DIY PLANT TAGS

For small and large plant tags use a variety of tile sizes with either a flat or glossy finish. Below photos are small travertine tiles. This is a great idea for labeling plants, re-purposing tiles and a great gift idea for your gardening friends. 
Materials:  Small Tiles, Flat Floral Marble, Wire, Hard as Nails Glue, Sharpee Pen, Acrylic Paint. Use a backing wire that is heavy enough for selected tile size. For larger tiles use a wooden dowel.

Thank you to Roberta for a great gift!
PINTEREST DIY 

Individual and Larger Photos Next Page "See More"...

Succulents for Retaining Walls and Borders

Succulents are the quintessential plant for borders or retaining walls as they require very little water. Similar to cactus, succulents are able to store water and planting them in cactus mix helps create the perfect soil environment for easy drainage. Group them closely together and mix in rocks for better growth and showy display. Photos below: front yard planter/retaining wall.

 more succulent photos- "see more"...

Succulent of the Day: Echeveria

"Fire and Ice" Echeveria

This is such a beautiful succulent. The sun shines through the thin leaves and the reddish border around the edges creates a dramatic and colorful outline. What a winner. Drought tolerant and easy to grow.

Follow this link for more detailed information

Pinterest Succulent Photos

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Apple Blossoms and Growing Apple Trees

Some symbolic meanings of apple blossoms are good fortune, hope, purity, sensuality and motherhood. Apple blossoms were honored by the ancient Celts as a symbol of love. Below photos of apple blossoms are from my garden this week. This is an Anna Apple Tree: Malus domestica which is a wonderful tree for Southern California. I keep it pruned each year to keep the size of the overall tree as a dwarf and it still produces heavily middle and late spring. This tree can be expected to grow to 10 feet high and 10 feet wide. Apples are sweet and crispy for eating and also make a great addition for juicing.

This is an easy to grow tree with beautiful rewards.

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Nature's Patterns- Daily Gratitude

Simply put... beautiful walk this weekend and I was glad I had my camera. The natural patterns all around were jumping out at me, or maybe I was just in a state of amazing gratitude and noticed. 

AGAVE : San Diego

Palm Tree Trunk: Swami's Beach, San Diego

Low Tide: I found a Heart in the rocks

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Happy St. Patrick's Day

♣    Happy St. Patrick’s Day    ♣

Good luck in the garden

Shamrocks are considered a good luck symbol; representing faith, hope and love. The age-old saying: “The Luck of the Irish” with its magical mysticism just might rub off in our gardens today with a little St. Patty’s Day symbolism.

The word Shamrock comes from an Irish word meaning little clover and is said to have gotten its symbolic meaning in Ireland in about the fifth century. St. Patrick used the abundantly growing green shamrock to teach Christianity by using a natural method to show the concept of the holy trinity. Each leaf representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The shamrock was a sacred plant in Ireland even before St. Patrick with the Irish Druids because the leaves in a cluster of three formed a triad. Currently the shamrock is still used as a good luck symbol and popular with Irish brides as the clovers are intertwined in bridal bouquets.

Botanically speaking:

“The true Irish Shamrock, as identified by Nathaniel Colgan c. 1893 is a clover. It is not one of any or many clovers, it is one species, collected from a majority of counties at that time and with the exception of a very few plants, the majority were Trifolium repens or a form of this plant – White clover also known as Dutch Clover”. …’From Ireland’ © Jane Lyons, Dublin, Ireland

Repurposing Wood Pallets

What a great idea for Repurposing wood pallets and using them as gardening containers. Painting them to add color or leaving them in their natural wood tones creates a fun way to add vertical gardening space. To be on the safe side in case the wood pallet was treated previously with any toxic substance, use these pallets for non-edible gardening. Possibly the use of a non-toxic paint to coat the wood is more advisable for use as an edible gardening container.
A Quick How To DIY:
Use Landscape Fabric with a staple gun to secure and enclose the entire backside and sides.
Fill with potting soil and use some decorate dried moss to fill in the loose soil areas.
Lay pallet flat and add plants, a little more soil, a little more moss.  HAVE FUN!

lifeonthebalcony.com

alleynetworkproject.com

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March Planting Guide: Southern California

Vegetables:

Beans (bush and pole), Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chives, Collards, Endive, Kale, Parsley, Potatoes, Radish, Spinach, Squash, Swiss Chard, Turnips. Possibly tomatoes at the end of the month.

The soil is beginning to warm up and the selection of vegetables are increasing.

Some of the easiest to grow are lettuce and radishes and planting heirloom, or unique varieties like "rainbow radishes" makes the experience that much better.

Companion planting- Group these together for better yields, harmonious planting and best overall conditions for growing. 

-carrot, parsley, tomato.

-beans (pole), radish, cabbage, lettuce

-beans (bush), carrot, lettuce, strawberry, savory, mint, collard

“The trouble with gardening is that is does not remain an avocation. It becomes an obsession.” 

 -Phyllis McGinley

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Scrabble Message of the Day- LOVE

What we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are and who we will become. -D. Uchtdorf

love

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DIY: ICE MOLDS WITH CANDLES, FRUIT, FLOWERS, HERBS

DIY: Ice Molds with Candles

Here is a great link for small Ice Spheres that can be infused with fruit, flowers, or herbs. This is a great way to add flavor to a pitcher of water while adding a nice splash of color and decoration. These can be fun for a kids party too with plastic zoo animals or toys in the ice molds.

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Being Inspired

The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give it away.

-by David Viscott

Hawaiian Palm Trees in Oahu

It feels good to come across a quote, a new inspiration that creates a fresh way to look at love and beauty. We can always count on growing in love and being inspired for a lifetime because love has no limits. Love is always expanding and has the possibility for vast creative expression. This is how I view hope, an awareness of the possibility for growth regardless of how the circumstances seem at the moment. I have often read that finding our gifts comes from doing what we love and that sounds simple enough. 

Enjoy your beautiful day

Ocean Theme Terrarium- Do it Yourself

DIY: Creating Beach Theme Terrariums

Supplies Needed:

* Large Glass Decorative Container (I got mine at Pier 1)
* Horticultural Sand
* Horticultural Charcoal
* Sheet Moss
* Tillandsia- learn more about this plant...- (Tillandsia Plants)
* Succulents
* Seashells, marbles, sea glass and ocean decorations

Layered assembly starts from the bottom of the container with Charcoal, Sand, Sheet Moss, More Sand, Plants, Decorative Shells. This is such an easy project and looks elegant and beautiful anywhere indoors or outside. Layers of potting soil can also be used for less drought tolerant plants. Water once a week with a small spray bottle or drip water on to each plant. 

Beach Theme Terrarium

Top View