask Julia Dreyfus...dude, she has awards out the wazoo and what has she done except Seinfeld?


Anyhoo. After we decided what section to do first, we poured out some yummy garden soil. Yes, we bought ours. No, we don't have a compost pile. Yes, you have the freedom to judge us right now.


After it was raked evenly along the area, it is time to turn the bed. We grabbed a few shovels and got to mixing. Basically you can till the soil yourself by thoroughly mixing the amended soil with the surrounding area of dirt. Just mix, mix, mix.


After we mixed our old and new, we leveled out the soil once more. We also walked all over it to make sure it was compacted enough so that the next rain wouldn't wash our hardwork away.

Oh and one more tip for ya...see that blue bucket in the photo above? Yeah. That is the handy dandy do-it-all bucket. You'll find that a pail can be quite helpful in any project...this time, this little baby was my weed/rock/stick/root holder. I kept it next to me pretty much at all times. Like a sweater, this bucket had my back :)

So there you have it...more gardening...did you guys take advantage of the weekend by spending it outside? Have you started your flower-plans? Do tell...and like my blue bucket of fun, share any tips you have for beginners....heaven knows I need all the help I can get!

Making a Garden Bed - Part 1

Ya'll remember how I was uber-excited about starting a little landscaping project this spring? Well, you are about to find out why. That's right...you are gonna see the ridiculous exterior landscaping of our house.



Before our house was majorly lacking. Our lawn and our shrubs were like Lindsey Lohan...a little bit pathetic, a little wild, and although fully developed, they didn't reach their full potential (sorry you LezLo fans!). So we got to work quicker than you can say "Samantha Ronson".


Armed with our trusty garden plan, we went to work marking the area of where the bed will border the future sod. (You can do this with a garden hose and a bit of flour!) We decided to work on only one area at a time so that we can maintain focus. So for the time being, the right side of the steps is it. With a hoe, shovels, rake, and some trusty gloves, we removed all the bushes, roots, and rocks from the space.


During this phase, all you can do is pick out the unwanted stuff in the top 8 inches of your soil. Basically dig, hoe, pick out nasties, repeat. It's not fun but it's free. If you got cash to burn, a tiller can be rented for around $50 a day. But make sure you remove all your bushes first...so digging is still required.

Although we tried our darnedest to transplant our little shrubs, only the boxwoods would release their kungfoo grip on the earth beneath. The azalea 'bushes' actually turned out to be trees that were cut down by previous owners! The low-growing branches were so fully and bushy that we assumed that these 'shrubs' would be easy to transplant as well. We were more wrong than George Hamilton's perma-tan. You can see the hole after we chopped the suckers down and pulled the main root out.


After the first day our bed looked like this. This is my favorite side - yummy! And this is after only 1 day! The other side looked half-baked.


And these are some of the rocks we pulled out. The small ones are the size of grapefruits. So you can imagine that those biggies are ridiculous.


In part 2 of Making a Garden Bed, I'll show ya how we mixed our new root/rock/shrub free soil with some compost-fortified stuff. And how we hand-tilled the area and created a more even and balanced looking bed.


And part 3 is going over shrub placement and planting as well as ways to help the new little botanical babies get established. That is the fun part so stay tuned :)

Peace (out) Lily

Yo, I have a lily! And it is a Peace lily. And it makes you peaceful. No, seriously. NASA did a study on houseplants and this sucker was among the top ten in removing indoor chemicals and keeping the air greener. Tell me that doesn't give you peace of mind, go ahead, I dare ya!


We got a honker of a plant at IKEA (of course) for $20. I don't know if this is a good price for one this large but it was the "Plant of the Week" so I bought it. It was calling my name!


I decided that the little area behind this chair in the den needed a little sprucing...err, a little lily-ing. And since we didn't have any foliage going on in this space, it was only a matter of time till it would feel sterile and cold.


