My North Carolina winter garden is a wonderland this week. Winter storm Jonas has been all in the news this week. It left a blanket of snow and ice from the South in the US right up the corridor to New England. My North Carolina winter garden is a sight to behold. Winter storm Jonas …
Two holiday plants that I love are cyclamens and Christmas cactus. Both of these make fabulous indoor plants and give a lot of color to your decor during the cold winter months. During the festive season, there are many different seasonal plants on offer at most garden centers. They add a lovely touch to your …
This autumn makeover is perfect for Halloween and with a few adjustments in a couple of weeks, it will go right through Thanksgiving. I love everything about autumn. When the temperatures start to fall, I know that good things are right around the corner. Having three fun holidays in a row gives me so many …
These creative ideas for fall decorations make use of the natural colors and textures that we find outside in nature. Most can be put together for very little cost and expense. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved the change from summer to autumn. I love all of the seasons but there …
These tips to Create Curb Appeal will not only jazz up your entry but may also increase the value of your home. There is a saying that one can only have one first impression. That saying applies to the front of your home as well as to your personality or appearance. The front door and …
This DIY Succulent Strawberry Planter is a great way to display a variety of succulents in one planter so that each plant has its own special space. If you love succulents as much as I do, you will want to check out my guide for buying succulents. It tells what to look for, what to …
This year, we spent the summer on a garden make over. I thought it would be fun to share the tips that I learned during the process. It’s that time again. Time to transform one of my garden beds that just won’t seem to keep to a single design. I call it my “what will …
This cement blocks Plant Shelf project is the perfect way to show off a collection of plants and to add a focal point to a garden bed. I love recycling old materials into something new. A big collection of cement blocks got a new lease on life today. If you love succulents as much as I …
I have a new garden bed which has a South West Focal point as a seating area and I have carried the colors of turquoise and terra cotta through the garden with both accent pieces, planters and plants themselves. These musical planters are a whimsical way for me to ring in the sounds of the …
My husband and I recently finished this budget front yard make over in an afternoon. I love the way it turned out. I am all about gardening on a budget. With the amount of garden beds that I have, (8 and counting!) I have to be. I had a neglected Pine tree garden that was …
Fill the stockings of your plant loving friends with these Gardening Gift Guide Suggestions. Anyone who gardens is normally on the look out for different gardening products and gadgets, so I have created a Gardening Cook 2014 Holiday Gift Guide. If you are looking for something special to treat someone that you love who spends …
I used to mainly grow indoor plants. Most of my time, now, is spent with my perennials and vegetable garden, but I still have a love for houseplants that can be grown indoors. They bring nature into your home and can be used to decorate, and even clean the air in your home. These easy …
Growing herbs adds a ton of flavor to all your recipes, but keeping track of what is growing can be challenging. These wooden spoon herb plant markers are both functional and decorative. Herb Identification might seem easy but those tiny seedlings have a frustrating way of looking the same! I have a large group of herbs …
Container Vegetable Gardens are a great way to garden when your yard is small. Vegetable gardening is such a satisfying experience. There is nothing quite like biting into a tomato that was just picked from your garden. The flavor is nothing like that of the ones bought from a store, even the vine ripened ones. …
My husband and I recently attended a wedding on the coast of North Carolina. While we were there, we took the time to visit the Elizabethan Gardens at Manteo on Roanoke Island. Seeing statues that depict characters from real life is so inspiring. For another post on this type of experience, be sure to check …
Anyone who has priced hardscaping lately knows how expensive it can be, particularly if you have large areas to cover. I am redoing my whole area that I used last year for veggies. Long story short, the squirrels were a nightmare for me and I don’t plan to go through that experience a second time. …
This year has been a series of set backs in my garden. It is almost the end of May and I’m way behind, but finally have some progress to show for all my work. Things that set me back were: My father’s death in February which resulted in two trips to Maine. A very long …
Squirrels in my garden last year made vegetable gardening a nightmare for me. This year, I decided to try combining perennials and vegetables in one garden bed to see how it worked out. I have long been interested in growing perennials. Adding some vegetables into the mix gave my garden beds an interesting new look. …
Oh the weather outside is frightful, or so the saying goes. Here in Raleigh, we are not known for much cold weather in the winter, but this year has been different in that regard. We have had a couple of days of snow and several weeks of unseasonably cold weather, with temps getting down to …
I have loved plants all of my life. For a large portion of it, that meant indoor plants. Now that I have a largish property, it means lots and lots of garden beds with perennials. I don’t have much time to tend indoor plants, but I still like to have a few of them around. …
Have you ever priced single Calla lilies at a florist? If you have, you will have discovered that they sell for $5-$9 a STEM. Why pay those kind of prices, when you can become your own florist – well sort of, anyway. Calla Lilies make wonderful indoor plants and comes in many colors, as well. …
10 Garden Charmers Share Their Top Tips The Garden Charmers on Facebook are a diverse group of ladies with one common theme. They love nature and gardening. I asked the ladies in the group to share their top tricks and tips. Some gave me gardening tips. Some had home and decor tips. All were great …
Creatively Gardening with Musical Planters My major in college was music, so I am drawn to anything that uses musical instruments, whether it be gardening projects or DIY ideas. Musical instruments make great garden planters. Most of them have an opening in them somewhere that a plant can fit. And when done, they are unique …
The ladies in my Facebook Gardening Group called the Garden Charmers are at it again. I asked the members in the group to show me what they have to share for Fall Junk art and home decor projects, and they came up with a great variety of ideas and tips for you. Decorate in Style …
A few months ago, I did a tutorial on a staggered planter with house numbers on the bottom pot for great door curb appeal. This is what the planter looked like in early spring. Since it is autumn now, and the planter is looking a bit sad, I wanted to change plants out for an …
Creative succulent planters can be made out of many household items. Succulents are such neat little plants. They can withstand a great deal of neglect and still keep on growing. They have great flowers (if you have the right conditions and are lucky and have a green thumb) and are very interesting in their own …