Showing posts with label flower gardens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flower gardens. Show all posts

Sunday, May 6, 2018

8 Creative Flower Planter Ideas for Inside or Outside

Have a lot of broken down cars? Or just one?
There it is, a car planter, with the body as Art
Bring out your inner artistic side to display flowers and plants.

If you're stuck in a rut on the way you feature plants in and around the home, this list is designed to trigger an artistic spark so you can break that chain, and try something different this year.

1. Use An Old Wooden Toolbox
Old Shoes as a Planter?
Hmmm Yes? No?

If you have an old wooden, distressed toolbox - the ones with the handle across the top are especially nice - fill it with dirt, flowers, plants or spices. Place it anywhere you choose. Move it around from time to time.

2. Use Window Boxes Indoors

You've seen window boxes on outdoor railings, porches and the exterior of windows, however you can use a window box inside as well.

Find the window box that works best for your space, and simply duplicate what you would do outdoors. You can also spruce it up with decorative rocks and variety of rock garden plants. 

3. Old Tea Cups or Mugs

Old tea cups and coffee mugs are a creative way to display small plants or spices. If your kitchen has an area to display a set of cups or mugs, use them as a decorating accent or a place to hold your kitchen spices. Get each mug in a different color to add a little funk to your plant area.

A Large Cup of Flowers
4. Old Metal Boxes

You can use a new metal box as well. Any metal container in your home, that's the right size for your needs, can be filled with dirt, rocks, flowers, spices or plants. 

5. Ladder Plant Display

There are a number of ways to display plants on a ladder. You can secure the plants to each rung, or rig it so that each rung can hold a planter box. If doing it yourself isn't an option, you can get an already made free standing ladder that's designed to hold planter boxes. 

6. Drawers from Old Furniture

Rather than toss out your old dressers, use a drawer or two or three to plant flowers in.

Put the dirt directly in the drawer and plant what you want, or use it as a holder to place smaller pots already planted.

If you're able, turn it into a family affair by letting the kids paint a drawer and take care of their plants in their drawer.

7. The Top of a Birdhouse

Create edging around the roof of your birdhouse, fill it with dirt, then plant what you want in the area. It will look lovely, and the birds will appreciate it.

8. An Old Bicycle as a Home for Plants and Flowers

Position an old bike against a wall, tree or in a garden and use it as a prop for planting flowers and other plants. If it has a basket, fill it with hanging flowers. Use the wheels to grow flowers and plants that need a support to tie onto.



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Monday, May 30, 2016

Fun Holiday Review for "Water a Flower Day" ~ May 30

Illustration of watering can watering a row of flowers in pots
Source: Pixabay


We are all familiar with the rhyme “April showers bring May flowers," so having May 30 designated as 'Water a Flower Day' seems appropriate.

No one knows the origin of this day, but gardeners and flower fanciers are glad someone created this day.



A World of Flowers


There are over 400,000 types of flowers in the world.  I found this list of the top 12 most beautiful flowers in the world:

  1. Rose
  2. Bird of Paradise
  3. Calla Lily
  4. Magnolia
  5. Water Lilies
  6. Tulip
  7. Orchids
  8. Dahlia
  9. Chrysanthemum
  10. Plumeria
  11. Gazania
  12. Passion Flower

It's not surprising (to me) that the Rose is Number One on this list.  What is YOUR favorite flower?  As you can see by the above postcard photo (available on Zazzle), Cynthia Sylvestermouse of the Review This! blog likes the Rose of Sharon.




My Favorite Flower is the Lilac




I have always loved Lilacs.  As a child, the back door of our house had lilac bushes on either side, one white and one lavender. To this day I can remember the lovely lilac scents in the Springtime.  

And our city, Rochester, New York, is famous for the Lilac Festival held every Spring in May in Highland Park where over 1200 lilac shrubs and bushes can be found.  Mary Beth Granger (mbgphoto) here on Review This! offers this lovely photo of Lilacs by the Water in her Zazzle Store.



Crafty Flowers


A collage of handmade coasters with floral designs
Floral Coasters on Etsy

I like to craft and I love flowers, so it was natural to me to create a few floral beverage coasters as a way to keep flowers in your home year-round. And these flowers never need watering! These, and a variety of floral design beverage coasters, can be found on Etsy in the Coastal Crochet Crafts shop.



Pansy Coaster

Image of a Pansy flower on a beverage coaster
Pansy Beverage Coasters


Pansies are lovely on your tabletop as beverage coasters.

