GROW
How We’ve Redeemed Our Ground … and Will!
Winter is a unique time of year for those of us who enjoy spending a lot of time outside in our yards. This is a common time for organizing our tools and cleaning things up, but it’s also a great opportunity to reflect over the past year’s projects,…
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Evergreen Cuttings…Underutilized Throughout the Year
Christmas seems like one of the only times of the year when people use evergreen cuttings inside their homes…and when I say evergreen I mean a landscape shrub or tree that stays green all year round…not just from a fir or spruce tree. I guess one of the…
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Last Minute Gift Ideas for Your Ground Redeemer
I once did a post on last minute gift ideas for your ground redeeming friends and family t … and was recently been asked if I was going to do it again. Well … the answer is, “I am.” Today. Right now. So keep reading. (By the way,…
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Why are my azalea leaves turning yellow?
Well it’s happening again … many of the leaves on my azaleas have turned yellow. So as I did last year, I’m briefly interrupting our holiday-related posts to re-post the answer to a question that I’ve had…and one that several of my clients have asked me recently … Why are my azalea…
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Quick & Easy Holiday Gift Embellishments & Décor – Bringing the “Outside In”
Helping families get outside at home more is at the core of what Redeem Your Ground is all about. But unfortunately, during this time of year it seems as if they’re fewer things drawing us outside – the weather is not as inviting, most flowers have stopped blooming,…
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How to Make a Magnolia Leaf Centerpiece
One of my favorite trees that graces our yard is a massive Southern Magnolia. She stands over 100’ tall and speaks to both the history of the South and our home’s previous owners. And not only is she the perfect home for our girls’ treehouse, her branches and…
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Using Cuttings from Your Yard to Bring the “Outside In” this Christmas
Unfortunately many people limit their thoughts on cuttings from their yards to only mean colorful flowers – most of which bloom in the spring and summer. So once the temps turn cold, they put down their pruners and wait for the warmer months to come back around…
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How to Make a Holiday Chandelier
One of the things I love most about this time of year is how warm and inviting our house looks & feels once all of our decorations are up & on display. Yes, the lights add that special glow and each ornament has a story to tell; but…
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Christmas Gift Ideas … RYG Style!
Looking for last minute gift ideas for your ground redeeming friend or family member this Christmas? If so, we’ve come up with a few suggestions to help you out.* Hopefully these ideas will work…but if not, maybe they’ll at least get you thinking a bit. Regardless, you better get…
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“Well hello there!”…What’s Your Home Saying?
The entrance and approach to your home is your house’s way of greeting your guests. Some houses do a great job at that, essentially saying “Hello…welcome, I’m so glad you’re here…we’ve been looking forward to seeing you.” Others on the other hand say “Stay away…don’t bother me…I’m not…
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Garden Trends 2015
Man…when we signed off at Christmas…saying that we’ll reconnect in the New Year, I had no idea that it would be over 3 weeks before we did. Sorry about that…but thanks. Our time away has been very good..and I hope yours was too. We had some great time together as a family…which was…
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3 Must-See Nature-Themed Time Lapse Videos
Needing a little inspiration myself, I came across a few nature-themed time lapse videos that are really incredible. So rather than keeping all the beauty and inspiration to myself I thought I’d share them with you…my fellow Ground Redeemers. And although they won’t make spring come any faster,…
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Family Roots Run Deep & Strong…
Not only did I come from a family who enjoys being outside…whether hunting in the woods or getting our fingers dirty in our yard, I was also fortunate to marry into one that does as well. Some of my richest memories of childhood are of being outside with…
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The Potting Shed…a Solution of Function & Beauty
Earlier this week I introduced you to Brenda…my fast-talking, bigger-than-life mother-in-law…lover of her garden and all things beautiful. Recently she took a trip to visit a friend out of town…and as you can tell by her post below, she was quite impressed by the beauty and functionality of…
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Getting Ready for Spring…Make the Most of It!
