Innovative creativity from PaperArtsy. Paint, stencils, and techniques galore for any mixed media enthusiast to enjoy.
Save money and grow these brilliant plants and flowers from cuttings easily. With instructions and expert tips! Check them out now.
Free planting templatesI often find getting started is the hardest part of many projects. I was recently reminded how true that is for gardening when a Master Gardener from Newport News wrote to me about a fantastic project she is working on with her fellow gardeners: a "Getting Started" kit tailored specifically to Virginia coastal gardens. This sounds like a terrific idea and I hope to be able to share it when it is ready for prime time. In the meantime, her note jogged my memory about anoth
Discover the top low maintenance plants that can survive and even thrive in a bathroom without windows. We cover the best options for adding life and freshness without sunlight.
A complete how to manual on how to protect and store bulbs from the elements during the winter, including supplies, zone information, and tips.
Learn about permaculture polyculture gardening. Here are some polyculture examples + polyculture pros and cons. Plants for polyculture beds
Design a native landscaping plan that resonates with the general public. Consider these tips to keep your landcape from being the neighborhood "weed patch".
Discover 31 Sims 4 Plants CC, including hanging, indoor, and outdoor plants, perfect for all seasons. Enhance your Sims' decor with vibrant, Maxis Match greenery
The titan of the trellis, morning glory thrives in sunny, inhospitable areas. Learn how to grow and care for this flowering vine now on Gardener's Path.
Three months ago I started a seemingly innocuous project. "How hard can it be to make a flowerbed?", I said. Well I learned along the way and so I am now going to share what I learned and the steps to make your project easier. The major milestones are: Design the Area Excavate the Area Construct a Border Refill with Good Soil Plant the Flowers Cover with Mulch Required Tools Work Shoes - At several points it stormed and flooded my half-dug bed. After working for just 15 minutes I would have 2 inches of mud on the bottom. Be prepared to throw away your shoes or be stuck with permanent junk shoes. Work Gloves - This pair is actually the 2nd that I used. The first pair is in the trash. I wore through all 10 fingers on the first set. Large Spade - This is the best way to get soil up. I tried a shovel and had no luck. This worked especially well with the black clay that we have. Whatever This Is - Yup, I have no idea what to call it, but it is the best tool for clearing out defined areas. I used it dig out the outline for the bed before I started. Spreader - I used this to spread out the new soil evenly throughout the bed. Small Spade - Most people have this already. You dig holes for the bulbs and flowers with it. Heavy Duty Cart - Now I did not have this wonderful contraption for most of the project. For the first 40 or so bags, I just manually carried them to their locations. This will save your back when hauling a lot of soil. Now you may ask why I am going to all this trouble. Well that is because I have lots of Black Texas Clay underneath my yard. It has the nickname of "Black Gumbo". It soaks up water and swells. This is one of the reasons that so many people have foundation problems in our area of North Texas. Most plants need "Well Drained Soil" which is pretty much the opposite of what I have. So I replaced it. I ended up digging up only about 1 - 1.5 feet down. Others have done more, but I frankly got tired of digging. Here is what I replaced it with: Peat Moss - 10 Bags Top Soil - 20 Bags Manure - 10 Bags of the cheap stuff. They have premium manure... but I can't imagine what that means. Compost - 10 Bags Top Soil - 20 Bags Mulch - 12 Bags So let's take a look at those milestones again. Design the Area - This is probably the most important step. This allows you to put in a lot of effort without having to redo things. My wife gave in to my pleadings and helped measure the back yard space beforehand. The map came out like this: I went online and printed off a grid and then with help of a ruler hand drew the dimensions. Next, we did an initial master plan, or how we want it to look in the end. Our friends, Karson and Sharon, helped in this process. This keeps each sub-project from being vastly different and looking odd in the end. Next, we prioritized the sub-projects and focused on our first bed, outside of our bedroom. We found a plan in a landscaping book tailored to our area and used it as our base: This plan came from Creative Homeowner's Texas Home Landscaping book. I would highly recommend it. We then took our master plan for the backyard and fit the plants that we wanted into it. The end result looks like this: Sp now that you have a good plan, digging in the right spot and building a border is not a game of chance. Excavate the Area - This where all the oomph comes into play. At least 50% of my time on this project was spent digging. I am estimating that I dug out about 3,000 lbs of dirt. So be prepared for this phase to go slower than you thought. The first thing to do is to dig out the border a little bit. This allows you to be reckless inside that border with your spade. I used our hose and snaked it around into the shape that