"Holiday Planted Container"

Have fun with your potted containers this season. Plant your pots with an assortment of evergreens and then embellish with bamboo poles spray painted a vibrant Christmas red. Stick those in the pot in groupings of odd numbers and the length of each pole is up to you. Then add red netting and a cluster of ornaments. WOW.....Santa will stop by for sure....



Have a great week....

Friends visiting on the set with Chris!!

We had such a great time filming this past week...and to make it even MORE special..we had a few visitors!! Some of our fans came by! To make it even MORE special...these folks came in sooo early!
It was great showing off the set that myself and my staff at Botanica had designed! Thanks everyone for your love and support!
Here's a few pics!!

"Christmas Decor for Your Door"

Add holiday cheer to your front door this Christmas. Stop yourself from doing the same "old thing" that you do ever year. I'm going to show you some joyful, unique, and easy ways to make your front door festive for this Christmas season. Use accessories and other supplies that you would normally never consider as a holiday decoration. From wire bowls, silk sedums, to long door swags, your front door can be the focal point of your neighborhood street.

Weed and What Not to Feed Your Turf

It's that time of year to get ready to pre-emerge your turf and to winterize your lawn with a low or zero nitrogen fertilizer. Before your winter weeds start to sprout, this is the time to go to your local garden center and pick up a pre-emergent weed product. Remember, a pre-emergent only works before your weeds start, so don't be too lazy, get ready and get a head start. You will want to make sure that you read the label on the bag very carefully and that the product will work for your turf variety.
Soon you will want to go ahead and also winterize your lawn with a fertilizer that has little or no nitrogen. Your goal for your turf during the cooler months is to promote root growth. Any turf fertilizer with high potassium will do the trick.
Happy Gardening!

Delicious, Easy Sides

Grilled Rainbow Peppers- Preheat grill to about medium-high heat or oven to about 400 degrees. Quarter 3 bell peppers (use green, red, and yellow for fall colors): L

ightly coat with vegetable cooking spray. Grill peppers, covered with grill lid, 5 minutes on each side or until tender; arrange, cut sides up, on a serving platter. Whisk together 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar: drizzle over peppers. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, 1/2 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Makes 4 t0 6 servings. Hands-on time is about 20 minutes . Not to bad!!

Shell Details

Give your terra-cotta pots an aged look, then trim them with sea shells.

1. To weather your pot, combine 1 part powder milk paint (available at crafts stores) with 1 part water. Apply to pot with a paintbrush. Let dry 1 hour.

2. Working in a well-ventilated area, sand your pot with medium-grit sandpaper until your desired look is achieved.

3. Gather some shells that are uniform in size and appearance. Affix shells to the rim of your pot with tacky glue or with a hot glue gun.

Let dry and plant with any variety of plant that you like. I think Echiveras would look great with this look.

Happy Gardening!!!

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.