Kathy Zengolewicz

Indoor gardens can be made to exude beauty in a room.  They are the perfect solution for apartment dwellers who don’t have room for an outdoor garden. Believe it or not, indoor plants actually filter the air in your home. They do require some maintenance, but if you choose the right plants the maintenance time will be drastically reduced.  Let’s take a look at a couple of different ideas for an indoor garden.

These plants need a minimum of care and are inexpensive to buy.

A pothos plant, or devil’s ivy as it is sometimes called, is the most common indoor house plant. It has even survived bachelor pads, now what does that tell you? It can survive and flourish with changing  levels of light, temperature, humidity and watering. It is one of a few species that can survive without any natural light source.

A spider plant. Everyone knows how easy it is to care for a spider plant. Why not start your plant from a small cutting/clipping and see how big it grows in a few months time.

A bromeliad is another excellent indoor plant. The have colorful foliage and they adapt nicely to growing conditions that exist in most houses.

Another good idea is to create an herb garden to sit on your kitchen counter or window sill. Make sure  to grow only the herbs that you will use in your cooking.

This should be enough information to get you started on your indoor garden.

Indoor plants, however, do need consistency with watering and feeding. I will blog about watering, feeding and decorating with indoor plants at a later time, so stay tuned!

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

After some research, I found some fall blooming flowers that will help to keep your yard looking great.  I didn’t have to look far for help.  Better Homes & Gardens always has great tips for your home.  It’s interesting that many of these flowers are not the traditional fall colors. 

You might want to try these fall blooming flowers:

• aster
• sweet autumn clematis – a beautiful, fast-growing, aggressive vine
• toad lily
• goldenrod
• russian sage
• perennial sunflower
• colchicum
• helenium
• sedum
• red spider lil
• japanese anemone
• turtlehead
• fall crocus
• monkshood
• leadplant
• mexican sage
• anise hyssop
• witch hazel

The Aster, Clematis, and Russian Sage are some of my favorites.  It was hard to pick because most of them are very beautiful.  Which of these fall blooming flowers do you like best?

For more information, as well as pictures of each plant, visit Better Homes & Gardens.  Image from BGH.

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Now that’s it’s the end of summer, stores are drastically marking down their patio furniture.  Most stores have marked their inventory down 75% percent!  I found chairs, tables, and benches, but unfortunately I could not find a matching set of anything.  Perhaps you will have better luck than I did.  I’m still hoping for an unexpected bargain somewhere.

Another low cost item to buy right now is plants.  You can find plants, trees, and shrubs at slashed prices.  Monday I purchased two blueberry bushes for less than $11 each.  I’m hoping for some yummy blueberries next summer.  It’s also a great time to plant perennials and trees.  The cooler weather doesn’t dry out plants the way that summer does and it allows plants to expand their roots.

What purchases have you considered during this fall season?

image sxc.hu

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If you plant in late summer, you can grow things such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussel sprouts, collards, cucumbers, lettuce, kale, onions, spinach, radishes, and carrots.  Even if you’ve missed the spring and summer gardening times, there are plenty of vegetables that grow well during colder months.

NC State University has a list of vegetables that can be grown in North Carolina during the fall months.  The list also gives the suggested planting time, their cold tolerance, how many inches should be between the plants, the depth the plants should be planted, and the days until maturity.  Although the suggested planting times may not be relevant to those in other states, the chart provides helpful information.

Do you plant a fall garden?  What types of plants do you have?

image sxc.hu

Post from: Keeping the Castle

By the end of summer last year, the bush was already a pretty good size.  It was constantly being visited by butterflies and bees.  We really enjoyed the colorful flowers and butterflies it brought into our yard. 

Our house was on the market this spring and we went back a few weeks ago to close on the house. I was absolutely appalled at what a monster this bush was. It was taller than me!  Out of curiosity, I looked online to see how big these bushes normally get.  Depending on the variety that you have, these plants can grow 3-12 feet high.  Wow! 

If you’re a gardener or even if you just love butterflies, a butterfly bush can make a great addition to your garden.  Just be aware of how large they can grow and choose a proper location (unlike us!). 

If you have a butterfly bush or are thinking of getting one, here is some helpful information from ButterflyBushes.com.  The butterfly bush:

• is drought tolerant
• is deer resistant
• grows quickly
• is inexpensive
• comes in a variety of species
• prefers full sun
• can be planted together to product a multi-color appearance
• should be cut back to about 4 feet high for the winter

I hope this information is helpful to you. 

Do you have a butterfly bush?

images (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Several years ago, my parents gave me some volunteer bushes they had growing in their yard.  I planted the small bushes in my yard and within a year or so, the bushes were tall and well developed.  The bushes didn’t cost me any money.

Volunteer plants are a great inexpensive way to help landscape your yard.  You can check with friends, neighbors, and family to see if they have any volunteer plants in their yard that you might like.  You can return the favor and by offering your extra plants to them.  Also, to help save money you can save the plastic pots from store bought plants.  Transplant the shrubs, bushes, and other plants into the pots to help save on your gardening supplies.

Have you ever used volunteer plants? 

image (c) Karen Weideman

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Get a grill – If you already have a grill, then get it working.  Clean it up and change any needed parts.  You also might want to get a grill cover to keep the rain and weather from causing damage.  I don’t know about you, but once summer rolls around I enjoy cooking outside.  It keeps me from heating up the house and there are so many foods that taste great when cooked on the grill.  Have some friends over, grill some meats and veggies, and have fun!

