Christmas Presents

I am always trying to bring the outside in and this year I did this with my Christmas tree. I picked hydrangeas from my yard and put them in my tree as well as adding birds and bugs. I just love how it turned out.

I also tried to reuse/recycle by using old maps as wrapping paper and using vintage Christmas cards as tags. I found fun ribbon to tie it together at my local craft store.

My mom made me this really cute tree skirt this year and I was inspired by the colors! Thanks Mom!

-The Crafty Gardener

Merry Merry Christmas...

Merry Christmas

Finding a paint color can be a difficult decision. I just love blues and greens. I always find myself with tons of paint chips laying around because of this. So this year I decided to make them useful. I took paint chips and stamped out the letters MERRY CHRISTMAS and make myself a cute banner. I hung the banner up over an old window with cute ribbon I used for my Christmas presents. This was a fun project!

The Letter 'E'

-The Crafty Gardener

Make It A Homemade Christmas

This year I decided to make all of my Christmas gifts. I made homemade candles out of soy wax, living ornaments, and  succulents in tea cups to name a few. I had so much fun making these, I think I will be making gifts from now on.

Soy Wax Candle in a Container from Ross

To make the candles, I just bought soy wax flakes at my local craft store and melted it down in the microwave. I found that 5 minutes worked out best. Next, I poured the wax in a container and inserted a candle wick. I also found the wicks at my local craft store.

Living Ornament

To make the living ornaments, I found glass ornaments that had a hole in the front at my local craft store. Then I bought air plants at my local nursery. Lastly,  I went down to the closest creak and picked up rocks. These turned out so cute and made great gifts.

Tea Cup Succulents

To make the succulents in a tea cup, I found a tea cup at the thrift store. After washing it, I dug up succulents from my yard and put them in the tea cup. I filled in dirt around the succulents and gave them a good water. After this, I put some pretty moss around it. This turned out so cute, it is going to be hard to give it away!

-The Crafty Cardener

Planting Trees in the Fall

September to November is the time of year to plant some trees around your house. Most people think that fall is the end of the growing season but it is not. Fall is a great time to plant a tree. While we are waiting for spring, your new tree will be growing a strong root system. This is a huge advantage because when the hot weather comes in spring and summer,  your tree will already have a strong root system, meaning you will have a less likely chance of losing the tree and you will not have to water it as much as you would need to water a tree that is planted in the spring.

Variegated Dogwood Leaf

Another great advantage of planting in the fall is that most garden centers have sales on their trees. They do this because they do not want to care for the inventory over the winter. Last year I was able to buy a 5 gallon curly willow for $5 and two variegated dogwoods for $55. I was practically stealing these trees. I have seen curly willows priced from $30-$60 in the spring and variegated dogwoods go for $55 each.

Mature Curly Willow (photo from http://www.hornbakergardens.com)

According to savatree.com, trees recommended for fall planting include the maple, buckeye, horse chestnut, alder, catalpa, hackberry, hawthorn, ash, honey locust, crabapple, amur corktree, spruce, pine, sycamore, linden and elm.




-The Crafty Gardener

Show Off Your Address

Why stick to the old school way of showing people your address, when you can be creative and unique. While on the Auburn, California, Garden Tour, I saw these amazing little "Bird Houses" that were turned into address numbers. I just fell in love! Adding these to your garden will definitely put a smile on your face as well as your neighbors.

Visitors in the Night

Deer once again have decided that I planted these lovely plants to keep their bellies full. Yes, I planted them for you, deer, not myself or my husband or my neighbors to enjoy. Well, it is time to fight back! I just sprayed my entire yard with Liquid Fence. Liquid Fence does smell but the smell goes away pretty quickly. Last year, Liquid Fence is the only thing that allowed me to enjoy my flowers that I worked so hard on planting.

This year I also planted a ton of Foxgloves. Why you ask? Well, deer HATE Foxgloves and I just think they are beautiful. They come in a large range of colors and they reseed themselves. Who doesn't love that? I find them in six packs at my local Ace Hardware Store Nursery. Not only are the beautiful, but deer hate them! THANK YOU!

