Blog posts tagged with '#Garden'

Harvesting your own seeds is a great way to save money and get a lot more for your buck. You can save money by collecting the seeds off your existing plants. You could also ask your friends or family after the summer has passed and everything is dieing off or going to sleep.

Once you have your seeds just store them in a dry safe place till you are ready to plant. You can Google how to store them and the best time to start growing your seeds. You want to plant them at the right time. If you start too early the plant may start to grow out of it's container before it's time to transplant it into the ground.

Another great way to save money is to recycle the containers you usually throw out. I just washed out my roasted turkey container I bought from the grocery store. It has a black bottom and a plastic clear cap. I am going to place some rocks in the bottom and  place some soil on top of the rocks. Then I am going to  poke holes in the clear lid. This is going to make the perfect container to start growing my flowers and vegetables.

By harvesting my own seeds and planting them in a recycled mini green house I can afford to grow a lot more plants. Gardening does not have to cost a lot of money. Save your seeds and recycle your containers.

 You don't need a lot of land to have a garden. Pots are a great way to grow all your favorite fruits and vegetables.

The pots allow you to grow your vegetables anywhere. You can keep the plants out of reach for animals. Weeding will also be a little easier. If you are one who has a bad back you might want to place the pots on a table that is waist high. This allows you to water and weed without putting the strain on your back.

Placing your fruits and vegetables in a pot is great If you live in an area where the ground is not not garden friendly. For more potted garden ideas go to Google and punch in "potted garden".

Gardens can say a lot about who you are. This spring I am going to build a garden that tells a story about my life. I am going to include DIY created pieces of art. I don't have everything planned out yet but, I know it will all come together with time. My DIY art will tell a story that express the personality of my 2 children, my husband, and our dog.

One of the art projects  will include a toy truck and blocks. My 1 year old son Justice loves to run his trucks all over the furniture while grunting and making funny sounds. The blocks will remind me every day of how much he loves to climb and explore. 

My daughters Abigale who is 2 will have her spot in my garden as well. I have a few creative ideas I want to use to express who my daughter is. They include a dog and books because she loves to carry around her favorite pink dog. The book remind me of how much she loves to read.

I am undecided on what I will do for my husband. I thought about placing a kitchen plate  in the garden to remind me that he does a great job washing the dishes after dinner. I also want to place something Navy to represent the time he served.

Fedor our 5 year old English Bulldog is getting a old chewed up boot with a cactus planted in it. The chewed up boot is to remind me to pick up the kids toys at night so he does not eat them. The sharp cactus in the boot is to keep him from taking the boot from the garden. He loves to chew!

My plan is in place and now it is time to figure out what materials I can use that will look good in my garden and be weather friendly.  I look forward to sharing my garden story with you this Spring!

We eat a lot of bananas' at our house.  I never realized how much easier it is to open a banana from the bottom rather than the top.

It never dawned on me to  try  opening  it from the other end. That was until a family member mentioned it while I was struggling to open it from the top and reaching for a knife. 

I was surprised how much easier it was to open. I felt really silly when they informed me that even the gorillas know that it's easier to open it from the bottom. I guess I will have to pay closer attention the next time we go to the zoo.

I was  watching the hit TV show Duck Dynasty with my family last night and I started thinking about family values. The older actors on Duck Dynasty are out of touch with technology and believe it's hurting our children. I personally believe that technology is important yet we are loosing old traditional values by spending too much time in front of screens and a lot less time face to face with family and nature.  This is when I started to think about ways I can enrich my family's life.

I am going to try harder in 2013 to spend more quality time with my family and nature and less time in front of a screen.

Mister Landscaper has many great Kits for all your low-flow irrigation needs.

All the DIY Mister Landscaper Kits have everything you need to set up your low-flow irrigation system. Below you will find a list of all the kits and what they can do for you.

1.  Micro Sprinkler Beginner's Kit with 2 Green Stake Assemblies covering up to 150 sq. ft.

2. Micro Sprinkler Landscape & Shrub Kit with 5 tan Stake Assemblies covering up to 250 sq. ft. (Each kit sold individually.)

3. Micro-Sprinkler Landscape & Shrub Kit with 5 Green Stake Assemblies covering up to 250 sq. ft. (Each kit sold individually.)