Now that the ice has melted (at least here in Atlanta) and all the love that could be spread on Valentine’s Day has been spread, you may be wondering how to best prepare your yard for what’s just around the corner…SPRING! Of course you are. Well I for…
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Gardening Themed Birthday Party
So since I am STILL in birthday mode this week (see last week’s post if you missed my last birthday post)…I thought I’d share another great outside inspired birthday party from the past. When my Littlest One was turning five, we planned a gardening themed birthday party. In…
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February Gardening To-Do List
So it’s February. Not the ideal time to be outside in the garden. Sure…there are pockets of time you could enjoy being outside, but nothing’s really growing … and the weather isn’t typically cooperating. But February is the perfect month to get ready for what’s just around the…
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Spring Is Springing…Top 3 Early Spring Flowers
[Sorry for the delay in getting this post out. A combination of Atlanta’s schizophrenic weather and my running around like a madman has left me in bed sick with some nasty crud. But without further a do…] Over the past few weeks, as the seasons are struggling to…
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Don’t Miss the Flowers of March
My walk around the yard yesterday and today’s beautiful weather got me out there again this morning…and this time I was struck by the beauty of 3 flowers in particular. One bursting with color – Forsythia. Another dainty and intricate – Loddon Lily. And finally, a graceful addition…
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Top 10 Tips for Landscape Design (Part 1 of 2)
Greetings fellow Ground Redeemers! If your weather is as amazing as it is here in Atlanta, I’m certain you’re itching to get outside to enjoy your day…or to get some of the projects off your list so that you can enjoy the outdoors even more in the days…
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March Gardening To-Do List
Alright…it’s March and Spring is right around the corner! Woopwoop! That said…it’s time to get out there and get ready. Below you’ll find my March Gardening To-Do List. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful! 1. February Gardening To-Do’s Let’s be honest…you were probably a bit too aggressive when you…
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Welcomed Signs of Spring
Spring has really started to show her stuff in our yard. Finally! We have a good bit of shade, so our plants always seem to take their own sweet time waking up from the long winter slumber. And although I’ve had the flu this week, I have ventured…
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Basic How-To’s for Planting Plants [Video for Exmark]
Long story…but a number of months ago I was asked to be the guy in front of the camera for some how-to videos being produced for the premier lawn mower company, Exmark (see below for more on Exmark). Never did I ever think that this Redeem Your Ground journey would land…
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Container Gardening 101…a la Helen Weis with Unique by Design
Oh the signs of Spring! And one of the surest signs of spring for me has to be the overwhelmed, bug-eyed expressions that I see on peoples’ faces in big box stores or plant nurseries…not knowing what to buy from the vast selection of flowers to choose from.…
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How to Protect Your Plants from a Spring Freeze
Well it won’t officially be spring for a week or so … but with the warm weather we’ve recently had, some of our plants are seemingly getting a head-start. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the Spring freeze in the forecast won’t do too much damage to…
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Clay Soil: How to Work with It & My Top 5 Plants
There are few things that say Georgia more than red Georgia clay. Songs have been written about it and movies, like Gone with the Wind, have taken their cues from it. And for gardeners in the South, clay is just our reality. Although clay-rich soil poses some…
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Azalea Care Guide | How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Azaleas
Azaleas are perhaps one of the most popular shrubs found in garden design. Well, at least here in the South. Not only are they beautiful when in bloom and serve as a great backdrop when they’re not, they’re incredibly hardy, as well. And because they come in so…
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Our Staycation…Staying Close to Home for School Break
Now, I’ll say it upfront…I may be a bit jealous of my friends and family who are posting pics of their amazing Spring Break trips to beautiful beachside villas or dramatic snow-capped ski resorts. But this year we decided to stay close to home and go on a…
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Top 10 Landscape Design Tips (Part 2 of 2)
Last week I laid out the first five of my Top 10 Landscape Design Tips … and today I’ll finish up with the other five. As I concluded last time, if you want more details on a specific point, let me know and I’ll focus a future post on…
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Crisp & Clean…White Spring Flowers
As I have mentioned on a previous post or two, I have a penchant for white flowers. And there’s no better time of year to see some of my favorites on grand display than right now. Whether if it’s the white Chinese Snowball Viburnum poofs weighing down its branches…or the…
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The Grand Lady Banks’ Rose
With all of the many flowers bursting at their seams with life and color this time of year, you’ll find more of my posts detailing out some of my favorites. Today’s spotlight flower is the Lady Banks’ Rose. I actually have very few roses in our outdoor spaces.…
