My poor plants in the sunroom. It’s a good thing my husband remembers to water them.  For people who are forgetful when it comes to watering – like me – here’s a great solution for those outdoor gardens from Domestic Imperfection,

Eric made two piles of garden soil, spread it, surrounded them with a thick layer of mulch. Then he lined it with rocks we had lying around the yard…standard garden stuff. This is where I would have planted seeds and called it a day, but Eric had better plans.

First he dug a trench and laid in PVC, one arm going to each bed and one that went to the edge of the garden.

Click through and read all the directions. This is genius!

When we put down river rock in our gardens out front, we first put down black sheets of plastic. Five years later, weeds are plentiful. However this tip from Parent’s Room looks like it could work,

The newspaper will prevent any grass and weed seeds from germinating, but unlike fabric, it will decompose after about 18 months. By that time, any grass and weed seeds that were present in the soil on planting will be dead. It’s green, it’s cheaper than fabric, and when you decide to remove or redesign the bed later on, you will not have the headache you would with fabric.

My bet is you’ll have to re-do it in another year, though!

The best salsa recipe I’ve ever made calls for chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and onions, along with a sprinkle of garlic salt and salt and pepper.  But cilantro is so hard to preserve … once you buy it you need to use it quickly!  Because I’ve thrown out more cilantro than I care to admit because of how quickly it does go bad, I was very happy to find this link on Our Subsistence Pattern about harvesting and preserving cilantro,

As we only allow a small area of our garden for this plant, if lucky, we are able to get three good cuttings that provide us with around 6 frozen gallons. Surprisingly, both cilantro and basil freeze very well. After cutting the leaves, preferably in the early morning while they are freshest, we mix them with a small amount of olive oil… just enough to coat the leaves. They are then packed into freezer bags and frozen for later use. The olive oil makes it really easy to separate the frozen leaves and also adds an extra flavor to the mix.

Nice! Now I’ll go make some salsa and freeze the cilantro I don’t use!

I use a flyswatter. Sometimes I use the bottom of a shoe if the wasp it walking around on the floor.  However, Tipnut has another suggestion for getting rid of wasps,

Here’s a quick DIY I saw on my local news (tv) using an empty jar, orange juice and a bit of jam (you’ll find the soda pop bottle versions I published previously underneath):

• Punch a hole into the jar lid that’s about as wide in diameter as the base of your pinky finger (you want the wasps to crawl in but not be able to fly out easily).
• Fill jar about 1/2 full with orange juice (can also use orange soda or some sweet & fruity smelling liquid).
• Smear raspberry or strawberry jam underneath the lid.

What’s really great about this article? The comment section. Go read them…

Happy 1,000th post, Shakyard!

Two years ago, we all pitched in for Mother’s Day and gave my Mom and raised vegetable garden.  It was nice in that she is able to sit on the edge and pull weeds, water, and give her plants some TLC.  It cost us about $300 in all after putting in bag after bag of soil, buying plants, and more.

However, Barb Rosen with Hometalk was able to build one for a whole lot less by using her neighbor’s old window shutters,

You could do other configurations, but I used two shutters on each side and one-half a shutter for the ends. That used up all ten of the free shutters. Odds and ends of lumber stored in the garage rafters came down and became corner, end and middle supports. I even had enough wood screws from another project to use for this one!

Very nicely done for $0 cost!

Hyacinths are probably my very favorite flowers with that out-of-this-world, beautiful smell.  When I see a hyacinth and just want to stand next to it and inhale deeply so the smell stays with me.  Forget receiving roses or other bouquets at work!! Send hyacinths!

That said, this is a terrific tip in growing your own!  From Learn2Grow.com,

Try forcing hyacinths in a hyacinth glass – a narrow-necked vase that allows one bulb to rest on top. Seat the bulb in the glass, pointed end up. Note where the bulb’s bottom rests, then fill the glass with water to a point just below that base. Replace the bulb. Store in a dark, well-ventilated spot (refrigerator, basement or garage) at 40-50 degrees F. Avoid freezing temps. Check the water level every few days, adding more when needed. In about 12 weeks, the bulb will fill the glass with roots and develop a shoot. Bring it to a warm spot with indirect sunlight (72 degrees F). After the leaves expand, it should be moved to a warmer location until growth accelerates. When foliage turns green, place in full sun.

Click through for pictorial instructions!  And grow grow grow!

Photo by kaybee07.

Most of us do not live in a tropical paradise, so growing pineapples would be challenging and even a bit scary to most of us.  However, they are incredibly easy to grow yourself.  Here from You Grow Girl are some pineapple growing tips,

At home, slice the crown (that’s the leafy top part) off the fruit. Be sure to remove all the flesh. If you don’t remove this material it may rot in the soil. Carefully slice small, horizontal sections from the crown until you see root buds that appear as small dots or circles on the cut surface.  The root buds are where the roots will eventually emerge and exposing them will facilitate quicker root formation. My pineapple top already had small roots formed as well. Strip off about an inch of lower leaves from the base to provide a stem for planting in the soil. Then set the plant top aside for a minimum of seven days in a dry place, out of full sun. The cut end must be allowed to heal and dry before planting, otherwise the plant will rot in the soil.

I may have to give this a whirl!

Just 10 years ago, these fabulous ideas for landscaping could only have been found in three places: 1) Fancy gardens of rich people, 2) Home and Garden magazines, or 3) In your own imagination.  Now we can find them everywhere thanks to great people who share their ideas online.  How about this?  A totem pole made from flower pots?

From hometalk.com,

 I collected beautiful pots and plates from Goodwill and garage sales. I dug a hole 12″ deep intserted a piece of rebar, which can be purchased at a hardware store in any length of your choice. Fill the hole with concrete. Level the rebar to make it straight. Once the concrete dries..overnight is good, start putting the pots and plates onto the rebar in an artistic order, gluing them as you go…

Beautiful!

Last week we looked at a video of gorgeous steps, so this week we’ll take a look at lovely pathways to your house (or around the garden).  From houzz,

A long, straight path instantly makes your house the focal point, adding a sense of grandeur. Brick and slate are both great choices for complementing a white exterior, and the two materials pair well together.

The link has TONS of great suggestions and why you would pick which material for your sidewalk.  My favorite:

Growing strawberries, that sweet luscious fruit everyone loves, can have its challenges.  Weeds love taking over strawberry fields, and birds and other animals pluck away at and dine on the fruit.  So how can growing strawberries be made easier?  Try growing them in a cinder block!

You will want to put the cinder blocks so that the plants will get six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day.  According to ehow home, the hours of sunlight do not need to be consecutive, but aim for at least six hours of total sun exposure.

Fill the holes in the concrete blocks 3/4 of the way full with the soil mixture. Plant one or two strawberry plants in each concrete block. Position the seedlings so the crown –the part of the plant where the roots meet the stem — rests just at soil level and all roots are covered with soil. Fill in around the roots with fresh soil and firm them down with your hands to secure the plants.

Early spring is when you start planting strawberries, so get ready!

By the way, did you know strawberries are the only fruit with the seeds on the outside?