Recycle Milk Jugs

Don't throw away your plastic milk jugs. Recycle them instead!! I have found that 1-gallon milk jugs work just perfect as nursery pots, plus they have handles. Simply cut out the spout and front of the jug, leaving the handle. Then punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage and it is ready for your seedlings to grow with vengeance.

How to Extend the Blooming Season of Your Summer Annuals

You may have noticed that your summer annuals maybe looking rather tired. Don't give up on them yet. Persistence is the key here. You have to water on a consistent basis, trim back occassionally, and of course fertilize. It is so easy to get lazy this time of year. Who wants to works out side with these hot temperatures?? Place these thought on hold, and gather the strength to out in the garden and do some needed chores. This is the time to lightly prune back petunias, impatiens, begonias, and other leggy annuals. Annuals tend to strengthen during the very hot months. Then go ahead and fertilize with an all-purpose fertilizer. A liquid food will be more immediate. Fertilize every 4 weeks at least. Make sure you always keep your seasonal annuals moist and do not let them get too dry. Dryness can weaken the plant and thus they produce little too no flowers.

Watermelon-Peach Salsa and Tomatoes

When you think of summer, you may be like me, you think about foods like watermelon, peaches, and yes... ripe tomatoes. These three foods, when blended together make for a delightful treat.
Here is what you will need to create just ONE of those special treats that your guests will think you spent HOURS on:

Supplies:

1/2 cup hot pepper jelly
1 Tbsp. lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups seeded and diced fresh watermelon
1 cup peeled and diced fresh peaches
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
3 cups baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Garish with fresh basil sprigs

Whisk together pepper jelly, lime zest, and lime juice in a bowl; stir in watermelon and next 3 ingredients.

Season halved baby tomatoes with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Spoon into cocktail glasses, top with salsa. Garnish, if so desired (you will want too.....).

Have a great day...

Creating the perfect Fathers Day Gift! One is the Wine Bottle Star!

Ugggg.........yes.........it is that time of year to find that perfect gift for that special man in your life.......your Dad..... If your Dad is a gardener or just simply likes to play in the yard, then we have that perfect gift. The best gift is usually a collaboration of several different and related items. You want your Dad to know you actually put some thought into it. Here a inexpensive but wonderful gift idea. Purchase or reuse an existing hanging basket. A plastic basket will be just fine Then place four herbs in the empty baskets still in their individual pots. Then go ahead and also add to the mix a book on herbs. Secure with raffia or twine, add a card, and now your done. We will show you several other ideas to make Father's Day a very special day this year as well.

Here's another idea! I like surprises in the garden. Here is a fun and simple project to hang from your trees or simply use in a container. I call this a "wine bottle star".

Your will need:

9 Assorted wine bottles with corks
2 tubes Household silicone glue
4 rolls Paper towels
A little patience

First you start with gluing the bottoms of 4 wines bottles together. Let dry for 4 hours.
Then you glue the center of the 4 bottles with one additional bottle sitting upwards. Let dry for 4 hours.
Last, you then glue 4 bottle leaning upwards at a 45 degrees angle with the paper towels supporting each bottle as they dry for 4 hours.

Then either place in a tree or lay on top of a pot and then plant around.

Adding Texture and Color to your Garden

It's that time of year to get your gardens looking great so you can enjoy their beauty all summer long. I know, the temperature is getting hot, but it's not too late. So let's get some work done. Remove those old pansies and add lots of different varieties of annuals. Cheat a little and fill voids with over sized hanging baskets. Use colorful foliage plants such as Moses in a Cradle that will for sure add color to your landscape all the way through to the first frost. Remember to add plants such as the Summer Snap Dragons, Hibiscus, and Kimberly Ferns for drama. I like to plant in drifts and I like the flowerbeds full and lush. You get alot of bang for your buck when you spend more for spring and summer annuals. Eight months for that matter. So spend a little money and enjoy a beautiful retreat all summer long. See what we have planted in the Weather Garden. We have lots of great ideas for you.

Dressing Up A Dreary Fence

So many of us are surrounded by a wood fence. A wood fence can become our only focal point in the back yard. It is virtually impossible for most of us to cover and hide the entire fence. So, in these circumstances this is what I do.....work with it! Just find inexpensive metal art such as metal flowers at your local garden center or craft store. Then, add some pizazz by spray painting each item a vibrant color, like I've done here, where I chose a BEAUTIFUL orange. Then place at a random pattern on the fence by attaching each piece with wood screws. Before you know it, you will have an awesome display and our old wood fence will be a forgotten memory of the past.

Caring For Container Gardens

Water Keep soil evenly moist. That generally means daily watering in hot, dry weather. Stick a finger into the soil. If it feels dry, water. A moisture meter is ideal.

Pinch Encourage branching and bushy habit growth by pinching out stem tips once or twice early in the season.

Deadhead To encourage a steady stream of flowers, remove spent ones regularly.

Feed Container plants need frequent small feedings. Water weekly with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half the recommended strength. Note that some bagged container mixes contain fertilizer. Read the bag, please, to see when you will need to begin feeding.

Prune If plants get leggy and if blooming slows, cut them back hard, then water and feed. They'll bounce back and bloom quickly.