Can you see her? She is peaking out from behind the chair. I love her. Although she is pretty, peace lilies aren't for everyone. Apparently they are toxic. And toxic is not a good thing - you can't believe everything you hear on a Britney Spears' single, you know? The peace lily leaves are NOT chew toys for animals and humans...so Moms - it is not ok to tell your kids to suck on the plant to shut them up...unless you are evil...in which case, alright.


From another angle, you can see that my NASA-approved houseplant looks quite homey. It just works. Like an OJ Simpson hand and a glove. Like Will Smith in Bel-Air. Or like Bower Power on your computer. Peace out lily.

Plant Encyclopedia

I am not plant savy.

In fact, for most of my life I thought that shrubs were non-flowering plants, that the majority of vegetables grew on small trees, and that succulent was a dirty word.

And seeing as how this spring I wanna grow stuff in the ground, I am so happy to discover an awesome gardener's tool over at Better Homes & Gardens. They have a Plant Encyclopedia!



It's a groovy little tool to make you into an elite green-thumber, tree-hugger and gardening-guru.

All you gotta do is type in your specific requirements of what you are looking for and BHG spits out the options to meet your needs. Check it out - all I did was type in perennials in my zone that grew in partial sun and under 3 feet tall:

And that is only the first 2 pages of options! Plus they give you additional planting information for each plant so gardening has never been this easy! So go on - play in the dirt again...

Front Yard Planning

When I hear about curb appeal, the thought that comes to mind is not our home. Our house has little curb appeal - the old toilet flower planter doesn't help - nor does the extra tires...attached to that broke down Buick. When we bought the house the previous owners told us that the yard was used as a dump...no joke. So in preparation of the listing of the house, they decided to rip out everything.

Last spring we had a 75 foot pine cut down and the root ground out. And that is where we stopped. So obviously this is the right time to plan to get some plants in and some curb appeal out there. Let's get to the plan.

(Sorry about the ghetto "yard map") We have a small front porch that has a long set of brick front steps. Currently our yard slopes from the right side to the left - due to being located on the side of a small hill. We hope to level out the area surrounding the front porch in the coming month. Topsoil would need to be added so that the depth from the porch to the ground is even on both sides. We also want to add actually plants. I know...this may be asking too much or being greedy - wanting grass and shrubs and all...that just goes to show how high maintenance I am :)


The trees I decided on were the following (pictured from left clockwise):
Dwarf spruce
Crape Myrtle (not really a tree but has a high profile)
Flowering Dogwood


Shrubs (from top left clockwise):
Gold Privet
Crape Myrtle
Hydrangea
Azalea


Perennials (pictured from top left clockwise):
Begonia
Moss Phlox
Daylily
Gaura
Bluebeard (actually a shrub but low growing)


So we definitely need to take this challenge one step at a time. But the key is to get a plan written down, right?! First up - get our landscaping expert friend to take a look at our situation and let us know how much topsoil would be required. I am really looking forward to this transformation. I am also looking forward to Jeff Foxworthy no longer making fun of our yard.

Helpful Hint -Georgia flowering perennials link

Herb Garden

Dontcha just itch for springtime?! I know I do.

So as I anxiously await for the warmer season ahead (and for celebrities to stop trying to bring back super-high waisted pants - it's over people, they don't look good on anyone with a normal BMI!!!) I decided to turn my brown thumb green. And if a little determination and a whole lotta dead plants can make me into a gardener, well, I am up for it.


I have been saving my empty egg cartons for about a year...yes, I have packrat tendencies...and yes I have many more not pictured. They are the perfect size to make into your own seed tray. And you'll save a bundle - yay for no money! Pack each egg-noogie with a little potting soil. Then stick your fingertip in there to make the seed hole however deep your seed calls for. Mine was only supposed to be 1/4 inch deep. So no deeper than half my finger nail. Then I threw in a few seeds. Cover, water, and wait. Since my seedlings were going to be living indoors and get watered frequently, I didn't go to the extreme of covering the suckers with saran wrap...but if you wanna go that extra mile, more Bower Power to ya.


