From Dirt To Soil
When planting for our garden, most of us just use pre-purchased potting soil to make sure our plants have enough nutrients to grow. However, this is honestly a waste of money- especially since you have your own yard full of (free) dirt. Check out this post by Jessica at 104 Homestead for how to turn your ordinary dirt into rich soil:
-Create as much compost as you can, then layer it with animal manure in a lasagna style.
-Start with a layer of newspaper or cardboard, wet it down, and add a thin layer of compost or manure. Then, add a 6-8 inch thick layer of straw or chopped dry leaves, and top with a final thick layer of compost or manure. The next step in repairing damaged soil is to make sure all the lovely nutrients you added don’t get washed away by erosion. Use mulch in between your plants so the soil stays put.
Friday Fun Video: Geranium Growing Tips
Geraniums are absolutely gorgeous and smell heavenly!
Wordless Wednesday: Firewood Trellis
Garden Path Tips and Tricks
Adding a brick or stone path to your yard instantly boosts your curb appeal, and makes your garden a magical place to be. While they can be hard work to install, they have a big impact on your entire yard when they are finished. If you are thinking of putting a brick path in your garden, check out this collection of posts from Family Handyman for some useful landscaping tips and tricks to make it easier:
-Use a standard chalk line reel to create a layout for the bricks
-Use heavy-duty dollies to move stones and bricks to save your back
-Protect grass with plywood
-Wrap your fingers with athletic tape to protect them from cuts and scrapes
Wordless Wednesday: Deck With Plants
Shredded Paper = Composting Gold
I tend to get a lot of junk mail; probably because I sign up for so many free sample sites. Most of it goes straight into the trash. Important documents that include personal information go into a separate pile and either get shredded or burned. However, there is a way to turn wasteful junk mail into something that benefits the environment and helps your garden! Check out this post by Joe Lamp’l at Growing A Greener World for tips:
As long as there is junk mail, schoolwork, bills or anything else printed, there will always be and endless source of compostable material from inside the house. And while we’re having some good clean family fun reducing unwanted paper to confetti, I am creating a wonderful carbon-rich addition for the compost pile and ultimately the best soil amendment in the world!
Although the extra compost you’ll make is the direct benefit, keeping all that paper out of the landfill is a simple and significant way to do something good for our planet too
Wordless Wednesday: Pathway and Pergola
Add Color To Your Shade Garden
When I think of plants that grow well in the shade, I picture mostly dark, leafy greens. Which is true! Plants like lettuce, kale, and arugula flourish in shadier conditions. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t bright and colorful plants that can perk up your shade garden! Check out this post by Sunset.com for the most colorful flowers that love shade:
-Begonias
-Copper plant
-Flowering Maple
-Garden Hydrangea
-Geranium Cranesbill
