Mosaic Trash to Treasure

This gorgeous mosaic planter started off as a concrete slab piece with square inserts that someone had ready for the trash.  It goes to show you that one person's trash is another's treasure.  I love the use of mosaic tiles!

Click here for the tutorial on how it went from a ready for the trash concrete slab to gorgeous mosaic planter.

Creative projects for the garden are so cool!

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Container Gardening in the Shade

Awesome containers!

Utilizing containers in different shapes, sizes and colors can add lots of interest to the garden landscape.

I love container gardening in shady areas of the garden, but not all plants can tolerate shade.  Find the plants that love the shade and the results are awesome!

Click here for an excellent article from Fine Gardening that lists shade loving plants and tips for growing container plants in shady areas.  Lots of great tips!

The photo source is Fine Gardening.

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Outdoor Seating Areas

Having a larger sized property makes it possible to have various

seating areas for the versatility of having smaller secluded quiet 

spaces and the larger spaces for entertaining.

The Captain and and I are currently clearing out our large

property that is still way overgrown, making way for new and

exciting areas which are still in the planning stages.

I'll be featuring more garden spaces that inspire me, along

with informative articles that I find as we go through our

inspirational planning stage.

I love this intimate outdoor garden spot . . . a great little place to

escape and enjoy nature.  Love the chairs and the placement of

container plants to create the barrier.  The use of the fence as

a backdrop rather than trying to hide it is a great idea!

Click here for an informative article from Fine Gardening entitled

"Seating Areas Made Simple" for tips on creating awesome spaces

on your property.  The photo comes from this article.

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Coffee grounds in the garden?

Don't throw away your used coffee grounds!! 

Fertilize your acid loving plants with old coffee grounds . . . they will love it! 

Did you know that used coffee grounds repel snails and slugs? Add to your garden soil before seed planting or work in plants already planted. 

Used coffee grounds also repel ants . . . 

Spread used coffee grounds around your flower beds to keep the cats from using your garden as a litter box.  

I never throw away left over coffee in the pot! What I do is add water to fill the pot and water the container plants in my carport jungle. They love it! 

 Of course your compost pile will also love those used coffee grounds . . .

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Want to grow your own tomatoes?

Although we got a late start, we are enjoying tasty tomatoes our tomato plants are putting out.

In the past, we have been able to grow our tomatoes all year long, which is what we are setting out to do.  There is nothing like picking your own tomatoes off the plant for dinner . . . and you can never have too many tomatoes!

If you need information on how to grow your own tomato plants, Fine Gardening has an awesome video series covering various topics.  Click here to go to their tomato page.

And if you haven't checked it out yet, click here to go to my tomato links page.

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Creative Garden Design

Michelle is "consumed by seeing art and design in everyday life."

It is apparent in her awesome landscape designs that is a mix

of gardening and art with awesome and unusual results.

Her blog, Garden Porn, is an art gallery for the gardener who

loves putting an artistic touch in their garden designs.  It is a

delight for the inspirational senses!

The above photo from her blog features an awesome staghorn fern

planting that is mixed with a variety of succulents displayed in a way

that we will definitely be doing for our carport jungle.  I've already

decided to cover the wire container with staghorn ferns since those

succulents don't do well in our humid climate.

Here is what I have done with staghorn ferns . . . they are featured

in a discarded book rack trash to treasure project that is still thriving

in our garden after a decade and survived some very harsh winters.

I started the staghorns as babies in the book rack that

was lined with chicken wire and gardening moss.  It has

grown in a semi-shady area and basically left alone for

at least the past 8 years.  This photo was taken four

years ago.  It is still thriving and growing in the same 

spot . . .  definitely a survivor!

We may scatter some baby staghorns around the sides of

the rack, which should make a spectacular feature in

 the garden.

More recent photos to come as soon as we refresh

the bald spots!

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Trash to Treasure

What an awesome idea for yard sale treasures!

My grandmother used one of these to make her

 tasty mashed potatoes.  It brings back lots of 

great memories :)  

I'd love to make one of these

for the carport jungle!

Click here for a tutorial on how

 to make one of your own.

