Saturday November 21, 2009
Why have I been put into a mind to make a kissing ball? Well, here in New England (U.S.), we're entering the gray season, as cooler temperatures try to sever our ties with the plant domain. The rest of the year, I pretty much go with the flow -- but not now. My watch word during the gray season is "recalcitrance." With all my might, I resist being cut off from the wonders of the plant world to which I had become so accustomed over the course of the last eight months or so.
Gone now are the days of stepping outdoors to see how, for instance, the leaves on my Virginia sweetspire have changed from last week -- that's true. I realize that, from now on, when I step outdoors, I'll witness plants resigned to a rather static state, until spring returns. But that doesn't mean I have to take it lying down! I'm not a big fan of houseplants, but there are plenty of ways to keep the memories of better times alive....
One way to maintain a connection with the plant world during winter is to dry certain plant parts during fall, then bring them inside. For instance, I have some dried hydrangea flowers hanging up right next to me, as I type these words. I also like to dry hardshell gourds to work on my gourd craft.
Likewise, I enjoy using materials from the plant world to make Christmas decorations, such as kissing balls. While not all the materials in my kissing ball project are natural (heck, a Styrofoam ball lies at the very center of a kissing ball), I do discuss several natural materials in the process of showing you how to make kissing balls. For all the instructions, please click the link below.
View tutorial: How to Make Kissing Balls
Thursday November 19, 2009
If you rely on a garden hose to water your lawn, you understand what a nuisance hoses can be. I'm continually annoyed, in my own yard, by the fact that the plumbing for the garden hose is on one side of the driveway, while the lawn is on the other. This means, of course, that the hose must run across my driveway in order for me to water my lawn. The driveway is a small one, with barely enough room for the two cars that call it home. Inevitably, it seems, there's a car in the way when I want to reposition the hose. Sometimes, the hose even winds up pinned under a tire.
November is the one time of year, however, when I'm glad I water my lawn with a hose (or so I tell myself). Why? Because winterizing garden hoses is a breeze: just detach 'em, let the excess water ooze out, bring 'em inside and turn off the outside water supply.
But as About.com's Lawn Care Guide reports, winterizing sprinkler systems is another matter altogether. It's easy to put the hose's upscale cousin to bed for the winter only "if you have the proper equipment." Winterizing sprinkler systems requires an air compressor -- which, let's face, the average person tends not to have just lying around.
It's a small victory for us "hose people." Enjoy it while it lasts!
Resource related to winterizing sprinkler systems: Lawn Irrigation
Tuesday November 17, 2009
Do you have all the leaves removed off your lawn yet? If not, don't be ashamed: you have a sympathetic ear here with this procrastinator! But if you do, while your leaf-removal work is still fresh in your mind, it's a good time for you to share your leaf-removal method with the rest of us.
I admit to harboring some skepticism about leaf blowers. What gets them off on the wrong foot with me is the noise that they emit. While bothering with the task of leaf removal, I take great consolation in being able to enjoy a peaceful fall day, and the blare of an engine definitely detracts from that. Leaf raking is work, yes, but I find it more pleasant work than leaf blowing.
Of course, there's more to it than that. Some may not be up to leaf raking, physically.
How about you? How do you prefer to remove the leaves from your lawn: by leaf raking or leaf blowing -- or both? Click the link below to tell us your preference.
As for you procrastinators out there, the opinions sent in may provide the catalyst you need to get you moving before the snow flies!
What's your leaf-removal method: Leaf Raking or Leaf Blowing
Sunday November 15, 2009
Marie Iannotti grew tired of losing spring bulbs to pests. "So now I toss a handful of gravel into the planting holes to deter the voles, keep the tulips in sheltered pots and focus on deer resistant varieties," writes About.com's Gardening Guide. The spring bulbs that deer won't eat include:
Deer may not like crocus, but squirrels love them! Spreading blood meal around the planting bed will help deter the pests (and green up the grass considerably, if you're planting these spring bulbs in a lawn area), but a surer squirrel-control method is to lay chicken wire on top of the ground where you have just planted your crocus.
The nice thing about protecting crocus in this way is that, since most crocus plants are relatively small, there's often no rush to remove the chicken wire later, unless it's an area you'll need to mow (for spring bulbs that grow bigger, you'd have to remove the chicken wire before they push up in spring, lest the foliage be cut on the sharp wire).