Start a garden – I’ve been meaning to start a garden these past few weeks, but I just haven’t had the time.  Last year I enjoyed peppers and tomatoes and this year I plan to plant more things.  Starting a garden is on my priority list for next week.  Come summer, I’ll be enjoying fresh vegetables off the vine.  They seem to taste so much better when you’ve grown them yourself and it definitely saves on your grocery budget.

Put in a deck or patio – Decks and patios can be expensive, but you can save a lot of money if you build them yourself.  Decks and patios can be used for years to come and they make such a great hangout spot for your summer get togethers.

Plant some flowers and plants – It’s hard to enjoy your yard when it doesn’t look good.  Plants and flowers are one of the easiest ways to spruce up a yard.  Personally, I like perennials because they come back each year, don’t require a lot of fuss, and they’re a more thrifty choice.  Check with your local stores for tips on plants and flowers to plant in your area.

Image: sxc.hu

Consider the little things – Sometimes minor changes can make a difference.  Is your garden flag tattered and faded?  Does the outside light provide enough light?  Changing minor things can make your yard more appealing and comfortable for you and your guests.

Get some lawn furniture – I have always wanted some nice outdoor furniture.  Maybe one of these days I can make this purchase.  I have a big deck this year so it would be nice to sit outside under and umbrella and have lunch.  If you already have outdoor furniture, then now is the time to get it cleaned up and ready to use.  If it looks a little worn, then it may be possible to clean it with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or perhaps you could just replace or recover the cushions.

Hang up bird feeders – Even if you don’t have much money this year, chances are you can afford a bird feeder.  There’s something very peaceful and calming about watching beautiful birds outside your windows.

Consider some outdoor storage - To put it nicely, outdoor junk is very unattractive.  I can’t stand to see things lying around the yard.  If you don’t have a shed or outbuilding, you might consider getting one.  If you can’t afford a building or if you don’t need something that large, there are other storage options such as storage benches and deck boxes.

Get the bugs under control – It is hard to enjoy the great outdoors if there are pests flying around.  You certainly don’t want your guests to be eaten up by bugs while they’re visiting.  You may want to try citronella candles or torches.  Also, keep in mind that there are also some pretty neat traps and repeller gadgets out there now.

Think about some decor – From arches and trellisis to ponds and fountains, there is something out there for everyone.  Look online or drive around different neighborhoods and look for things you like.

These are some of the things you can do to make your yard more enjoyable this summer.  What suggestions do you have to add to this list?

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Everyone knows it’s good to be as green as possible, but the high price of many organic products can have people reaching for conventional chemical-based pesticides and fertilizers. Well, there are plenty of ways to be frugal – and eco-friendly – with gardening and yard maintenance.

Weed Control
There are many ways to deal with weeds. You could use stand-bys like Round-Up, which is readily available. But did you know that there are eco-friendly options that are safer for pets and kids – and cheaper? One option is to get a weed puller. There are many options out there, with names like Weed Twister, Weed Queen, and more. These can be found at most hardware/home improvement stores, and work for weeds in the lawn – and do some aerating at the same time. For weeds that are in sidewalks and patios, mix vinegar with a splash of dish soap (the dish soap helps it stick to the weeds). This works best if you get the weeds while they are still small. Pickling vinegar is more effective than standard kitchen vinegar. You can also pour boiling water on these weeds. Be careful with these two methods though – they’ll kill everything, whether or not it’s a weed. For good pre-emergent weed control, spread corn gluten-based fertilizer on the lawn. This is usually not much more expensive than traditional fertilizers, and if you live near a feed mill you can get plain corn gluten for very cheap.

Fertilizer
Natural fertilizers are the best bet for safety of pets and kids, and are also much better for our water systems because of run-off. As mentioned above, corn gluten makes a good fertilizer. You can also make your garden and landscaping using native plants, which grow more easily and require less care.

Lawn Care
Keep your lawn right around 3 inches. It will require less water. When you mow, leave the clippings behind. It takes less effort than bagging and is good for the law. Consider replacing your gas mower with less expensive electric or manual ones – save gas and get a better workout at the same time. Buy a rain barrel – just an inch of rain from part of our roof runoff filled our 55-gallon barrel last week. We’ll use that to water the garden and our freshly planted trees until it runs out (or rains again). And don’t over-water. Lawns are typically healthy with only an inch per week. Water early in the morning for the most effective watering – and don’t water at all unless it’s been over a week without rain. Use sprinklers that go low to the ground to avoid water loss from evaporation.

image by Karen Weideman

Bekah blogs at Motherhood Moment where she shares freebies and tips on eco-friendly living, parenting, and saving money and time.

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I’m sure that we have all learned in school why our leaves change into those gorgeous colors, but I was just reading something interesting in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living and she has a different take on it and I like it! According to folklore, apparently Jack Frost had quite a bit to do with it… at least the brightly colored leaves that we love so much. The story goes that he pinched those particular leaves with his frigid fingers and they turned red. He then went on to paint the rest of the fall leaves in tones of brown and gold.

*What to do with those leaves?? Collect the prettiest you can find, place  them  between sheets of wax paper and then iron them. They can now be used to decorate window sills, coffee tables, you name it.  I have tons of memories of doing this while in public school!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Post from: Keeping the Castle