I've often used many kitchen items in the

 garden.  My favorite is an old broken 

coffee maker that I painted . . .

One of the things I love creating most is giving

life to  an otherwise useless item.  You'd be

surprised what a difference a little paint makes.

Happy crafting and gardening!

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Driftwood Plant Container

Container gardening is one of my favorite methods of gardening.  

One of the things I love most is being creative with containers.  

I love this container featuring driftwood!

Click here for a tutorial of how to make it . . . awesome idea!

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Grassless Wishes

I already dislike grass in the landscape . . . then the lawn mower decided to quit working with flowering weeds looming in the midst of a sparse lawn.  That was it for me . . . no more grass . . . it is history!


The more landscape design research I do, the more I am loving large winding paths, raised beds and structures in the garden.


We have been thinking about different landscape designs for the front yard and my thinking is that a circular driveway nestled in between a cactus rock garden is the current winner.  It may take a while to get to this project, but the grass is definitely history.  The good news is that we have tons of cactus that the cold winters didn't kill from my days of massive propagation with hopes of a nursery business.


With a huge property as a blank canvas, half the fun is planning the landscape.  Unlike the last landscape design for our paradise, the new design must be as low-maintenance as possible.  My 24/7 gardening days are over . . . I want to enjoy, not work myself to death in the garden.


Click here to go to an article that addresses Low-Maintenance Alternatives to Lawns.


Something that I caught on one of the home and garden cable channels was artificial turf . . . I have not researched pricing, but I'm sure it carries a high price.  It is a consideration for small areas where a little patch of grass would be attractive.  I'll report my findings when I get to it . . .


How about you?  Do you love or hate lawns?

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Landscaped borders

The older I get, the more I like landscaped borders with large paved living areas as opposed to huge planted areas.  This idea works great for large yards with way too much maintenance.  It also accommodates those gardeners like me who are not fond of grass or spending way too much time mowing the lawn.

These photos come from DIY Network's website, where you can get all kinds of inspiration and instructions for your outdoor projects.

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Floors for outdoors

Love these pavers!

Stephen Orr’s Tomorrow’s Garden (Rodale, $25) showcases the
 latest trends in sustainable gardens from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. 

Click here for his ecofriendly picks for outdoor flooring.

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Plants for Butterfly Gardening

My red pentas were the main attraction for butterflies in my old garden . . . and my favorite butterfly gardening plant.  

They profusely flower and look gorgeous in a mass planting.  Pentas will once again play a huge part in our future garden landscape.

Here is some information on the plant from Florida Friendly Plants:

"Pentas lanceolata is the most popular Florida Friendly perennial. It blooms continuously and is one of the best Butterfly attractors. The tall varieties should be pruned several times a year to shorten and strengthen their structure. Soil enriched with 50% organic matter (compost, leaf mold, cow manure, peat) supports beneficial bacteria and microbes that combat microscopic nematodes, a pest that can cause the eventual decline of Pentas. Pentas is adaptable to full sun and partial shade and repeating several groupings across the length of your garden alternating with another tough and colorful plant like Variegated Flax Lily adds harmony, texture and formal appeal to a design."

Interested in learning more about butterfly gardening?

Click here to go to the butterfly gardening page on my website.

Click here to go to Florida Friendly Plants website's page on their

Top 10 butterfly plants.

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April Gardening Notes

    

~ What to do in April ~

a suggested list of notes for Florida gardeners

Remove winter damaged plant portions.

Look for shoots from near the ground line of severely damaged plants.

Leaves are a source of free mulch or compost for the gardens.

Give all poinsettias a spring trimming.

Now is the time to add new plants to the landscape.

Maintain 2- to 3-inch mulch layers around trees and shrubs;

 one inch in flower beds.

Use slow release fertilizers that can feed landscape plants for months.

Feed palms with special fertilizers made for these plantings

 every 3 to 4 months.

Complete pruning of overgrown plants.

Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs after the blossoms fade.

Inspect older trees and trim as needed before the hurricane season begins.

Water new plantings as needed to keep the soil moist.

Divide perennials before the really hot weather arrives.

