AMARYLLIS

I bought these Amaryllis at Walmart for $4.00 per bulb (was $10 each), not bad for such beautiful flowers. I got these after Christmas sale.

DO YOU HAVE PLANT DNA?

YOU HAVE PLANT GENE IN YOU IF YOU MEET ATLEAST SOME OF THE FOLLOWING:

1)GROW PLANTS IN YOUR HOUSE
2)GROW PLANTS FROM SEEDS OR CUTTINGS
3)BUY PLANTS EVEN YOU DON'T NEED THEM
4)SHOP FOR PLANTS ONCE OR MORE A WEEK
5)OUTSIDE TAKING CARE OF YOUR GREEN VEGETATION ATLEAST 3 DAYS A WEEK IN SUMMER
6)HAVE PLANTS AT YOUR WORK PLACE
7)GROW VEGETABLES OR OTHER PLANTS FOR FOOD.
8)LOOKING FOR SALES ON PLANTS OR OTHER RELATED ITEMS
9)BRING ANNUAL PLANTS INSIDE DURING WINTER MONTHS
10)TALK TO PLANTS TO GIVE THEM CARBON DIOXIDE.
11)THINK ABOUT GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING DAILY.
12)ABLE TO KEEP MOST PLANTS YOU HAVE ALIVE, YOU MY FRIEND HAVE GOOD ENERGY
13)YOU ARE THE TYPE WHO IS USUALLY CREATIVE AND MAYBE LEFT HANDED
14)GOOD WITH YOUR HANDS AND VERY CRAFTY.
15)SAVE EVERY FLOWER OR TREE SEEDLING EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NO MORE ROOM.
16)COLLECT SEEDS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
17)SEEK OUT PLANTS OR SEEDS WHEN YOU ARE ON VACATION OR ON BUSINESS TRIP.

AGE YOUR CONCRETE WITH PAINT AND WATER

IF YOU LIKE THE CLASSIC AGED CONCRETE LOOK TO BRING ANOTHER DIMENSION TO YOUR PLANTS AND LANDSCAPE HERE IS WHAT YOU DO:

1) MIX YOUR SELECTED PAINT WITH WATER, THE LIGHTNESS/DARKNESS OF THE MIXTURE WILL DEPEND ON YOUR PREFERENCE AS FAR AS THE MIXTURE OF PAINT AND WATER RATIO. FOR THE PICTURES SHOWN I KINDA EYEBALL THE CONSISTENCY PROBABLY 3:1 OR 4:1 RATIO WATER TO PAINT.

2) MIX YOUR PAINT AND WATER THOROUGHLY SO THERE ARE NOT CLUMS. MAKE SURE YOUR CONCRETE IS CLEAN ENOUGH FOR THE MIXTURE SOLUTION TO STICK. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY SPIC AND SPAN.

3) APPLY MIXTURE WITH A BRUSH OR A RAG. PAINT AGAINST THE GRAIN IF YOU DON'T PLAN TO WIPE OFF THE EXCESS. WIPE OFF EXCESS IF YOU THINK IT IS TOO DARK OR IF YOU WANT GIVE IT A MORE NATURAL LOOK. IF YOU THE MIXTURE IS TOO DARK OR PAINT LIKE CONSISTENCY ADD MORE WATER. IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE PROCESS, BEST THING TO DO IS TRY MIXTURE ON SMALL AREA OR SCRAP CONCRETE.

GLASS VASE INTO CLASSIC LOOK

YOU CAN TURN YOUR DULL GLASS VASE INTO AN EXPENSIVE AND APPEALING PLANT VASE . THE PICTURES SHOW BAMBOO PLANTS PLACED IN GOLDEN SHIMMERING VASE AND THE ARRANGEMENT LOOKS WARM AND WELCOMING. ALSO THE FIRE RED COLOR VASE LOOKS LIKE A BLOWN GLASS AND DEFINITELY ADDS A PUNCH TO A ROOM.

I BOUGHT THE 10 INCH VASE AT LOCAL STORE UNDER s2.00 AND PAINT (SPRAY CAN) UNDER $1.50 AND I TURNED GLASS VASE INTO VERY EYE CATCHING PLANT HOLDER.

WHEN YOU PAINT THE VASE MAKE SURE THE GLASS IS DUST OR DIRT FREE OR ANYTHING FREE THAT WILL CAUSE THE PAINT NOT TO STICK. I DIDN'T ADD ANYTHING EXTRA PRIMER OR SPECIAL BONDING SOLUTION BEFORE PAINTING IT. I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT WANT TO ADD IF YOU WANTED THE PAINT TO STICK BETTER BUT FOR THIS PURPOSE JUST PAINT IS FINE BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE HANDLING IT ALL THE TIME. PICTURES ARE LITTE GRAINY FROM NIGHT TIME BUT I WILL GET BETTER PICTURES IN THE DAYTIME.

CUTTINGS FOR SWEET POTATOE VINES

I READ SOMEWHERE THAT YOU CAN BRING YOUR SWEET POTATOE VINE PLANTS IN FOR THE WINTER IN WATER OR DIRT. I AM PRETTY SURE THEY ARE ANNUAL. RIGHT NOW I HAVE CUTTINGS OF STEMS WITH SOME LEAVES AND STUCK IN WATER, OVER TWO TO THREE DAYS THE PLANTS START ROOTING. HOPEFULLY, THEY WILL SURVIVE FOR NEXT SEASON. I ALSO HEARD THAT GERANIUM PLANTS CAN BE BROUGHT INSIDE IN WATER OR IN DIRT.

I KNOW THESE PLANTS AREN'T TOO TREMENDOUSLY EXPENSIVE BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET A FAST START FOR NEXT GROWING SEASON. IF THEY ALL SURVIVE I WILL HAVE BIGGER PLANTS THAN MY NEIGHBORS. YOU KNOW NEIGHBORS COULD BE SO ANNOYING. THEY ALWAYS WANT TO ONE UP ON YOU.

FALL IS BEST TIME GARDENING DEALS

I was just at the store and what caught my eyes were those sale stickers. Stores are cleaning out their inventory to make room for new products therefore it is time for you to get out of the house and start shopping for great deals. Never pay for price if you don't have too. Let those snobby people be stupid and spend all their money. You look a lot smarter when you paid 1/2 price for something that your annoying neighbor paid full price.

Make sure you check the product thoroughly, just because it is on sale doesn't mean it is worth the value. You don't want to buy something at cheap price and it ends up falling apart within a month or so.

Smart shopper knows when to shop and you can be that shopper unless you have endless bank accounts. Also compare shop because I found great deals in lumber yard stores that sell gardening products that you don't find a lot women (which usually the gardener of the family) go to therefore things get marked down because they have surplus.

Yes I bought those clay pots on sale $5.00, original prices were $10 to $20 each. A deal is deal no matter what. Everyone enjoys a deal..well I do anyway.

Happy Smart Shopping and save your money do it.

Containers or Pots for Plants

I recommend spend little more on good durable plant containers or pots. Good quality pots will last longer in the weather and also a usually nice to look at.

Containers/pots I usually buy:

-Clay or terracota - this type wears well over time
- Molded hard plastic - this type is ok but the paint comes off in extreme weather unless it was baked on.
-Molded hard fiberglass - this is my preference because it lasts the longest and usually has a very appealing design.

Concrete - I like concrete pots too but they are heavy and dull.

Stay away from the really flimsy thin plastic containers or pots because they don't last very long and look cheap.