4. The Mister Landscaper 50-foot Micro Sprinkler Starter Kit - Everything you need to water up to 275 sq. ft. of landscape, gardens, shrubs, trees, vegetables, and more is found in this all-in-one kit.

5. After many requests, Mister Landscaper has developed a kit with the sole purpose of making it easier to expand your existing Mister Landscaper irrigation system.

6. Vegetable Garden Drip Irrigation Kit covering up to 100' of vegetable rows. (Each kit sold individually)

7. Patio & Potted Plant Drip Watering Kit will drip up to 8 plants or spray up to 3 plants.

8. You will never have to add water to your bird bath again! The Birdbath Dripper Kit is an incredible way to refill your bird bath with a simple addition to your Drip Irrigation System.

If you want to know more about one of these great DIY low-flow irrigation kits visit www.misterlandscaper.com.

Watering you plants is very important. Without water they will die. If you give them too much water they may die as well. If you water them at the wrong time of day you could hurt them as well.

So, when is the best time to water your plants?

Mornings tend to be the best time to water your plants. The mornings are best for a few reasons. For starters it is cool in the morning so the amount of water lost due to evaporation is lower than if you were to water during the mid-day hours. Some people like to water their plants at night. The problem with watering at night is that the plants remain damp all night and can become damaged due to fungal and bacterial diseases. 

As for how much water your plants should get depends on the age. If they are new plants they will need extra water until the roots take hold. If you have a established plant then the roots may be deep enough to reach the damp soil.  as for how to water your plants it is best to use a drip system instead or a regular sprinkler that waste a lot of water and drenches the leaves which do not need the water. 

If you are looking for a great low-flow irrigation system that will take care of all your watering concerns Mister Landscaper has it all. They have great DIY low-flow irrigation kits as well as timers that will control the time and length of time your plants get water. Mister landscaper has great prices and is made in the USA. you can visit them at www.misterlandscaper.com. They also provide free shipping on orders of $25.00 or more.

Mister Landscaper has everything you need to set you up with a easy DIY low-flow irrigation system.  

The Micro Sprinkler Beginner's Kit is a great place to start.

It provides you with easy step-by-step instructions that will allow you to sit back  within 30-45 min. later and sip your favorite drink while all your flowers are being watered.

The Micro Sprinkler Beginner's Kit comes with 2 Green Stake Assemblies and covers up to 150 sq. ft. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. You will be done after 6 easy steps. Each step includes a photo that demonstrates what you need to do next. 

Once you have set up your low-flow irrigation system you can sit back and enjoy  all the benefits. The low-flow irrigation system  from Mister Landscaper will have you using up to 50% less water.  It will save you time that you would have spent watering  your plants by hand, and you  will save money on your next water bill.

The Micro Sprinkler Beginner's kit makes a great Christmas gift for all your garden friends. The great thing about Mister Landscapers kits is that if you ever want to add on to the system it is very easy. Mister Landscaper sells everything sold in the kit individually as well. You can go back and re- order at any time, and as long as you spend $25.00 or more the shipping is free. 

If you would like to place an order today for Mister Landscaper you can go to www.misterlandscaper.com

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Raised garden beds are getting very popular for many reasons. Some of us have bad dirt and want to start over. Others want to keep small animals out of the garden. Then there are those of us who just like the look. No matter what you reason is for wanting a raised garden bed. I have a few easy solutions to building one that will take very little time and effort and money.

The first idea is to use an old plastic swimming pool. You can cut most of the bottom out so the water can drain and place a bottom layer or rock prior to filling it up with dirt.

The next idea is to use a horse trough. They are easy to find at tractor supply and they look good. If you don't like the color you can always paint the outside. Don't forget to cut the large hole in the bottom and dump a layer of rock before you put the dirt in.

My third idea was to find a old wooden box. The ones people use That ship large items. They may be a little too tall but, you can cut as much as you want off the top. It would still be easier than starting from scratch.

My last idea was to use an old sand box. It does not matter what kind. My daughter has an old plastic one that liked like a crab. I wish we still had it. The last step is to plant your raised bed and enjoy the extra time and money you saved.

Please feel free to share your DIY project on our Mister Landscaper Facebook page.

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