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Ground Redeeming Anniversary Gifts
My Resident Gardener highlighted our beautiful Lady Banks’ Rose on RYGblog earlier this week. Oh how I love her! I love how she has created a lush canopy to welcome our guests. I anticipate her beauty every spring as it is such a pinnacle moment when she blooms. …
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The Window Box at My Back Porch…Before and “During”
In last week’s post (Container Gardening 101…a la Helen Weis…) I mentioned that not only had Helen so graciously shared some of her container garden magic with all of us…but personally, she gave me some suggestions as to what to put in a few of my container gardens…
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Strep Throat, Bronchitis, and Southern Living ®
Well…that’s probably the first time you’ve ever seen those three things on a list together. Clearly, “one of these things is not like the other” (more on that below). But what they all do have in common is that they’ve kept me from writing my weekly RYGblog posts.…
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Now’s the Time to Mulch and Here Are Some Options [Video for Exmark]
If your yard looks like mine did last week…it’s time to get to mulchin’! I can say that so easily because I mulched this past weekend!!! Woopwoop! Not only will a fresh layer of mulch help make your yard look all nice and purdy, mid to late spring…
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Flower Power 101: Top 4 Tips for Flower Gardening
There are few things that bring more life and beauty to an outdoor space than flowers. The more the merrier, right? They’re so versatile…bringing feelings of peace and tranquility, or an air of excitement and delight. It just depends on what you’re going for. With Spring now upon…
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Living Gifts that Keep Giving
I’m on a gift-giving kick right now. After writing last week’s post on ground redeeming Anniversary gifts I’ve been motivated and thinking about what I’m going to get my Resident Gardener for Father’s Day…in June! But in the meantime I’ve also been gathering a few friends’ birthday gifts, end-of-the-year…
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Tips for Watering Your Lawn
I’m going to take a break from my deeper WHY redeem your ground posts to give you some helpful information on HOW you can redeem your ground. And I mean quite literally…how to best water your lawn. Given that it’s already getting into the mid-80s here, it’s something a…
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Amending Your Soil …. the DIRT on Dirt!
I love dirt. I love the way it feels between my fingers and toes. I love the way it smells. I love what it represents. I love seeing it on my kids’ hands and faces because of what they’ve likely been up to. I just love dirt. But…
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The Basics of Amending Your Soil
Last week I posted on the different types of soil…and how clay-heavy soils and sand-heavy soils provide less than ideal growing conditions for your plants. And unfortunately most of us are dealing with one end of that soil spectrum or the other…which requires us to do more than…
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Fertilizing Basics: The ABCs and NPKs of Fertilizer
A couple of weeks ago I started a series of posts on dirt…err, soil. The first was on the basics of what soil is…your plants’ home and its food. Last week I gave you some basics on why and how to amend your soil. Today’s post I’m going…
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Inspiring Gardens
Sometimes I just want to be inspired by what I see…and not be distracted by someone blathering on about some deep thought or story. So in an attempt to not distract you, I’ll simply include a number of images of gardens that have inspired me. But because I can’t…
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Plant Combinations for Spring Container Gardening
Last year I did a post with Helen Weis from Unique by Design on container gardening basics. And when I tell you it’s been our most popular post…that’s really an understatement. It’s gotten almost half of our pageviews over the past 12 months. Crazy! [Thanks again Helen…oh-wise-guru-of-all-things-container-gardening!!] Soooo….I…
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Chinese Snowball Viburnum – the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift for Your Gardenin’ Mutha
Although a few weeks past her prime, the Chinese Snowball Viburnum that graces us with her presence as we drive down our driveway is one of our all-time favorite flowering shrubs. And apparently we’re not alone. We’ve had a number of friends ask … What’s that huge white…
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5 Great End-of-the-Year Teacher Gifts … RYG Style!
It’s hard to believe…but summer’s almost here. And actually…ours has already begun since Brown and Littlest One got out of school last week…whoop whoop!! That said, odds are if your kids are in grade school you’re probably looking for a thoughtful…yet inexpensive…end-of-the-year teacher gift. So I wanted…
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Walk This Way…Adding Paths to Your Landscape [Video for Exmark]
If you’re searching for your next weekend project to enhance the use and beauty of your yard, installing a path or walkway to connect two or more of your outdoor spaces is definitely something you should consider. Not only are they a great way to functionally connect the dots…
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Fertilizing Basics [Video for Exmark]
Okay, truth be told I had hoped to get this post on fertilizing basics … Fertilizing 101 … out a month or so ago when it would have been more timely. But it’s amazing how a teensy kidney stone can put a kibosh on the best laid plans.…
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How to Prune Azaleas…and When!
