Pumpkin season is coming!

From Pinterest.

We have the most fantastic fire pit at my house. My husband built it earlier this year and we’ve immensely enjoyed it – except when it was 110 degrees outside!  However, we do have one complaint and that’s the mosquitoes!

I believe – if this works – we may have found a great solution.  From Intuition Physician,

One more tip I have for summer firepits/bonfires is to throw a stick of sage into the fire.  The sage scented smoke that the fire will emit keeps mosquitos and other annoying bugs at bay for the entire area.  We love it.  Usually the sage stick that we throw into our fire is enough, no need for bug sprays.

Am ready to test this great idea!

Photo from Pinterest.

This. I love this so much!  Fairy berries lights for your outside party, swimming pool, etc.

What a charming effect these little orbs of light make as they gently fade in and out. Scatter or hang them anywhere—yard, patio, table, garden, trees…they’re even water resistant to add a soft glow in a pool, pond or fountain.

I’m thinking these would be really neat at a wedding, too!

I used to imagine that if I got stuck living hand-to-mouth, I would be a strong survivor!  No plant or animal or weather incident would defeat me in that cave I would have found to live in. Ha!  The reality is that I’d be like the girl on Hunger Games and eat that poison berry by accident.

But for you, let’s give you a lesson on what you can and can’t eat in the wild.  This is a long video, but helpful!

I love summer but the yard work that piles up is just mind-numbing for someone who likes the feel of cool air on her face.  Outside you get to swat at gnats and mosquitoes and sweat flies.  Inside I sashay around with a watering  pitcher.  Outside sweat pours off my nose.  Inside I pop a bon bon in my mouth.

All kidding aside, there are some easy, low stress ways to keep your yard in good shape.  From xfinity.com, one way to beat the summer heat is not to bag your grass clippings,

Want to skip some stress when you mow? Leave the clipping bag in the garage, drop that rake and leave those clippings where they fall.

Research at the University of Connecticut has shown that you can cut your use of nitrous fertilizer by 50 percent or more, just by letting the grass clippings do the work for you. “It’s kind of a no-brainer, but people don’t do it,” Littlefield says. “They will decompose and the nutrients in them will return to the soil,” she says. “It’s recycling.”

Please do tell my neighbors this is why I don’t bag my clippings!

Photo by dan4th nicholas.

Photo from Pinterest.

Sometimes adding warmth to seeds as they germinate will help the process along. And this is task is fairly easy thanks to some creativity and Christmas rope lights!  From Vegetable Gardener,

In building the mat, the rope light weaves around long thin strips of wood, and both are attached to a ‘plank’ of plywood. The gaps between the wood strips serve to help with airflow. The rope light will only emit a certain amount of heat – not enough to burn the wood. Since it’s thinner than the wood strips, the rope light doesn’t come in contact with the seed trays. Since the rope light is insulated for outdoor use, it’s protected from water.

Great idea!