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Blog posts of '2012' 'August'

Recycled Coffee Can

Recycled Coffee Can

Don't throw out the empty coffee can. It will make a great flower pot. In a few easy steps I will tell you how to turn your empty coffee can into a beautiful flower pot.

1. Rinse the can out with plain water.

2. carefully poke about 5 Skittle candy size holes in the bottom of the plastic or metal can.

3. Paint your entire coffee can with paint recommended to be used on plastic or metal. The darker the paint the less coats you will need to cover the advertisement on the coffee can.  Let the paint dry for about 1 hour.

4. Now you are ready to stencil your flower pot. You can make your own stencils with peel and stick contact paper and a sharp knife.www.youtube.com/watch. This Youtube video will show you the details.

5. If you don't want to make your own stencils you can pick some up from any craft store.

6. Once the flower pot is dry about 1-2  hours you can now place about 1 inch of rocks in the bottom add your soil and a plant of your choice.

I hope you have enjoyed this craft and we look forward to hearing from you on facebook.

 

Kits to Get you Started

Watering your plants can become  challenging at times.

For me remembering to water my plants can be a challenge. I have had one too many experiences where I just got too busy to stop and water all my plants one-by-one. By the time my life slowed down enough to water all my plants half of them were dead.

This is one reason Mister Landscaper created the Kits. The  low-flow irrigation kits are designed to make your life a little easier. The kits comes with step-by-step directions that are designed to make the process of instillation quick and easy. The Mister Landscaper kits come with everything you will need to water your plants.

Each Kit covers a certain amount of square feet or a certain number of potted plants. Mister Landscaper has also posted how to instructions on YouTube.  If you are a visual learner then the YouTube video's may be very helpful.

Once you get your kit installed and flowing you may want to order additional drippers, or stakes. Don't worry. Mister Landscaper sells the irrigation kit materials separately as well. If you don't have enough of something you can order more. Don't forget shipping is free on orders $25.00 or more.

Don't forget to share your experience with us on the Mister Landscaper Facebook page.

Fall Flowers

Fall Flowers

A new season is around the corner and it's about time to select what fall flowers you want to have in your garden.

In this blog you will hear about 5 of the best fall flowers.

Russian sage

Russian sage is a great fall flower. It will grow tall and bloom small beautiful blue/purple flowers.

The leaves on this flower are small and have a silver tint to them. This flower gets 3-5 feet tall and 2.5-3 feet wide. This flower will need to go in behind your shorter plants. The Russian sage blooms in the middle of summer into fall. It has a beautiful smell and is a great color for the fall season.

Helenium

The Helenium provides your garden with an array of deep reds and a dark brown center, perfect for the fall season. It will grow about 1.25m tall and .6m wide. The flower looks great next to ornamental grass and other earth color flowers. The bees and butterflies will flock to this flower. The Helenium also makes a great fall centerpiece for the up coming holidays. These flowers like a lot of sun and moist soil.

 Mums

Another great flower for the fall is a Mum. They come in many beautiful fall colors and are easy to care for. Mums look great along sidewalks or next to your front door. If you have them in a pot be sure the pot can drain, and give them a good amount of sun and water every day. If they are in the soil you should water them at least 3 times a week. Mums are sturdy flowers with many great colors to choose from. They should last through the fall months and into early winter. If you take care of your Mums they will last for years.

Sunflowers

The sunflower is perfect for the fall season with its large yellow bloom. The sunflower is also great for snacking. I like sunflower seeds with salt. The sunflower is a strong plant but may need support once it gets tall. The weight of the bloom can cause the plant to bend.

Alstroemeria

These beautiful fall flowers come in shades of yellow and orange. The plant grows to be 2-3 foot tall. You want to plant them about 1 foot apart. These flowers like full sun and a well drained soil. They also need to be pruned. This  
allows a new fresh istroemeria to come in.
 
Mister Landscaper wants to wish you a joyful fall season with plenty of fall blooms. If you are looking for fresh new  fall planting ideas check out the Mister Landscaper page on www.pintrest.com for some great new fall ideas.



 

 

 

 

 

Coloring Flowers

Coloring Flowers

Have you ever wondered how the super market gets the bright colored carnations and daisies? Well it's easy and you can do it! Today you will learn how to make your own colored flowers at home. 
 
You will need:
 
1. any WHITE flower (carnations and daisies work good)
2. food coloring (blue, red, and green works good)
3. 1-5 vases (to hold the different colored flowers)
4. warm water
5. sharp scissors (to cut the stem)
6. newspaper (to protect your surface from the food coloring)
7. 24 hours for best results
 
Directions:
 
Select a dozen or so of your favorite WHITE flower (daisies, carnations, chrysanthemums, roses, or whatever you wish). You will need to trim the stem of each of the flowers on an angel. The stem needs to be filled with water when it is cut so let them rest in some water before you start. It's also important to keep air out of the stem. Air will prevent the water from reaching the top of the flower. Try cutting the stem under water and placing them in the water filled vase right away.
 
Next you will want to lay down your newspaper to prevent stains. Fill a vase with warm water and add your desired color of food coloring. You will want to add about 20-30 drops of food coloring per 1/2 cup of warm water. Now you are ready to place your flower in the warm water with food coloring. Repeat these steps with other desired colors and flowers. It works best if the flowers drinks up the water over a 24 hour period.
 
Getting fancy:
 
If you want to go further you can split the stem of your flower up the middle and place each side of the stem in a different color. This can be trickey. Be sure that you select two well balenced containers to place side by side. The end result is a multi-colored beautiful flower!
 
Science lesson:
 
You can use this same project as a science experiment with your children. Use google and look up "food coloring flowers".
 
Enjoy! 
 
We look forward to hearing about your experience on the Mister Landscaper web page.
 
Growing With Kids

 

Kids love to experience new things. Growing a garden with your kids is a great way to engage them in an exciting learning environment! 
 
The first thing you want to do with your kids is give them their own personal garden space and tools. Next help them feel special by allowing them to decorate the space with garden decorations of their choice. They may want to make the decorations.
  
Next take them to the store and allow them to pick out a few seeds or small plants. Give them a choice between 2 or 3. This gives them a feeling of control and power without letting them go crazy. 
 
You can also make this trip to the store into a life lesson. Give them a budget on how much they can spend on supplies for their garden. 
 
While shopping explain what seeds or plants work best for the climate and season you are in. Limit the choices you give them. If they have too many choices you will both end up frustrated. 
 
If your child is younger have them buy some plants or flowers that have started to grow. This way the child has something to look at, pick, and smell while they wait for the other seeds to grow.
 
You may also want to make plant markers with the children. This will help them to remember where and what they are growing. There are some cute ideas for plant markers on www.pintrest.com. It's free to join. You will also find a lot of other great garden ideas on the Mister Landscaper board located on pintrest. It is updated weekly with new ideas.
 
Remember this is a fun, educational learning experience. Their garden does not  have to be perfect. Allow them to dig in the dirt and discover what's below.
Talk about the bugs and worms with your children. Once the fruit or vegetables are grown you can teach them how to cook or bake them.
 
Don't forget to enjoy the time you are spending with your kids. Let it be a fun learning experience.
 
We look forward to hearing about your experience on our Facebook page.