The word Pansy means "thought" and the pansy flower is considered a symbol of remembrance.  These pansy design floral coasters would make a thoughtful hostess gift or housewarming gift. 

 A pretty complement to your home decor, these pansy coasters are available in my Etsy Shop, Coastal Crochet Crafts.



Yellow Jonquil Flower Coasters


jonquil floral coaster
Jonquil Floral Coaster

This is a lovely set of beverage coasters handmade using plastic canvas and acrylic yarn. The design is a yellow Jonquil flower with green leaves set on an eggshell-white background. The Jonquil flower is a member of the Daffodil family of flowers of the genus Narcissus. 






Daylily Floral Coasters


Daylily image of a floral coaster
Daylily Floral Coaster

This Daylily design is on a set of four beverage coasters with a design of a single daylily on each. Although daylilies come in a variety of colors, I chose the melon shades for this set.

Handmade using plastic canvas and acrylic yarn in melon orange and peach, the daylily design sits on an off-white Ecru background. Each coaster measures 4 x 4 inches.



Black Eyed Susan Beverage Coasters

Black Eyed Susan image of a coaster
Black Eyed Susan Coasters

The Black Eyed Susan flower is part of the Sunflower family of flowers.  

This is a set of four beverage coasters with a Black-Eyed Susan flower design. 

Handmade in plastic canvas and acrylic yarn in yellows and greens with a dark brown center, the design sits on an eggshell-white background. The coasters are square, measuring 4.25 x 4.25 inches each. 



Celebrate 'Water a Flower Day'

 

Water a Flower Day is a yearly reminder every May 30 for us to show our flowers how much we appreciate them for their beautiful colors and fragrant blossoms. 

Whether you like to smell the flowers, grow the flowers or photograph flowers, never forget to WATER the flowers!

Check out the links below from some of the contributors on Review This! for advice on how to grow and photograph your favorite flowers!





Book pages and roses
Image source: Pixabay

There are many books about Flowers to be found on Amazon by clicking
here







Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Thursday, April 30, 2015

The Exotic Nejiri Kama

Nejiri Kama, Japanese Sickle

By Olivia
Nejiri Kama, Japanese Sickle

It doesn't look too sharp, but it is one of the sharpest blades for the garden that you will ever need.



I have garden tools that I use and use and use and use.......and this is one of them that is High on my list of must have garden tools. The Nejiri Kama not only sounds exotic, it is exotic. Coming from the master gardeners in Japan, it and my Hori Hori blade are by far the best tools any gardener could ask for.




Right now I'm going to tell you why I love the Nejiri Kama too! This tool is multi purpose to the extreme. You have to be careful with it, because the blade is sharp. This tool makes weeding a breeze, but it can also be used to dig furrows in the garden and uproot young weeds before they become a mangled mess of roots. The blade is not as large as a regular sickle that farmers would have used, but it is just as impressive when it is used to wipe out an area that has become overgrown, or just needs major tidying up.


The blade drawn against the top layer of soil will cut off anything growing that shouldn't be and because the blade is only about 5 inches long, there is no danger of removing a limb. That gives the gardener in question a more focused swath when weeding. Care still needs to be used whenever sharp tools are being handled, and this one is no exception to that rule.


The other part I love about this tool, is that using the tip, you can weed quite nicely around bedded plants without disturbing their root structure. The sickle being fashioned from one piece of metal will not break at the bend and with a little care, can be sharpened as you would any other tool in your arsenal of gardening weapons. The wooden handle is comfortable in your grip, and even with arthritic hands, holding this tool will not cause strain or pain in your joints.


The description here speaks about weeding raised beds, and I agree that it is great for that, but I would also say that you can use it in a regular garden bed too! It will require that you bend a little, but that can be good exercise too! Give this tool a try, and I'm sure that it will soon become one of your favorite tools too!
tomita japanese gardening tool
Another wonderful tool for the garden.

The Tomita is also handy.
This tool is on my "to buy" list. With the good things that have happened with my other Japanese inspired gardening tools, I'm sure that this one will be a hit as well.
hori
This is my Hori, Hori and I love it!
My absolute favorite tool ever! Might I suggest you splurge and get one for yourself!
You already know that I love this tool. It is so useful when planting, preparing soil mixes, and all other little jobs in the garden.

Spear & Jackson P818 Traditional English Style Stainless Steel Dibber

This old fashioned tool has probably been around for centuries, but it is another favorite of mine.


I love the way this tool is able to do many things, from weeding to aerating the ground around your plants to top dressing your garden.....all with one tool.....


You can read more about Grammie Olivia's Gardening at her website:  www.grammieknowshow.com




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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