How can you improve your curb appeal? In a multitude of ways! You can do it quickly and with minimal cost or you can make some dynamic changes and really spruce things up.
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THE ZEN GARDEN…A STRESS RELIEVING GARDENING STYLE
Tranquil. Peaceful. Calming. Elegant. The term the Japanese use for a Zen garden is “karensansui” and it means dry landscape. To achieve this look, a merging of gravel, rocks and boulders are used to create a vision that represents islands and mountains surrounded by an imagery of flowing water. A Zen Garden is not a Japanese Garden. There are differences in the two. A Zen Garden will not include a pond, but a Japanese Garden typically will.
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SUMMER VEGETABLE RECIPE – FLAMIN’ HOT CORN ON THE COB
We love all things HOT! And we’ll admit that Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are part of our obsession. After trying this recipe, we just had to share. Give it a try. If you like HOT as much as we do, you will not be disappointed with the flavor. And don’t let the Cheetos deter you from giving it a try.
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FOR THOSE WHO HATE TO WATER THEIR LANDSCAPING
Summers in the southeast and mid-Atlantic states can often be very hot and very dry. Very dry. And when it feels like 100 degrees outside, the sun is beating on you and you look outside at all your beautiful flowers struggling outside, knowing you have to water them AGAIN, it can sometimes be a struggle. A real struggle. But you can make things easier on yourself by planting drought tolerant perennials to brighten your outdoors. There are plenty of varieties available. The color, size and texture variations are many and finding the right plants for your yard will be a fun adventure.
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PLANT OF THE WEEK – DWARF PLUMBAGO
We love a plant that blooms blue. And one of our favorites is plumbago.
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PLANT OF THE WEEK – CANDY APPLE HYDRANGEA
Everyone loves a pretty hydrangea bush. Right? We certainly do, and nothing excites us as much as a new variety. Candy Apple is just that plant. If you’re familiar with Limelight, then you’ll love Candy Apple. It has the same stunning lime green clusters that you see on Limelight, but with a much more compact form.
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COOL AS A CUCUMBER – RECIPES FROM YOUR GARDEN
Do you know where the expression “cool as a cucumber comes from? It’s because cucumbers are typically 10 to 20 degrees cooler than the temperature around them. Try inserting a thermometer into one if you need a little proof. Not only do cucumbers have a cool temperature, but cucumbers are also the key ingredient to some of the summer’s best cool down recipes. There was a time when we only knew two main types of cucumbers – slicing and pickling. But things have changed and there is now a large variety of cucumber types available to gardeners and shoppers. They include Armenian, Diva, English Telegraph, Burpless, Persian, Lemon, Parisian Gherkins,… Read More
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RIPE AND READY. TOMATOES ARE SUMMER’S GIFT. TOMATO PIE RECIPE
Now that July is here, I’m pretty sure (or at least I hope), your tomato plants are now producing those ripe and ready jewels of summer. Hopefully, your crop is handling this heat and lack of rain the past several days, and your crop is looking its best. I’m the first to admit that I love nothing more than a tomato sandwich. Slices of red, ripe and juicy tomatoes, smeared with mayonnaise (has to be Duke’s) and sprinkled with salt and pepper, on some very lightly toasted bread. Nothing beats that first tomato sandwich of the year!
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PLANT OF THE WEEK – DELICIOUS CANDY CONEFLOWER
I’ll eagerly admit that I’m a huge fan of coneflowers. I love the color and height they bring to a landscape, especially if you tend to enjoy a cottage style landscape. And they’re an all season flower, too. If you leave them uncut during the winter, you’ll give those birds a nice little snack to discover during those “oh so cold” months. I always try to think about the animals when I’m selecting plants for my gardens, and conflower will definitely bring all the animals to your yard.
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