I wanted the bed to be. I then used the yet-to-be-named tool from above to strip the grass along the hose. I then removed the hose and dug a little trench and shaped the border a bit. The rest is just good ole-fashioned hard labor. One thing that I did not consider before starting this phase was where on earth all of this dug up dirt was going to go. Luckily, the lot next door to me is empty right now.Now lifting all of that dirt over the fence was no fun, but at least it is out of my yard. Construct a Border - I used two different kinds of border. We have leftover brick from the house construction and so I turned that into a decorative border: I had enough brick to go vertical and it looks good from the grass side. You can also see that famous black clay with the brick there. The fence did not need anything fancy, so I bought the cheap pliable plastic border from Lowes:Before going to the next step of refilling the area, it is a good idea to consider drainage and watering levels. I have a downspout that was pouring right into the middle of the new bed and would erode my hard work. I got a very cheap solid black tube and extended the drain out of the flower bed:I also had four different sprinkler heads that were designed for a lawn and not a flower bed. I found replacement heads that are gentler and used a simple female-female connector to attach them to the main line: Refill with Good Soil - Now is when all of those bags of 'the good stuff' comes into play. I put the good stuff in quotes because frankly anything was better than my black clay. So when I see a $20 miracle bag and a $1.85 pretty good bag, I choose the cheaper. With the number of bags that I bought, this added up to a lot of savings. I layered Peat Moss, Top Soil, Manure, Compost, and Top Soil. I had a friend recommend a combination similar to this and so far I like it. I used my spreader to evenly mix the dirt around the entire bed. Make sure at this point re-check your drainage. Make sure that it slopes away from the house for instance.In the end, my nasty soil was transformed into this: Plant the Flowers - This is the part that you actually planned for. This is the easiest stage. We planted a bunch of bulbs and using our nifty plan, I knew exactly where to go. This stage is fairly anti-climactic. Cover with Mulch - Protect your plant from moisture, bugs, and weeds with a good mulch. This last step also adds a colorful layer to the top Hopefully this guide can help you. Feel free to post and questions or suggestions. I will be following up in the Spring and beyond with how the plants grow in and look.
Growing new plants from cuttings is a great way to increase your stock in a relatively short time. Rooted cuttings are often sturdier than seedlings, and come to maturity faster, many of them bearing flowers
Montessori-inspired plant learning activities and free printables for kids.
I found it!! ….This is the inspiration shot that is helping me get my head around the upgrades we plan to make to our tree house this year. Until I saw this, I didn’t realize how much ‘foundation’ plantings could add to a tree house — a place with no true foundation. Also, in the […]
4 simple ways to arrange flowers and plants in your garden to get that beautiful layered look that you want... even if you're a beginner!
Has your recent Golden Pothos plant purchase got you wondering "What now?" Try this Golden Pothos Care guide to get your plant to thrive.
The basics of growing and harvesting flowers on a cutting garden plus extensive lists of annual and perennial flowers to grow in your cutting garden.
Planting fall bulbs is an easy way to bring your winter-weary garden to life. If you’re wondering which bulbs to plant in fall, look no further!
Bromeliads are beautiful easy to grow plants that bring a sense of texture and color to your home. This article is all about bromeliads care and everything.
How to get rid of fungus gnats in your houseplants or seedlings naturally. Plus tips for keeping them out of your home for good.
Getting ready for your next home renovation project, and planning on taking the DIY approach? Whether you’re trying to figure out the best configuration for your doorway, the perfect type of hardwood for your kitchen
Even late in the season, beauty is possible in clay soils. Discover tough plants that are clay busters and how to improve the soil.
Growing Rhododendrons is an excellent way to add big color & texture to your landscape. Learn how to plant, grow and care for these beuatiful perennials.
What is a moon garden? Moon gardens include plants with white flowers and silver or variegated foliage that can be seen reflected in the moonlight. Moon gardens also include white garden flowers with evening fragrance. Moon gardens can be created with your entire yard, a specific area, or even in just one container.
Tips for growing your own loofahs! This spring plant luffa in your garden and have homegrown sponges by the end of summer.
Vegetable Garden Bed Designs for your gardening inspiration! There are some great ways to grow food, check out these Vegetable Garden Bed Designs
Discover the best plants for clay soil and how to care for them so you can transform your challenging clay soil into a thriving garden.
Learn about plants with this 80 page botany lesson for kids! Information, worksheets, experiments, and more for elementary age!
