It was a mystery. All my friends could decorate their homes with holly for Christmas but I was never allowed to cut its branches. It was years before I could understand the magic of the holly tree.
Recycle your gardening catalogs and magazine at nursing homes and doctors' offices. The pretty pictures bring far more joy than outdated magazines.
Everyone is familiar with honey's value in easing the effects of a cold. It is added to hot tea or warm water with lemon to help soothe sore throats and to calm coughs. It has also been used to treat minor wounds and burns.
Indoor plants enjoy a shower every once in a while.
COFFEE KILLS SLUGS & SNAILS. Make very strong caffeinated coffee, then mix it half and half with water and put into a trigger or compressed-air sprayer. Spray on plants and the ground that snails & slugs travel on. As they move over the treated areas, they take up the caffeine through their pseudopod (foot) and it gives them heart attacks in 72 hours. Cheap coffee works as well as the more expensive sort. I use espresso because it's more finely ground (works better in my machine). I also run the water through the grounds more than once to extract as much as possible. Cheers to the University of Hawaii for discovering an elegant and simple solution to nasty critters.
When gathering seeds in the fall , save some seed heads; they make nice dried arrangements. If you need more color, consider some spray paint or glitter.
Sweet potatoes are nutritional powerhouses, but they enjoy less popularity in America than in most parts of the world. Here, the white spud is king. Apart from the color, the two do bear a strong resemblance, but some differences emerge when you dig a bit deeper.
Place decorative stones on the top of the soil of potted plants to prevent cats or other animals from digging in them.
When collecting seeds and separating them from the chaff, if I'm not sure I have gotten ALL the seeds I toss the chaff in a corner of the yard. If seeds were left and sprout, then I'm a happy camper and have unexpected flowers to cut.
A successful site is made by the interest and the strength of its members. From time to time I receive from our members letters that are worthy of sharing. Today's letter is from Brenda Savage and on this Thanksgiving Day I'd like to share it with you.
When using fresh herbs in a recipe that calls for dried, the general rule of thumb is that 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs equals about 1 tsp. of dried herbs. The herbs lose about 2/3 of their bulk when they are dried.
If I were asked what I love most about this tree, I probably couldn't give just one attribute, but the first thing that comes to mind is how much I enjoy the pleasant fragrance the tree emits, and how its handsome stature makes a perfect Christmas tree. But then maybe it's because it's so beneficial to songbirds and other wildlife, protecting and feeding so many over winter. Or maybe it's how much history the tree has, or how it provides medicine for many.
The plastic containers that baby wipes come in make a great way to separate & store seed bags/packets for easy finding.
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all the blessings we have received. Did you ever stop to wonder how much of your Thanksgiving dinner is possible because of honey bees?
Cut out four sides of your plastic coffee cans to make great bird feeders! You can nail them to the top of a post, to a wall, or just about anywhere!!
To create a portable garden Rolodex, trim a plant tag at its base, place it photo side up on a shipping tag, and staple it near one end so you can easily read the flip side. Group the tags on key rings, and make notes about where you sited the plants in the garden or pots. I photographed the tag Rolodex from the magazine where I saw the tip.
Here we are at week two of our ATP chat. Come tell us about what plans you have for the week!
Don't worry that rain barrels will become mosquito breeders. Just toss a mosquito dunk in the barrel. EPA approved in 50 states, biological control of mosquito larvae.
Let's go south to Georgia this week to take a look at Charleen's gardens. We already know she loves her animals; now we can see how she loves her plants. Be sure to click on her pictures to enlarge them.
Keep a rain barrel at each door to the house to dip your muddy feet in before coming back inside the house after gardening.
Sprouting seeds for eating is easy, interesting, and extremely nutritious.
You can save your metal foil, wad it up, and use it to clean up your birdbath as needed.
The boxes intended for storage of photographs are a great size for organizing seed packets. Most even come with dividers marked with the letters of the alphabet. I use a green one for edibles, such as herbs and vegetables, and a pink one for ornamentals.
Why use old jars and glassware for your water rooting when there is a rainbow of colors and unique shapes just waiting to be found!
Here at Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens, our outdoor gardens are in their last-hurrah stage as frost creeps across the landscape. As you'll see, there are still a few hardy stragglers outdoors, but for the most part, our gardens have been put to bed for the coming winter. This time of year presents a perfect opportunity for gardeners in warmer climes to show us what's blooming in their gardens. Floridians, Californians, Aussies, Kiwis, gardeners anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere or the southern reaches of the Northern Hemisphere, show us your blossoms! I'll publish as many photos as time and space allow.