That December Sun and Other Things I Have Been Up To

December 6, 2015December 6, 2015 / Earth and Oils / 3 Comments

That December sun. The sunset tonight was out of this world. You don’t see it that often around these parts of the world at this time of year! It kind of sums up what the weather has been like for us in Buffalo. Milder than normal temps which resulted in another record broken for us– the longest we have gone this time of year without measurable snow!

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So, you really can’t do anything but take advantage of this weather if you have any last minute yard/garden work that needs to be done. I have been busy with a lot of different things, so here are a few things I accomplished on this 50+ degree weekend:

I broke a record for myself in the garden yesterday– I planted spring bulbs on December 5th!!

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Remember, you CAN plant bulbs right up until the ground freezes. Even if that means December 5th!

My amaryllis bulb I posted about last year is going to bloom again! After giving it TLC and taking my own advice, it’s back and I couldn’t be happier!

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I brought my tropical hibiscus in the house and it is still going strong! I have also made it part of my seasonal decor by adding a few ornaments. You can do this with any container plants you had outdoors for the summer. It makes your interior decor unique and welcoming!

I put a few ornaments on it, but not too many because I have two cats who are a little too curious…

I finally got some time to decorate my urns on my front porch. They are pretty much the same as last year, but without any evergreens just yet. My spikes are still thriving, so it’s just my giant bulb ornaments with spikes and creeping jenny for now!

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Nothing has cost me a lot of money– it’s amazing what a little creativity can do for you! Using your own houseplants and containers from outdoors this past growing season can be used in what I like to call “transitional decorating” — from the holidays to winter. I always like to keep some kind of decorations up all winter because it can get a little dreary without some “cheer” around the house.

I have a special decorating post I have in the hopper all about one of my favorite things — Feather Trees! So, until next time, Happy December!

“Mum” is the Word on My Crazy Bulb Obsession and Other Musings

September 30, 2015 / Earth and Oils / 2 Comments

This past weekend was one of the nicest first weekends of fall that I can remember! All of my fall-blooming plants are doing so well– I am so happy that everything is coming along!

My first Morning Glory finally bloomed!

The problem with me is that when the weather is so nice, all I want to do is be outside, which leads to me neglecting my indoor household responsibilities. No worries, Monday and Tuesday were rain-filled days for us, and I was able to get a lot of stuff done inside. Which is the main reason why it’s Wednesday and I am just starting this post!

I was very busy in the garden over the weekend, and I went a little nuts on Friday after work. In a post not too long ago, I talked about Fall Bulbs and which ones I was going to plant. Heheheh ehh……yea, Friday night I went shopping at my local Lowe’s and ended up going bulb crazy! I also made sure to get my mums. I still would like to get a couple more of those as well.

Mums and Bulbs. Went a little crazy!

Yep, I even expanded my flower beds to accommodate the more than 100 bulbs I planted into that particular area!! And that was just one bed! I ended up with a total of 160+ bulbs in the ground by weekend’s end. Really?!!!

I really can’t help it. There are so many different flowers I want to try, and I end up getting the bulbs just to try them. I was lacking in the Spring-blooming plant department, so I pretty much made up for that over the weekend. It was exhausting, but I managed to get it done. I am still waiting for some other Allium bulbs to come in the mail, so when they do, I will be over the 200 mark with Spring bulbs. I think my four-season garden is coming along just fine now!

It dawned on me as I was just finding places to plant some of these bulbs that I needed to mark them in some way, shape or form. The past few years, I have forgotten where I have planted things, and end up digging them up and losing the bulbs.

Here is my tip for you when it comes to marking your bulbs you planted:

*I simply took pictures of the bulb packages in the exact space I planted them.

I planted hyacinths under my old bluebird house.

You may have other ways you mark your bulbs that are more efficient, but for me, to have photo proof keeps me from losing serious bulbs.

The overall effort of this mass bulb planting included purchasing four extra bags of dirt and the aid of a special little helper.

She did a good job, and to show my appreciation, we went to the playground and then sat on the roof of our local ice cream joint. There is no better place to watch the sunset than on top of Mississippi Mudds!

So, this coming weekend has us getting pumpkins–part of my front entryway fall decor. Can’t wait to share!

I love fall and everything that comes with it! I made a trip to Yankee Candle last Friday night to get some wax melts and fell in love with “Autumn Leaves” scent. I just got a coupon in the mail and can’t wait to get some time to run over again and get the big jar candle!

Oh, and my last musing for this post– my sunflowers. I did a whole tutorial last year on sunflowers and how to harvest the seeds. Well, with all the rain we received in the past two days, they collapsed and fell just like last year. I was disappointed this year because my sunflowers didn’t get nearly as big as they did last year. No matter, I cut the heads off to dry and was dragging 6ft. sunflower stalks to the curb. Here’s hoping for a better crop next year!

Whoever said gardening wasn’t exercise didn’t drag 6ft. sunflower stalks, that’s for sure!

“Fall” Into Spring Garden Prep — Selecting/Planting Bulbs

September 13, 2015 / Earth and Oils / 4 Comments

As we all adjust to our regularly scheduled lives– kids back to school, getting back into work mode, vacations are over, etc., we now have to start thinking about what we have to do to get our gardens ready for next season! We have to make sure they get through whatever type of winter Mother Nature throws at us first in order to insure our spring bounty. So the first part of this “Fall” Into Spring Garden Prep is a natural– Spring Bulbs. What bulbs should you plant? How many should you plant? When is a good time to plant? Hopefully, I will be able to answer those questions for you.