-The Crafty Gardener

Baptisia

 

Baptisia also known as False Indigo or Wild Indigo is a great addition to any garden. This year I added 'Twilight' and 'Starlight' to my garden. Baptisia can be grown in zones 3-10 and likes full sun. I put mine on a hillside. These plants are amazing. They attract butterflies, are deer resistant and provide winter interest in your garden. These plants are tough as well. They are tolerant to humidity and salt. A great source for these plants is Bluestone Perennials (http://www.bluestoneperennials.com). The price ranges from $10.95 to $14.95.

 

Twilight

 

 

Starlite

 

 

Happy Gardening!!! - The Crafty Gardener

Bring Your Garden Into Your Home Without Plants

I absolutely love gardening but I also love garden decor. I think botanical prints are just amazing to put up on your walls in any room. It does not matter if they are vintage or reproduction, they are all cute. A great place to find some are at http://www.etsy.com/shop/slinkymalinkicat?ref=top_trail or http://www.etsy.com/shop/martin2001?page=4.

Botanical Prints that are on the wall in my living room.

Fun vintage prints that I found at a yard sale, in laundry room.

 Here is an amazing shop on etsy.com, Chocolate Frog, http://www.etsy.com/shop/chocolatefrog?ref=seller_info. Anne Honeyman is from the UK and makes amazing creations by using machine embroidery. These are really amazing.

Who Needs Soil?

 Air plants are so much fun to play around with. They come in all different shapes and sizes. They even bloom! You can put them in any container you would like. Here I found two air plants at a local nursery and put them in a candy dish that I found at a yard sale.





You need to water these little wonders two times a week in the morning. You should put them in a bowl or glass so you can fully submerge them in water. When done, put them in a place so they can fully dry; they will die if left wet for a long period of time. Also, make sure they get plenty of light. They should not be more than 10 feet away from a window.

You can get really creative with these fun plants. Go hunting for some interesting containers and air plants! There is no limit to the amount of combinations you can come up with. These little creations would be perfect gifts for any occasion. They also could be great for a party favor! Have fun!!!
-The Crafty Gardener

I'm a Little Tea Cup

I love, love, love tea cups! I feel like all of them have their own personality. Here I took one that was given to me by a friend and added a Polka Dot plant. Thanks Jen for the cute cup!!!

From Trash to Treasure

My husband is in the process of creating a Ratrod. Because he has been talking about the Junk Yard so much, I decided to play it a visit to see what all the buzz is about! As it turns out, it is AMAZING! I found this metal planter box out in a pile of scrap metal. When I went up to buy it, the man told me I could have it for free!!! FREE!!!! All I had to do was add a liner, some potting soil, and plants! So happy with the results! Thank you, thank you!!!

Miniature Gardens

Miniature Gardens are all the rage right now!!! After seeing an adorable one made out of a bird bath in Better Homes and Gardens, I decided it was time for me to make one myself. Here I took my bird bath and turned it into a miniature garden. I found the miniature furniture at a local nursery.

I was so happy with how it turned out, I decided to make one for inside my house. Here I found a metal house, also a candle holder, an old dish and added some succulents!

I had so much fun making these. You should really try to make one yourself!!!
 -The Crafty Gardener

Don't let this time of year get you down...

Most people think that this time of year is when your garden in at rest... well it is not. There are many plants that are blooming this time of year. As I walked through my garden today I had to smile. I saw that my double helleborus are blooming as well as my primroses. Some of my camellias as blooming as well. I have to say, my favorite plant right now would have to be kale. The beautiful color and shape make them a stand out in any garden.

As well as walking through the garden and enjoying what was blooming, I had to get in some of my spring bulbs I bought at Costco earlier this week. I was able to get 4 bags of bulbs for around $13 a bag. I was surprised by what Costco was selling. My must have bulb this year was Trillium! Yes, Costco had them!!! 12 bulbs for only $12 and some change!!! I could not believe it.

Trillium is a unusual shade plant that has blooms ranging in color: purple, yellow, and white. This North America and Asia native has a small bloom that sits on top of a long stem. It is definitely an amazing addition to any garden!