Beautiful Day!

The morning started out a little chilly but by noon the sun was bright and I was able to get out and enjoy the outdoors. I think I'll be safe to put out my plants I repotted last week as I don't think our temperatures will be dropping down to freezing temps again. At least I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I dusted off my patio furniture and my next project will be planting my outdoor flower boxes. I'm not sure what I'm going to plant this year, I like to go with different color schemes every year. It seems late but our weather has been so unpredictable with temperatures dropping into the 30's at night I thought it was too early. I'm not sure what color scheme I want to go with this summer, I've done just about every color combo there is. I suppose I'll decide when I'm at the nursery and see that perfect flower and add from there. As I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, I really don't have a green thumb so the less maintenance the better. This along with picking the proper plant for the amount of sun I get on my patio makes a difficult selection.

Now that the nights are warmer I've put my fire bowl on my deck and invited some friends for drinks and good times. I can't wait to get the season started. Take some time to check out my site www.WindChimesGarden.com for many beautiful accents for your patio and garden. Create that perfect atsmosphere to gather with friends and family to relax and enjoy each other's company.

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Just last week I was enjoying 80° and sunshine on my patio, tonight it’s a cold 45° and raining outside. We’ve had some crazy weather but I’m not going to let that get me down. My yard is looking great, the trees finally have their leaves and I know warmer weather is right around the corner. She’s just teasing us.

Since I was forced back inside for a few days I decided to make the best of my time and repot some of my indoor plants that were begging for more room to grow. A good friend of mine told me long ago, the best time to repot houseplants is in the spring, before the new summer growth. So I turned on some Van Morrison, put down some newspaper to catch the dirt and got started.

To remove the plant, I turn the pot over and tug the pot up and away from the root ball gently pulling it out from the pot. Do not yank a plant out of its pot by the stem. You should then prepare the root ball by gently loosening the ball with your fingers. Be careful not to cause damage to the root. Look for dead or rotted roots and cut them away from the healthy root ball.

The general rule of thumb is to only repot a plant up one size pot, (ex. 4” pot to 6” pot not 4” to 8”). Place the plant in the pot, keeping the depth of the newly potted plant the same as it was in the original pot. Make sure not to plant it too deep. Gently press the soil down around the root ball as your filling it with dirt and tap the pot to help the dirt settle. Water thoroughly until water seeps from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, and if needed, add more soil to the top.

Now I’m ready for the weekend. The Local Weatherman is calling for sunny and 70°. My fresh, repotted plants will be a great accent piece on my patio. I need to dust off my patio furniture, put out my garden lanterns and invite some friends over – I’m looking forward to the warmer temperatures again when I can get outside. Enjoy your home and garden!





May 12, 2010 – Welcome to Our World Austin Joseph, Happy Healthy Life!