Dieffenbachia plants are easy to care for. Learn how to grow dumb cane: water, sunlight, soil, fertilizer, pruning, pest control, and more!
Meet 20 evergreen groundcover plants that are beautiful all year long. Some are suited to full sun, others are best for shade. Many also produce flowers.
45 BEST tutorials, free building plans & design ideas on how to build easy DIY greenhouses, cold frames, backyard garden tunnels & hoops!
Read our fun & easy air plants care & display guide, tips, and types of air plants to help you make your home magical.
Make awesome plant combinations, step-by-step. Learn how to use contrast, color, texture & form to make unforgettable plant combinations in your garden.
Once you decide on creating your own terrarium, there are a few choices still to make. These choices will determine which plants will thrive in your terrarium containers, what kind of sunlight it needs, and how much maintenance it requires. Here is a quick guide to help you make your perfect terrarium. Container selection Whether you buy a terrarium kit, or find a terrarium container and convert it yourself, your vessel choice will determine the type of environment for your plants as being an open or closed terrarium. Open - Occasional Maintenance Closed - Lowest Maintenance Choosing Your Plants Once you choose between an open or closed terrarium, your next decision is to pick the plants you want to grow. The terrarium you choose will lend itself to either moisture-loving plants or plants that prefer an arid, dry environment. Here are a few of the most popular options for both types of terrariums. Open - These plants prefer circulating air and a more arid environment: Aloe, Hens & Chicks, Cacti, Air Plant Closed - These plants thrive in a closed environment with more moisture: Baby Ferns, Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Neoregelia Arranging your Drainage Layers Proper drainage in a terrarium is crucial for the health of your plants and the success of your terrarium. Each layer serves a purpose for ensuring the longevity of your plant and maintaining the proper growing environment. Open - Pebbles, Plant, Soil, Charcoal, Rocks Closed - Plant, Soil, Charcoal, Rocks Terrarium Care The best part of building a terrarium is enjoying it for years to come. If assembled correctly, a terrarium requires little ongoing maintenance. However, don’t let your hard work go to waste by not properly caring for your plants. Open - These terrariums are great for direct light or lots of sun. Make sure to consider the specific plants in your terrarium when placing it. Water every two weeks, or as needed. Closed - These terrariums require very little maintenance. Indirect light is great for these plants. Direct sunlight on a closed terrarium can burn your plants. Open the terrarium at least once a month for roughly 20 minutes to allow for some air circulation. ENJOY! Sources: Derek Woodruff, AIFD, PFCI, CF, Owner of Floral Underground https://www.ecoponics.com.sg/difference-closed-open-terrariums/
Choosing the best plants for a rain garden can be hard. Learn what to look for, and get tons of options for sun or shade on my detailed list.
I don't know if I've told you before, but I learned how to quilt while I lived in Japan in 2002. Japanese housewife culture, including their approach to quilting, has always fascenated me. I should have been an anthropologist and studied that more intensely, I know, but I got caught up in trying to communicate and became an ESL teacher instead. Anyway.. I discovered flickr in 2006 and the quilts I saw there lead me to start blogging about quilting. Tonight I want to share a handful of my favorite quilt photos from the Tokyo International Quilt festivals held each year in January. One year I'll make it there myself, but until then, I will live vicariously through Jennifer and Jan. Be*mused Tokyo Quilt Fest 2011 Set Be*mused Tokyo Quilt Fest 2010 Set Be*mused Tokyo Quilt Fest 2009 Set Movinghands Tokyo Quilt Fest 2008 Set Movinghands Tokyo Quilt Fest 2007 Set Movinghands Tokyo Quilt Fest 2006 Set (one of my all-time favorites is the 9th quilt in the set-- the blue one) All photos in this post were taken by Jan of Be*mused, used with permission. (*I hate to post quilt photos without information about the makers, but sadly most of these pics don't include any. Apparently the quilter info is only printed in Japanese at the show. If you have any information for any of these quilts, please comment and I will give them proper credit.)
Kat Von D has an all-black garden — take a tour of the spookiest flowers ever.
A fuss-free perennial garden plan doesn't have to be boring. Keep the color coming all season long with this easy-care design.
A little basic botany goes a long way to help us understand our herbal allies and make positive identifications when we are working with new plants.
The best way to preserve the beauty of the garden is with a flower press. With just a few materials and tools, you can make your own that looks as beautiful as it is functional.