A few months ago I wrote a post about some of my favorite white spring flowers. If mine had been in bloom at the time, I would have also included the Mrs. G. G. Gerbing Azalea (Azalea Rhododendron indicum ‘Mrs. G. G. Gerbing’). Because my G.G.s make up…
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Hydrangeas, Hydrangeas, Hydrangeas! All You’ll Need to Know…for the most part!
We’re big fans of hydrangeas over here at casa de Scott. I mean what’s not to love about them?! They’re easy to grow. Their flowers are huge and come in a wide array of colors…so huge and so colorful that a single flower head can be a flower…
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Liquid Bliss – Water Features to Complement Your Outdoor Spaces
There are few things that bring a sense of calm to a space like the tranquil sounds of bubbling water. But if that’s the only reason you’re considering adding a water feature to your landscape, think again. Water features bring so much more in the way of…
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Father’s Day for the Gardening Dad
Gardening isn’t just a hobby for me – it’s a passion that both stirs me and grounds me…connecting me to nature’s honest rhythms and to what was best about my childhood. This deep love for the outdoors and gardening began when I was a boy… …transplanting perennials from…
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When should I prune my azaleas? NOW…and here’s why & how!
Azaleas form the backbone of my backyard. Mrs. G. G. Gerbing Azaleas to be exact…I probably have over 100 of them. Some people ding azaleas for their short blooming season. But I’m good with that…because when mine are in bloom, my yard looks quite Shangri-La’esque if I…
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Deer-Resistant Plants & Deer-Deterring Tips
Awww … isn’t Bambi cute!?! Well … that is until he and the rest of his family have laid waste to your garden! That’s not so cute! If your yard seems to be a frequent stop along the Deer Garden Tour, you’re in luck … well, relatively speaking.…
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“I love my new yard!”…Backyard Makeover Tips
There are few things that satisfy me more professionally than seeing pics like the one above and hearing words like “I love my new yard!”…especially from my youngest of clients. And that’s what eventually happened after I got a call from a good friend of mine late last…
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My Potting Bench (Post #1 of 2)
Greetings fellow Ground Redeemers. I hope this post finds you well…enjoying the final days of summer – which is so hard to believe. Well, I’m excited about sharing how I’ve spent some of my summer days…building a potting bench. And I’m a tad bit proud too…not only because…
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[EXCITING NEWS] Apartment Therapy & RYGblog
I have some really exciting news to share. After a fairly random chain of events we got connected with the fine folks over at Apartment Therapy. It all started when Britt’s post on how-to-make Easter egg bird seed ornaments was curated on one of Apartment Therapy’s posts. One…
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My Potting Bench (Post #2 of 2)
If you’re just tuning into RYGblog and haven’t seen the first post about my potting bench, I’d recommend that you do. It provides you with a bit more context, as well as some instructions on a few of the potting bench’s details (i.e., this post doesn’t cover it all).…
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A Hydrangea…By Any Other Name
It’s clear by just quickly looking over our yard that hydrangeas are one of Britt’s and my favorite plants…particularly during the late spring and summer months. Not only do we love their massive blooms popping all over our yard, we also love the life they bring when we…
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Hydrangea – Quick Reference Guide
Based on the positive feedback I received from some of my fellow ground redeemers, instead of burying the Quick Reference Guide to Common Landscape Hydrangeas at the end of the post where some folks might miss it…I’m giving it a post all to itself. So if you did miss it and…
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How to Plant Hydrangeas
Last week I started a series of posts on hydrangeas…which seems to be one of everyone’s favorite plants – particularly here in the South. My initial post was all about the “what”…outlining the importance of knowing what kind of hydrangea is best for your space…and noting that there’s a ton you…
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How to Prune Hydrangeas…and When
Several weeks ago I started a series of posts on one of everyone’s favorite landscape shrubs…the loverly hydrangea. I started with defining and describing the different types of hydrangeas…and next how to plant hydrangeas. Today I’m going to continue along the hydrangea path with answering one of the most common questions I…
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5 Must-Have Shrubs with White Flowers…to Extend the Life of Your Garden
It’s during these long, hot dog days of summer that I’m thankful to still have some shrubs whose flowers are still doing their thing. Most of the flowers from my other shrubs have come and gone, my fescue has definitely seen a better day, and my potted…
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Back Yard Triage: 5 Landscape Design Tips to Bring Life to Your Outdoor Spaces
I know…with these hot and humid days we’re still having, you probably don’t want to be outside in your yard for very long. But now is actually the perfect time to think about your yard, because in the fall…which is just around the corner…it will be the perfect time…
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Irish Garden Shed … Clearly, Not Your Everyday Shed
Early last year my mother-in-law did a post on RYGblog about one of her friend’s beautiful potting shed . If you haven’t seen it…check it out…because you’ll see that not only is it incredibly functional (why most people want a shed), but it is gorgeous as well (something…
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My Favorite Late Blooming Hydrangeas
I don’t know…maybe I love late blooming hydrangeas so much because I was a late bloomer myself. But hopefully I’ve gotten past my pre-pubescent challenges by now…and it has much more to do with the fact that while most of my yard’s other bloomin’ shrubs have seen a much…
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Redeem Your Grounds…Your Coffee Grounds That Is!
