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| Home & Gardens |
| Prepare Your Roses for Long-Lasting Display By: Jeanette Joy Fisher |
| How To Make Over A Room In An Afternoon By: Kristin Wooding |
There are few flowers that look as nice or smell as
wonderful as fresh roses. They're perfect for cutting
and bringing into the house to enjoy, and if you take a
little extra care in cutting and preparing them, they'll
last much longer in that special vase.
First, make sure your cutting shears are very sharp
and clean. If the blades are dull, they will crush the
stems, and dirty blades can transmit diseases from one
plant to another. Next, always cut your roses in the
mid-afternoon, after 3:00, when their nutrient levels are
at their highest.
If you're looking for roses that will look beautiful for a
long time after you've brought them inside, choose
buds that are 1/3 to half open. Blooms that are already
open will look nice, too, of course, but they won't last
nearly as long. Leave at least three leaves on the stem
you're cutting, but remove all those that will be below
the waterline in your vase.
Back inside, there are a number of tricks you can use
to lengthen the life of your cut roses. First, you need to
replace the small air pocket that was created when you
first cut the stem with water. Fill a bowl with water that's
as hot as you can stand to put your hand into without
being scalded, and then add a rose preservative
(available at any garden shop) and a few drops of
bleach.
(...to continue click here)
wonderful as fresh roses. They're perfect for cutting
and bringing into the house to enjoy, and if you take a
little extra care in cutting and preparing them, they'll
last much longer in that special vase.
First, make sure your cutting shears are very sharp
and clean. If the blades are dull, they will crush the
stems, and dirty blades can transmit diseases from one
plant to another. Next, always cut your roses in the
mid-afternoon, after 3:00, when their nutrient levels are
at their highest.
If you're looking for roses that will look beautiful for a
long time after you've brought them inside, choose
buds that are 1/3 to half open. Blooms that are already
open will look nice, too, of course, but they won't last
nearly as long. Leave at least three leaves on the stem
you're cutting, but remove all those that will be below
the waterline in your vase.
Back inside, there are a number of tricks you can use
to lengthen the life of your cut roses. First, you need to
replace the small air pocket that was created when you
first cut the stem with water. Fill a bowl with water that's
as hot as you can stand to put your hand into without
being scalded, and then add a rose preservative
(available at any garden shop) and a few drops of
bleach.
(...to continue click here)
I’m about to share with you the nine simple steps you
can take to make a real difference in the look and
function of any room in your home. It’s often a
surprise to people how much of a difference they can
make to the way they experience their home in very
little time. Just by taking ‘stock’ of what they have,
editing the things that don’t belong and doing a good
cleaning you can effectively give your favorite space a
‘fresh’ look.
Step 1.
Remove everything and I mean everything from the
room. Just place it all in the hall or another place in
the house temporarily so that you can see the room
free of all furniture and clutter. Once you have it down
to four walls and the floor, you are ready to see the
room in a new light (and you won’t be overwhelmed by
the contents anymore).
Note: You can speed up this ‘emptying’ process if you
recruit a couple of girlfriends or family members to
help you out. (I find bribery works well).
Step 2.
Now it’s time to fire up the vacuum and the feather
duster. Make sure you give it a thorough cleaning.
Because the room is empty you’ll find this does not’t
take too long and you’ll be able to get into the corners
easier. Your mom will be proud.
Note: This would be a good chance to take a wet dust
rag and give the old baseboards a good once over
(it’s amazing how much dirt and dust collects there).
(...to continue click here)
can take to make a real difference in the look and
function of any room in your home. It’s often a
surprise to people how much of a difference they can
make to the way they experience their home in very
little time. Just by taking ‘stock’ of what they have,
editing the things that don’t belong and doing a good
cleaning you can effectively give your favorite space a
‘fresh’ look.
Step 1.
Remove everything and I mean everything from the
room. Just place it all in the hall or another place in
the house temporarily so that you can see the room
free of all furniture and clutter. Once you have it down
to four walls and the floor, you are ready to see the
room in a new light (and you won’t be overwhelmed by
the contents anymore).
Note: You can speed up this ‘emptying’ process if you
recruit a couple of girlfriends or family members to
help you out. (I find bribery works well).
Step 2.
Now it’s time to fire up the vacuum and the feather
duster. Make sure you give it a thorough cleaning.
Because the room is empty you’ll find this does not’t
take too long and you’ll be able to get into the corners
easier. Your mom will be proud.
Note: This would be a good chance to take a wet dust
rag and give the old baseboards a good once over
(it’s amazing how much dirt and dust collects there).
(...to continue click here)
| The Frugal Gardener By: Rachel Paxton |
Gardening can be expensive. When you're on a tight budget, garden projects
seem to fall way to the bottom of your list of spending priorities.
I love the outdoors. And I love spending time at home in our yard. We've never
been able to spend the kind of money I'd like to for landscaping, but over the years
we've found some ways to make a little bit of money go quite far.
