Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
During the gardening season my tomatoes don’t ripen at the same time. This is especially true during the beginning and at the end of the growing season. So, how do I preserve those fresh homegrown tomatoes until I have enough of them to cook down …
We have been growing our own grapes, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries for the past 5 years in our backyard. Over the past several years local wildlife has damaged our plants…ruining our gardening experience. As you know, gardening costs time and money. No one wants that …
We have 4 large bird houses sprinkled around our property. Bird houses and nesting boxes need to be cleaned out twice a year…after and right before the breeding season. I like to do it in early October and again in early March. Cleaning them out invites new birds to come and keeps them germ-free.
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The first thing you want to do is remove the bird’s nest. You can ONLY remove empty nests that have no eggs or have been abandon according to Federal and State Laws. Wear a pair of disposable gloves when handling the nests and cleaning the bird houses. You’ll be amazed at how much bird poo is contained in one single nest or house!
In a water bottle with a spray nozzle I add regular tap water along with 4 capfuls of household bleach. Spray the water & bleach mixture inside the bird’s house and all over the outside. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. You’ll need to rinse out that solution using a garden hose or by spraying it with clean water from another spray bottle. Let air dry naturally.
It is recommended that you dispose the bird’s nest in a compost pile, tossed out into the woods, etc. Give it back to nature. It’s illegal for you to KEEP the nest for personal or commerical use. That means no decorating with it, using it for crafts, etc. Again, wear disposable gloves any time you’re handling the nest!
Our photograph shows a large Robin’s nest that I had to clean out of a large bird house once the breeding season concluded. As you can see…the nest is quite large and over-sized. It took up 50% of the available space inside that house and originally housed the momma bird and 4 babies. It was nice to see the babies hatch, grow and fledge. An experience I look forward to every breeding season.
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The Burro’s Tail or more commonly called Donkey’s Tail is a succulent plant that is very easy to grow. If you live in a warmer climate you can grow them outside and in the ground. The rest of us though…we grow our’s primarily indoors as …
My wife has at least 30 houseplants all around our home with another 2 dozen or so in our Florida sun room. She enjoys both indoor and outdoor gardening. Friends and family come to her all of the time to get various houseplant starters from …
I love having fresh cut flowers sitting on my dining room table or my kitchen counter-top. Looking at them always brings a smile to my face while adding a light fragrance to our home. I find that they give every home a welcoming and beautiful look.
We enjoy gardening, so I’m always cutting some of my flowers and bringing them inside to make my own floral arrangements. You can use any fresh-cut flowers that you like to come up with some really unique combinations. Once cut…place them into a vase with water.
Here’s a few tips on How to Keep Fresh Cut Flowers Looking Nice for a longer period of time.
1. I keep tap water in a large plastic container. An old water jug works nice. Let that tap water sit out overnight with the cap off of the bottle. Let any chemicals evaporate and the water come to room temperate. You can then use it in your flower vase.
2. Change out the water in your vase every 1-2 days. That will reduce bacteria and mold. When changing out the water follow the suggestions in tip 1 above.
3. If you’re displaying store-bought or delivered flowers keep the “food packet” that came along with them. Use that food as directed on the package. You can also buy flower food packets from various retailers like Amazon.
4. You want to trim the stems of your flowers at a 45 degree angle before placing them into the vase.
5. Remove any flowers or foliage that looks diseased immediately and toss them away.
6. Mix up your own flower food at home by using the following recipe: Mix together 2 tbsp. white vinegar, 2 tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 quart of water. Place into an empty water jug with a lid. You can use this plant food all season long. Just store the jug in a cool, dry and dark place…out of the reach of children and pets.
7. Keep your flower vase away from direct sunlight, heat and extreme cold.
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Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. Why? The indoor and outdoor gardening season begins! During the late spring months I like to propagate, transplant and fertilize various indoor houseplants. One of those being the Christmas Cactus. What is a Christmas Cactus? …
Crocus are an easy-to-grow flower that returns year after year. They don’t require a lot of maintenance and add beautiful color to your garden. When planting Crocus bulbs you want to plant them September through December (in most areas of the country) before the ground …