So I was at home writing a post when Britt texted me a pic that she had taken while at Starbucks picking up a morning boost…with the message “What a great idea for a blog post.” Her pic was of a sign promoting Starbucks’ “Grounds for Your Garden” program.…
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Repurposing Glass Jars to Bring Some Green Inside
My mom is amazing at bringing the outdoors in…what we like to call “BLENDing” here at RYG. She has such a gift and an eye for plants and how to arrange them in such a lovely way. She’s always gathering things from her yard and bringing the beauty…
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Repurposing Glass Jars as Charming Flower Vases
Last weekend I helped host a bridal shower with some friends for our pastor’s daughter. What a fun and special celebration for this young bride! One of my responsibilities as hostess was to bring flowers to brighten up the tables. With all the glass jars on the counter from last…
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Best Fall Flowers – Bringing Life to Your Outdoor Spaces
Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of annuals…at any time of the year really. They’re an added cost…and frankly, I’m really not into the extra work they require – planting them and then taking care of them…waaah! And with fall approaching…as the days are getting cooler…
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Tips for Fall Container Gardening – Helen Weis | Unique by Design
Back in April I did a post on container gardening basics … Container Gardening 101. Since today is the first day of fall…I thought I’d give you a bit more container gardening goodie…but this time I’ll put a fall twist to it. Like I did last spring, I’ve enlisted the help of the container gardening…
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How to Take Care of Your Lawn – pH Testing, Aeration & Overseeding
If you have cool season grass (e.g., fescue, ryegrass, bluegrass, etc.), now is the time that you really need to take those extra measures to ensure a beautiful lawn. And when I say extra measures, I mean those things beyond what most of us think of as the…
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How to Dry Hydrangeas…and Now’s a Great Time for Those Late Bloomers!
Alright…it’s confession time. I found out how to dry hydrangeas by accident. I wasn’t trying to create a dried flower arrangement that would grace our home for years to come when I forgot to water it…but that’s what happened. In fact, quite a few of our dried hydrangeas…
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5 Fall Gardening To-Do’s
Happy Fall Y’all! It’s so nice that not only have we officially turned the page from summer to fall, but that we’re actually starting to feel the refreshing autumn air…at least here in Atlanta. Sigh… And not only that, it’s the perfect time to do quite a few things…
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Why Do Leaves Change Color?
[Every year the leaves change color…so every year I’ll likely re-post this post on Why Do Leaves Change Color? I just think it’s pretty amazing…and thought that there might be others wondering the very some thing. So here it is again. But beware, I go a little biology on…
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Fall Shrub Care: Food | Water | Shelter (a la Monrovia)
It’s finally feeling more like fall here in Atlanta…after a loooong, hot summer! As with any change of season, some folks are left wondering what they should be doing outside with their plants. For me, yard work in the fall has a calmer cadence than it does…
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The Monrovia & RYG Connection
On my post from earlier this week I shared a video I did with Monrovia on fall shrub care. I know, right? Little ole’ me…RYG… just trying to help others get outside more, working with Monrovia…the end-all-be-all of plant companies. Whhhhaatt?!? Monrovia & RYG So how did…
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