I chose Mint, Rosemary, and Basil seeds to begin. But now I am eager to get back to the store to snag a few packets of Parsley, Thyme and Cilantro. Once they are 2 inches tall, I will transplant them to real pots. My own herb container garden will thrive live be located on the back deck. Herbs can actually add a really lovely fragrance to the area as well - which is a major bonus since my boyfriend's nose is like a tracking dogs'. Who knew that a few seed packets could help make our deck time more enjoyable?!


Plus these wee plants will actually save me money. I hear that spending $100 on seeds and soil can save you $500-$700 on buying the fresh goodies at the supermarket. That's a new pair of Manolo's! Over the years, that can add up to a hefty sum...if you like to use fresh greens. And since nowadays I am actually USING fresh herbs in the kitchen, it is just another reason to grow em at home.

And if you are still on the fence about planting some of your own - I have one word for you...mojitos. just kidding. But seriously, there are tons of easy ways to use the 6 herbs that I have listed - and here are a few of my suggestions:

MINT - mint lemonade, mint tea, smoothies
ROSEMARY - rosemary chicken, rosemary potatoes, rosemary in stew
BASIL - tomato sauce, pesto, garnish on bruschetta
PARSLEY - flavoring stews, garnish foods, marinade for steak
THYME - garlic thyme butter, rub on roasts, add to eggs
CILANTRO - salsa, chutney, guacamole

And all you parents of potheads - switch the kids stash for some dried oregano - I promise that weed won't be as attractive afterwards. The saying should be revised to this - GIVE hugs OREGANO, NOT DRUGS :) I'm not a parent but your teen + an italian seasonings joint = motherly joy. Maybe it won't break the mary-jane habit, but it will give them a coughing fit they soon won't forget. When I am a parent, I hope to never have to use this anti-drug method...but you can bet your bottom dollar I ain't above it. I am also not above bribery, coercion, guilt-trips and threats of embarrassment.

Now for the two-week update: Yup - sprouting has occured!


We have liftoff!!! I can practically taste the spaghetti sauce already! No, not really - but I am super excited that it worked! I mean, who wooda thunk? Maybe a farmer...or a horticulturist...or a gardner...but not anyone that knows me! And if I can do, you can do it better. So go get em tiger...plant an herb garden and call it spring!

Question of the day - What herbs do you love and whatya use em for?

Wood ya if ya coulda?

Wood is hot right now. Hotter than Miley Cyrus in a middle school pep rally. Hotter than tatoos of phrases in obscure languages. Hotter than the Katie Holmes bob. (gasp!) Well, maybe not hotter than the bob. But - it is the must have home accessory and the number of wood inspired pieces are growing like weeds in all the stores.



Some of the items that I found span the wide range from modern and mass-produced to getcha-axe-out and try to make it at home. Seriously, I do not promote cutting down trees - but for these grainy pieces I totally wood (get it...wood?!).







Pottery barn, Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, and 2Modern all have great faux bois items, some all-natural accents and some modern twiggy home decor must-haves that are just the fix for bringing a little nature into your abode. I'm totally pining over the candles. (haha - pine - I think I just wet myself!)



The thing is - sometimes these great trends become available even when you aren't looking. Take for instance this great floor lamp I found at our BB&B this past week. She was all boxed up in the clearance section...imagine being the tree that made that shade...packaged in a box that could be made of her cousin. The shame. The horror. But on the flip side, her cousin did a good job protecting her cause that shade was in mint condition. It's wonderful how BB&B has a way of bringing families together.

Isn't she just gorgeous! I googled her when I got home to really see how much cash I really saved. And yes, it was a bundle. Wanna guess how much? Ok - she retails online for $140. I got this beauty for $20 plus some change for taxes and such. I know - I am too darn lucky.

This is her with the light on. It's like she is back in the forest with the morning sun shining through the branches. It is beautiful. I don't think this will be her permanent home but for now, I love how this lamp makes me feel moderny and woodsy all in one.

Do you have any tree-inspired pieces in your home? Have you collected sticks to put in a pot for some all-natural decor? Would ya decorate with a little wood? I wood. (I kill me)