DIY Lace-Like Stepping Stones

Here's another creative DIY project to add some pizazz to your garden design.

Karen from Mindful Matters came up with a most unusual way to use lace doilies to paint these stunning stepping stones.  What really makes them special . . . they glow in the dark.  How cool is that?

Her painting technique will work for a number of projects.  Anywhere there is a surface to paint on!  How about a boring concrete carport floor or that back room floor that needs to be painted . . . garden containers, walls . . . you get the idea, you are limited by your imagination.

I will be incorporating Karen's painting technique for a future project for sure!

Click here for Karen's article on how to make these gorgeous stepping stones.

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DIY Fake Rocks and Boulders

There is no limit to what you can create with this type of project.

You may simply want to add some large fake boulders in your garden design, make the facade for the waterfall and pond you have been dreaming of or a raised bed that doubles as a place to sit.

Once you know the basics of creating a rock, the method is the same no matter what the size of the project.

I've worked with concrete for garden projects for more than 10 years and I must say that for me it has been a very satisfying and addicting endeavor.  One project leads to another!

Click here to go to the article, "How to Make Fake Rocks and Boulders" from eHow.  You will also find links to other methods of making rocks, boulders, etc.

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Spectacular container garden arrangements

Container Garden News is one of my new favorite gardening websites.  Not that I needed too much convincing, but I am really loving planting container gardens rather than planting in the ground.

I'm totally in love with the container in the photo.  Since red is my favorite color, the shades of red and purple in the container are so strikingly beautiful and immediately caught my eye.  Usually, I will incorporate red into my container plantings by painting the containers red, but the beauty of this container has convinced me to try a combination of red leafed plants and red flowering plants.  The Captain surprised me with gorgeous caladiums with red centers that will work perfectly!

The photo comes from the website Power Flowers.  Click here to check out the website.

Click here to go to the article from Container Garden News, featuring eight different container plantings from various websites.

Future posts will definitely feature more container gardening inspiration and I hope to include my new creations soon!

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Companion Planting Top 10 Plants

One of my organic gardening habits is to plant marigolds with my peppers and tomatoes since they assist in keeping the pests away.  Making small changes in your gardening routine can make a big difference.

The blog Imperfectly Happy has posted an article on Companion Planting that is very helpful and informative if you are interested in adopting some of these practices in your garden!  Click here to go to the article.

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How To Grow Plants From Seeds and Cuttings

Although I love to go shopping for beautiful blooming plants, there is something about the challenge and wonder of nature that growing from seeds and cuttings brings.  My love for propagating plants goes back to my childhood days!

Click here for a very informative article on seeds and cuttings, excellent for a beginning gardener, but also informative for the seasoned gardener.  The article is from one of my new discoveries, Empress of Dirt.

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