Sunday, June 19, 2016

Sago Palm Outdoor Care




The photo is from my paradise before a few harsh winters wiped out the landscape.  My beloved sago palm is at the bottom left of the photo.  It was killed by an infestation that hit Florida hard.  Love sago palms!

Click here for a excellent article on the sago palm that grows in zones 8 through 10.



read more

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Upcycled Container Gardens, Planters and Vases



Love these cute containers!  A trip to the thrift store, a yard sale or flea market searching for potential items for cute container gardening can be so much fun and add so much personality to your container garden.

Click here for a gallery of photos for inspiration.



read more

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Quick Gardening Tips




Keep your garden looking good through the summer with awesome gardening tips from Old World Gardens.

Click here to go to the informative article.








read more

Tomato Plants: 10 Gardener Mistakes




Taking a line from an article in Plant Care Today, birds and insects find tomatoes as tasty as we do!

Love this informative article on growing tomatoes . . . click here.









read more

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Natural Ways to Combat Aphids







Finding an infestation of aphids on one of your favorite plants is not something you want to see in the garden.

One of the tricks I learned to combat aphids is to keep the leaves clean, even if it is just a routine spray of water.  Once you experience aphids, you don't want to go there again.

Frugal Family Home has an excellent post on aphids that is very informative on all aspects of these pests. Click here to go to the article.








read more

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Prune tomato plants for a healthy productive crop





Proper pruning can be an effective practice for producing strong and productive tomato plants.

Click here for an article from Old World Garden Farms on how they prune their tomato plants.







read more

Friday, June 10, 2016

DIY Concrete Countertop For Your Outdoor Kitchen



Concrete is a durable and inexpensive solution to your outdoor kitchen countertops.

I've worked with concrete on many outdoor projects for decades and many of them are still intact and functional.  In addition, concrete was fun to work with and once I started, it was so addicting that I kept thinking of new projects to work on.  Try it!

Click here for an excellent article on creating a concrete countertop for your outdoor kitchen.




read more

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Beginners Guide to Succulents



Succulents seem to be all the rage . . . I'm seeing them everywhere!  I've always loved hens and chicks, but I have not had luck growing them.

They are perfect plants for container gardening and so cute.

Click here for a beginners guide to growing these little beauties.  I'll be updating this post as I find more links.


read more

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Blue Plumbago: How to grow



Before an unusually brutal winter wiped out most of my paradise, my blue plumbago stood out like a shining gem.  It was started from a cutting from my mother-in-law's garden, like most of my other plants.  The cutting grew into a beautiful bush that always had butterflies hovering around it.  

When we get our paradise beautiful and thriving again, the blue plumbago for sure will be prominent in the garden again.

I highly recommend this beautiful bush for your landscape.

Click here for an excellent article from Plant Care Today on growing these beauties.



read more

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Homemade Mosaic Planter



Love this planter idea that would work so well for a raised bed by adding enough rows to suit your taste.

If you love working with concrete and being creative, this project is perfect for you!  Also a great idea for stones for a path.

Click here to see how this one was made!


read more

Labels

alocasia Amazonica annuals apartment gardening aphids aucuba azalea back yard projects bamboo hydroponics basil beneficial insects bird watching birds black eyed susan blooms blue plumbago Bouganvillea boulders bromeliad photos bromeliads bugs Busch Gardens butterfly gardening cacti cactus calender calissia fragrans candles Christmas Cactus cilantro coffee coleus colorful container planting companion planting compost bins composting concrete concrete container concrete countertop concrete leaves concrete project container container gardening container gardens container plants containers contrast cooking with herbs coriander craft projects crafts cranberry hibiscus crinum crinum lilies croton cubanelle peppers cuttings cycads DIY DIY bubble fountain DIY insecticidal soap DIY projects DIY water fountain eggshells elephant ear epiphyte fall gardening fallen tree faux rocks fence fire pit fireplace florida beauties Florida gardening flower tower flowering perennials flowers France fruit trees garden garden decor garden design garden fountain garden maintenance garden path garden project garden suppies gardening gardening basics gardening mistakes gardening tips gardens garlic gazebo gingers grass grasshoppers greenhouses ground covers growing from seed growing tomatoes heat tolerant flowers herb gardening herbs HGTV holiday plant houseplants hydroponics hypertufa hypertufa containers illumination impatiens indoor gardening insecticidal soap insects inspiration June gardening Kalanchoe landscape landscape design landscaping lawns leaf casting leaf casting water feature leaf mold lemon tree lettuce lighting lily limes log planter low light plants mandevilla March gardening Monet monthly gardening notes mosaic mother of millions native plants nature organic organic gardening organic pest control outdoor fireplace outdoor kitchen outdoor lighting outdoor projects outdoor shower outdoor spaces painting Paradise past path paths patio gardening Paul James pavers pepper plant pruning pepper plants peppers perennials pest control pest spray pests photo tips photos photos garden plant plant containers plant damage plant profile plant swaps planter plants plumbago pond ponds propagation pruning pruning fruit trees pruning tomato plants raised beds recycle recycling redesign rocks rooting basil rooting tomato plants sago palm saving money scrub seed germination seed saving seed starters seed storage box seed swaps seeds shade shade gardening shade plants slugs soil soil mix spring staghorn fern starting from seed stepping stones stump removal succulents summer summer gardening terracotta tin cans tips tires tomato tomato plants trash to treasure trash-to-treasure trees trellis tropical tropical plants tropicals turf vegetable gardening vegetables video water feature watering weed control weed identification weeds winter winter sowing wood path wood projects yard art yard projects zones 9-11