Shop end-of-season sales. It's easy to remember to do this when shopping for clothes
and other household items, but I forget the same goes for plants. You can get a great
deal on outdoor plants and trees shopping at the end of the season. Even annuals that
are almost out of season are a good buy. They won't bloom again until next year, but for
the savings you're getting it's worth it to plant them now and wait until next year to enjoy
them. You can also get a great deal on fruit trees at the end of the season. Don't forget to
check out the sidewalks of grocery stores and neighborhood markets. They mark down
the prices of plants significantly at the end of the season.
Divide and transplant. It doesn't take long for plants to start to take over your flower beds. I grow some herbs and
daisies that seem to creep inches through the flower bed each week. Instead of letting plants like these take over the
flower bed, transplant them to another part of the yard. Flowers like daisies are easy to dig out in big clumps and move
around wherever you want them. In several years time, the investment of a few dozen flowers or flower bulbs can
multiply into many times the amount you recently purchased.
Give and receive. It's fun to trade plants with friends and family. I've landscaped much of my yard this way. Iris bulbs
from one friend, grape vines from another, it adds up fast! And all from people who were looking to get the excess
plants out of their yard. After your yard has had a few years to get established, you will be able to share also. This is
the best way to plant your yard with no expense at all.
Look for unexpected opportunities. One of our neighbors gets free sod from several local curb companies. After a job,
they just unload the sod at his house. When he doesn't have a need for the sod, he gives it to us free of charge. We've
put down several hundred dollars worth of sod at no cost to us.
Creative container gardening. I like to plant in containers a lot, but planters can be so expensive. Get creative about
your garden containers. People use wheel barrows, tool boxes, kitchen sifters, colanders, old boots, children's wagons,
baskets, and many other things for creative container gardening. Just make sure there is adequate drainage so the
water can find its way out. See http://www.gardenguides.com for more container gardening ideas.
Weigh the alternatives. It's easy to get carried away in the vegetable garden. I get all caught up in having a little of this,
and a little of that, often spending more than I had intended to and growing vegetables that cost next to nothing at the
grocery store when they're in season. For example, green peppers in season you can get for 4 or more for $1. That's
maybe not worth it to me to grow them. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are definitely worth the effort and will save us a
lot of money throughout the summer.
You don't have to have a lot of money to have a nice garden. You just have to be creative and look for opportunities.
Make the decision that you will only spend what you can afford, and you will still end up with a beautiful yard you can be
proud of.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more
than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and
more, visit Creative Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com.
seem to fall way to the bottom of your list of spending priorities.
I love the outdoors. And I love spending time at home in our yard. We've never
been able to spend the kind of money I'd like to for landscaping, but over the years
we've found some ways to make a little bit of money go quite far.
Shop end-of-season sales. It's easy to remember to do this when shopping for clothes
and other household items, but I forget the same goes for plants. You can get a great
deal on outdoor plants and trees shopping at the end of the season. Even annuals that
are almost out of season are a good buy. They won't bloom again until next year, but for
the savings you're getting it's worth it to plant them now and wait until next year to enjoy
them. You can also get a great deal on fruit trees at the end of the season. Don't forget to
check out the sidewalks of grocery stores and neighborhood markets. They mark down
the prices of plants significantly at the end of the season.
Divide and transplant. It doesn't take long for plants to start to take over your flower beds. I grow some herbs and
daisies that seem to creep inches through the flower bed each week. Instead of letting plants like these take over the
flower bed, transplant them to another part of the yard. Flowers like daisies are easy to dig out in big clumps and move
around wherever you want them. In several years time, the investment of a few dozen flowers or flower bulbs can
multiply into many times the amount you recently purchased.
Give and receive. It's fun to trade plants with friends and family. I've landscaped much of my yard this way. Iris bulbs
from one friend, grape vines from another, it adds up fast! And all from people who were looking to get the excess
plants out of their yard. After your yard has had a few years to get established, you will be able to share also. This is
the best way to plant your yard with no expense at all.
Look for unexpected opportunities. One of our neighbors gets free sod from several local curb companies. After a job,
they just unload the sod at his house. When he doesn't have a need for the sod, he gives it to us free of charge. We've
put down several hundred dollars worth of sod at no cost to us.
Creative container gardening. I like to plant in containers a lot, but planters can be so expensive. Get creative about
your garden containers. People use wheel barrows, tool boxes, kitchen sifters, colanders, old boots, children's wagons,
baskets, and many other things for creative container gardening. Just make sure there is adequate drainage so the
water can find its way out. See http://www.gardenguides.com for more container gardening ideas.
Weigh the alternatives. It's easy to get carried away in the vegetable garden. I get all caught up in having a little of this,
and a little of that, often spending more than I had intended to and growing vegetables that cost next to nothing at the
grocery store when they're in season. For example, green peppers in season you can get for 4 or more for $1. That's
maybe not worth it to me to grow them. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are definitely worth the effort and will save us a
lot of money throughout the summer.
You don't have to have a lot of money to have a nice garden. You just have to be creative and look for opportunities.
Make the decision that you will only spend what you can afford, and you will still end up with a beautiful yard you can be
proud of.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more
than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and
more, visit Creative Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com.
