Relax in style this summer with one of these creative garden benches. Anyone who visits my home and walks around my gardens knows that I have a LOVE of outdoor seating. I have 8 garden beds and 7 garden seating areas. Pretty much anywhere you walk in my gardens will take you to a…
My husband is the king of finding things that I can recycle to use in my garden. Last year, it was a set of musical instruments that made a great garden display. This year it is a whole host of things that I am incorporating as the weeks go by into one of my garden…
For the last few years, I have been experimenting more and more with succulents. These drought hard plants can really take the heat and can be potted up in so many ways. These rustic succulent planters will show you how to use ordinary items to display your plants Here in North Carolina, spring and fall is a…
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Guides4eBay #CollectiveBias It’s time to transform my garden for Mother’s Day. Gardening Moms are Very Special. Celebrate them for Mother’s Day. I will celebrate mine with these 10 tips to transform my garden with my mom in mind. Mother’s Day…
Home remedies for Poison Ivy and Poison Oak Leaves of three, leave them be. That is the old saying for dealing with poison ivy. If you garden a lot, you will most likely, at some point or other, come into contact with poison ivy or poison oak. The intense itching and pain is horrible, and…
I love this time of the year. Vegetable gardening is at the top of my list of things to come. The temperatures keep teasing us that spring is on the way, and our thoughts are often on the garden. Unfortunately, for many, it’s far too early to actually plant seedlings or seeds in the ground…
Starting seeds indoors in the late winter and early spring really increases the time that you can enjoy your vegetable garden in the growing season. Doing this gives you earlier vegetables and flowers and is such a fun project to do with kids. You don’t even need to invest in expensive seed starting containers. There…
The holidays have come and gone and most of us are hunkering down for the colder months of the year. But wait – now is the perfect time to think ahead to spring and even get a head start on it by starting our own seeds for indoor plants. To help you with this task,…
I know that in most parts of the country, the ground is still covered with snow, but as any good gardener will tell you, “it’s never to early to start thinking about spring gardening!” There are lots of things that you can do to get ready. These early spring garden projects will get a jump…
Did you know that the tubes which are on the inside of a roll of wrapping paper can do double duty in your garden when the paper is gone? That’s right – these eco-friendly cardboard tube seed starting pots began their life in a gift wrapping roll. Put that old roll of Christmas wrapping paper…
The cold weather is here and it is time for my winter door swag makeover. I have a wreath, or door swag on my front door year round. The door has an oval glass panel in it and putting a swag there gives me a bit of extra privacy and I like the way it makes…
These are the top 10 most popular posts of 2015 for the Gardening Cook. As New Year’s day comes closer, I find myself, like so many others planning for next year. But before I can do that, I need to take stock of the previous year, especially for my blog. I always look forward to…
Decorate your front door country style with this ice skates door swag. We changed our front door this summer, and now have an oval glass panel on the front entry. The shape means that I no longer use round wreaths for it and swags have become my go-to door decoration. This project for a festive…
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 options for outside decorations. This autumn makeover is perfect for Halloween and with a few adjustments in a couple of weeks, it will…
I just love decorating this time of the year. But much of what is out there is very holiday-centric. I like something that goes over both Halloween and Thanksgiving, so I decided to do a decorative autumn door swag this year. We redid the entry of our house this summer and changed from a plain…
Here is another idea for those of you who do not like the mess of a carved pumpkin. It’s also one that gardeners will love! This no carve sunflower pumpkin uses the heads of sunflowers or any other colorful daisy like flower to cover the outside of the pumpkin. Silk flowers make the decoration last…
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 Power Washing Photos Show the Amazing Transformation of the Front of our Home. I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by Advil®. I received compensation for this post. All opinions stated are my own. It’s been a busy summer for my husband and me. Power washing the exterior of our house and surrounding…
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that my husband Richard and I love to do labor intensive projects that really make a difference in the look of our home and yard. Our latest project is a full power wash of the siding and brick on our house. If…
This post brought to you by Gilmour. The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Gardening Cook. 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 entry is the…
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. I love strawberry planters. The pockets on the side are perfect for plants that send out offshoots. Each little “baby” can fit into the protruding pockets to make…
I love a cottage garden. I am not a rule follower by nature, especially when it comes to gardens, and I love the way a cottage garden throws caution to the wind in the rule department. Do you like lots of flowers, flowing lines and a not so formal look? Then a cottage garden might…
Keep your Hose Tidy with this DIY Hose Pot Holder Project. Hoses are a necessity for any well cared for garden, but they often end up messy, tangled and full of kinks from sitting out on your lawn or garden bed. This DIY hose pot project will give you a place to put your hose…
One of the big pleasures of summer for me is vegetable gardening. I love to walk around and look at the way the plants are producing and to come back into the house with a basket full of vegetables. I also love creative gardening ideas. They make the task of gardening fun. These 14 clever…
Create some Curb Appeal with a Mailbox Makeover Nothing creates a first impression in your front yard more than a well detailed and maintained mailbox. Unfortunately, mine was an eyesore and needed a lot of TLC, so I decided to do a mailbox makeover.The mailbox was on a post that was rotting away. The post…
This post brought to you by Gilmour. The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Gardening Cook. Get A Successful Garden Make Over With 14 Easy Tips. 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…