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More seed starting ideas

Recycle those old ice trays you aren't using anymore! 
Click here for an awesome article with tips and tutorial.

I love using the method of newspaper pots, another seed starting method using recycled items.  Lindy at Cottage Hill gives directions for a very easy method of making these pots.  Click here to go to the blog post.

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Finishing Touches

You would be surprised at what a little paint will do to brighten up an area.  Just like in your indoor areas, painting an object can make the difference in bringing life to an otherwise dull area.  The photo is from Fine Gardening . . . I would have painted the terracotta containers to match the little table and the plants.  I love using coleus in the landscape to bring color into the garden . . . it is one of my favorite plants.


Click here for an article from Fine Gardening about finishing touches . . . it does make a huge difference in bringing our outdoor spaces together in a festive way.  One of the things I love to do is bring lots of red into the outdoor areas.  The boldness of the red against the greenery of the plants is just awesome.

This is a sign that I made in a section of my garden that was designated for cuttings and a place for me to get away when I didn't want to be bothered.  Appropriately named Hermitville . . . it was my place to relax.  Anyway, the point I want to make with this photo is how the red pops against the foliage.  A new thing I have started to do is paint most of my containers red . . . if they don't have a red background, the painted flowers are red.

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Using color contrast in the garden

One of the things I love doing in my garden is using high color contrast in mass plantings to make a big impact.  Black eyed susans, as shown in the above photo, is the one plant that provides that contrast I love and so easy to grow for my area.  I love plants that tend to become invasive by spreading their seeds and pop up everywhere . . . I pull them up like weeds and relocate them to create a mass planting.  I purchased seeds once and never had to make another purchase . . . my kind of plant.

Another way to provide high contrast in the garden is to utilize those plants with unusual leaves.  One of my favorite plants to use for this purpose is shown in the above photo . . . Florida Beauties.  Their leaves are white with green specks and look awesome again green foliage.  

Crotons and aucubas are more favorite plants that provide a high contrast through foliage for my climate (zone 9).

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Paver borders and walkways

This wide border framing a perennial garden 

 comes from Toledo Botanical Gardens.

The use of pavers in the garden is one of my most favorite things.  It leaves a clean and natural line that serves as both border and a walkway.  

I love wide paths and walkways that leave plenty of room for a wheelbarrow or a large garbage can to make maintenance and moving around the garden more efficient.  Many of the paths that I put together many years ago were designed in that manner for ease of maintenance and we will be utilizing the same paths in our future garden design.

The design of the border, placing pavers in a pattern also brings another dimension to the total look of the garden.

Photo credit: Michelle Gervais, Fine Living Magazine

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My new home page

My home page is back!  Now you can keep up with all of my blogs, websites and places on the web in one place.  Click here to go to the blog, where you can follow via Blogger, Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, my new Facebook Fan Page or through RSS feed via your favorite reader or email.  You can also follow me on Twitter where all my blog posts are automatically tweeted.

For my Adgitize and Entrecard blogging friends . . . within the next couple of days, I will be setting up Adgitize and Entrecard . . . so you will have one more place to click!

My apologies for not being around as much . . . there are not enough hours in the day for everything I have been working on, but I should be back to "normal" soon.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

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Our Paradise . . . past photos and some inspiration

The gardening season has arrived in Florida and The Captain and I are still cleaning up, making plans and repotting plants for the new garden.  

We plan on making our own pavers out of concrete and painting them as I have done in the past . . . although the paths are still there from the past garden design, there are many areas of the garden that have not been paved and we are planning many little paved patio areas.

Here are photos of our Paradise in the past, before freezing winters killed most everything and neglect took over . . . it was like a lush tropical resort . . . but we are planning bigger and better things for our Paradise this year.  

The Captain has finished the fence and the property is now completely private!  What a great start to the new season and the new Paradise :)

Our Paradise Past

I've been getting design inspiration from so many gardeners in Bloggerville.  Kathleen's garden is one of them.    I love the lushness of the plantings she has selected for the backdrop and the deck portion is so inviting.  To see more of her garden, click here.  

Kathleen's Garden

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