*First things first: you can plant bulbs anytime during the fall right up until the ground freezes. I was planting bulbs in early November a couple of years ago.

There are several garden seed/bulb catalogs out there that offer several different types of spring bulbs. There are so many varieties of daffodils, tulips, crocus and hyacinths that you shouldn’t have a problem finding the bulbs you would like.

Here are a few sites that I really like when it comes to the selection and variety of bulbs and seeds that are offered:

So, what bulbs should you plant?

Plant whatever bulbs you want! But, consider the factors: how much room do you have, do you have a large deer population, etc. There are several types of bulbs that are deer resistant, and you will notice that many garden websites have a whole section dedicated to them. If you have a lot of deer hanging around, stick with daffodils and allium varieties. Tulips are great, but deer tend to love them a lot. Another thing about tulips is that the bulbs tend to exhaust themselves over time, so you will be replanting them more often.

How many should you plant?

Well, as many as you want! Do you see a pattern here?! Whatever you want– just factor in how much space you have, and maintain adequate space between bulbs. You want to get as close to a four-season garden as you possibly can. Try to create a good distribution of spring-fall blooming plants as best as you can.

Bulbs that I am planting:

*Narcissus, Iris — I actually got these bulbs from my parents. The iris’ are close to 50+ years old, and were my grandmother’s. The narcissus were from my grandmother as well, so I am very happy that I have some of my grandmother’s flowers in my garden. After we had our house re-sided, my flower beds were destroyed from feet, and I completely changed it. Now, I have some iris’ and narcissus’ planted in there.

*Alliums — you know I love alliums. I went through a planting tutorial last year with allium bulbs. I am going to order some really neat varieties, and I can wait to show you what ones I will be planting!

*Daffodils — I am thinking of adding a few daffodils to the mix as well. I need deer resistant bulbs because of the problems my neighborhood has with our four-legged friends.

I hope this helps you a little to better understand spring bulbs and what you would like to plant. It is definitely worth the effort to plant bulbs now, because as everyone in a snow-filled area of the world knows, there is nothing better than seeing little flowers springing up from the ground after a LOOOONG winter!

A Little Birdie Told Me…The April Wrap-Up

April 28, 2015 / Earth and Oils / 1 Comment

I can’t believe that this is the end of April…where did the time go? I have to admit, this past weekend, I did not do one bit of garden preparation/yard work. Instead, I decided to play all weekend with my daughter. My husband was really sick with a BAD stomach virus, so I wanted to keep the little one busy. With a trip to the zoo, two consecutive stops at the playground and a nature walk, I kept her outside all weekend…and she slept well to boot!

Meerkats at the zoo totally rock!

Well, I am really looking forward to this coming weekend–it’s going to be beautiful! I am probably going to do some last-minute stuff to the yard, and before you know it, it will be planting time! I can’t wait!

So, what am I planting this year?

Bleeding Hearts— they are a these stems of beautiful heart-shaped flowers that I hope will come up. I have purchased a package of three bulbs. I have wanted these for a long time, so I am really anxious to get them started!

Astilbe— these fern like flowers come in many varieties, and somehow I got my hands on a package of very tall ones. I thought they looked neat, so I thought I would give them a shot.

Morning Glory— a beautiful annual vine that has blue flowers. My mother actually suggested a few years ago that I should get one. I purchased a package of seeds, so I really hope the seeds come up this year. Our winter was so cold, none of my seeds really did well…

Cosmos— …except for my Cosmos seeds! I purchased another package, and this year, I have picked out pink and blue ones. They did really well, and I am anticipating this batch will do well, too!

Sunflowers— because of tree roots, these are the only things that will grow on the one side of my garage, and they did wonderfully last year! They will always be in my yard, if my husband has anything to say about it!

*And, a follow-up to a post I did in the winter in regards to that spent Amaryllis bulb from the holidays? Well, remember when I showed you how I butchered the darn thing when you shouldn’t cut the leaves off?

The leaves grew back! I was thrilled! And they grew really fast! So, all is not lost should you accidentally cut all the leaves off of your Amaryllis bulb!

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And today! The leaves grew back!

And now, for some exciting news! After much nudging from friends and co-workers, I have gone and done it. The Bent Trowel is now on Twitter! In case anyone is interested, my handle is @BentTrowel. My extremely kind and helpful co-worker (who happens to be my cubicle neighbor in the Marketing Department and Social Media Strategist for my company) has steered me in the right direction and given lots of advice to this technologically handicapped person! I have just started the account and have a lot to learn, but I feel this is very important to know. Social Media is very powerful, and here to stay. I have been slowly taking The Bent Trowel to the next level, and I think this is a good step forward.

The twitter account will also go hand-in-hand with the planned expansion I would like to do with my blog. Of course, this will all take time, because, as many of you know, being a full-time working mother can be overwhelming, and trying to fit everything in seems impossible at times. The only time I do get to blog is when my daughter is sleeping, so I don’t get to play around with things on my site as much as I would like. There is a lot to learn, and with time, I know things will work out according.

So, enjoy the week, and tune in next time for a regularly scheduled and (hopefully) informative blog post!