Benefits of Using Coffee Grounds in Compost

There is something about coffee that plants love.  One of the things I do is water my plants with left over diluted coffee.  It is like a drink of fertilizer for them.

There are many benefits to using coffee grounds in compost.  Read about those benefits here in an excellent article from Plant Care Today.

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Save Time and Money in the Garden

Everyone loves to save money and time is precious!  

Check out some tips and tricks used by another gardener . . . click here.

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How to Grow Flowering Mandevilla Vine

Love the showy flowering mandevilla vine grown on a trellis.  We had a beautiful mandevilla with pink flowers that died in one of our harsh winters.  It was one of my favorite plants!

If you would love to grow a mandevilla, click here for an excellent plant profile.

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How To Make Faux Rocks

Rocks and boulders make an awesome statement in the garden landscape, but real ones are really heavy and expensive.  So, why not make your own?

Click here to go to a tutorial from Instructables that takes you step by step with lots of photos.

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Container Plants for the Shade

Love a shady garden!

When I moved into my house, several decades ago, it was a shady yard with large oak trees and citrus trees. Before that time, I thought growing in full sun was the only way to go, but I was so wrong!

Coleus plants are one of my favorites to bring bold color to the garden without flowers . . . and they are grown in such a wide variety of leaf shapes and colors. There are many other plants that are shade loving.

If you grow in the shade or would like to, click here for an excellent article on plants to grow and how to care for them.

Happy gardening!

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Plants/Planting Tips For Zones 9-11

Love the color in that garden!

If you need a guide for what plants to buy and planting tips for gardening in zones 9-11, click here for an excellent article from Gardening Know How.

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Tea Cup Mosaic Stepping Stone

This stepping stone is beautiful.  While it is heartbreaking to break a treasured tea cup from your collection, all is not lost!

Click here to go to the tutorial.

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Awesome Succulent Ideas

Succulents are the perfect plants for those with a brown thumb!

They are beautiful and so versatile . . . perfect for container gardens.

Click here for an articles with all kinds of ideas and inspiration.

Hope you find something to inspire you!

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Inspiration from Brenda's Patio

It has been years and years since I've followed Brenda's life adventures through her blog, Cozy Little House. She and her precious dogs went from a large house in Texas with a gorgeous yard with babbling brooks and waterfalls, to a small house in Oklahoma and finally has settled in her tiny apartment in Oklahoma.

The photo is from her latest blog post about entertaining outdoors. Click here to go to the post and get a look at the rest of her impressive patio garden.

Her patio garden is a run of the mill apartment concrete patio.  She has used her imagination and turned it into a very impressive, peaceful place.  She takes container gardening to a new dimension.  I want that gazebo!

Hope you draw some inspiration from Brenda!  If she can create a paradise from a concrete floor, those of us with a real yard can create a beautiful and peaceful place too :)  Check out the rest of her blog for great home dec ideas for indoors too.

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The Summer Garden

Summer gardening can be totally overwhelming!

Experienced gardeners have come up with many tips and tricks to make it less overwhelming and more enjoyable.  One of those tips is setting aside 15 minutes a day . . . a concept I like to use for any task. I've found that once you get in the habit of doing something every day, it becomes routine and actually extends beyond the 15 minutes.

One gardening blog, Tenth Acre Farm, has laid out an excellent plan as a guide to June gardening which most tasks are also good for the whole summer. Check it out here.  Awesome blog!

Happy Gardening!

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