Spring Basket Wreath

Finally after two weeks of rain, the sun is finally shining again. These bright days always make me want to plant flowers and make the outside of my home pretty. Mom and I worked together on a few small projects to update our front porch for spring. We had been using the same spring wreath for about 3 years, but we decided it was too faded this year. That meant we put our heads together and made a new one.

Mom saw a basket wreath like this at a floral supply store, but it wasn't in colors that would look good with our house. It didn't look too hard to make, especially after the florist gave her a few tips for making one of her own. Since I didn't see the wreath and couldn't picture what it would look like, I asked Mom to make it and share with you how she did it.

American Flag Sign

Most of us enjoy decorating for the holidays, especially when we're planning to entertain with a BBQ or picnic for the upcoming patriotic holidays. Whether you are celebrating Memorial Day, July 4th, Flag day, or any other patriotic occasion, here is a cute handmade flag to help you brighten your home decor.

Hydrangea and Butterfly Tablescape

 

First of all, let me apologize for today's pictures. We have huge oak trees that filter the sunlight and cast a green color to everything around the house in the spring.

My inspiration for this table was the Faux Cherry Cake I made last week. I've seen cakes like this sold in stores for well over $30. It was so much cheaper to make my own, and my version turned out to be a much more realistic version.

 

Suburban Gardening & Duluth Trading Company Giveaway

Thank you Duluth Trading Company for sponsoring this post. Check out Duluth Trading Company for tough, functional workwear.

 

 

This past winter seemed to drag on forever. There was no snow where I live, but the days were very dark and cold. Considering the weather was so dreary, I thought we might as well have had snow, but seeing that some of you are still having it now, I count my blessings.  We had a few weeks of sunshine and summer like days for most of April, but it has rained and gotten cool again this past week.

I am anxious for spring to finally decide it wants to stay because I am eager to enjoy warm weather activities like sitting on our porch, entertaining outdoors, and having picnics once the weather is more stable.

However,  my favorite thing about the season is that it is time to play in my flower garden....
 

 

.......and grow a few herbs and vegetables.

My love of gardening started when I was just a little girl. The former owners of  my childhood home had a small greenhouse for flowers, then my parents built a hydroponic greenhouse for tomatoes. That means the plants were grown in liquid nutrients instead of soil.

In addition to the greenhouses, we had a few acres of land, so my parents decided to garden. Mom had a large flower garden, while Dad had 2 large vegetable gardens where he grew everything but the kitchen sink.

Today, we live in a subdivision. There is no room for a huge vegetable garden, and our home owners association won't let us have one anyway. My family (and some of our neighbors) bend those rules by finding ways to grow vegetables and herbs in a manner that works with our landscaping.

For example, see this pretty flower garden?

Pretty from the street.

Last year Dad grew tomatoes, yellow squash, and zucchini behind the flowers. Nobody seemed to notice the vegetables, so he added lettuce in the fall. This year, he'll repeat his garden, with plans to add a few other vegetables here and in a few other places that are not so obvious in the yard.

Vegetable garden "hidden" behind the pretty plants.

Mom and I both enjoy cooking and love having fresh herbs right outside the kitchen door, so container gardening is our contribution to the garden. Due to the unpredictability of the early spring season, we wait until late May to do most of the planting, but Mom couldn't resist starting a new herb garden last week.

Knowing how much I like mint, she bought some this year along with other herbs like parsley, sage, and rosemary.  However, since mint can quickly take over the whole pot, she needed to take special care when planting it. First she added good quality soil to a wide flower pot and planted a small plastic pot in the soil.


She made drainage holes in this old coffee container and used it to hold the mint.

Next she added enough soil to fill the plastic pot about halfway full.

Then she planted the mint inside this pot. That keeps it from spreading.

Once the mint is in it's own pot, it was time to  plant the remaining herbs directly in the soil. With proper sunlight and water, this container garden will be filled with lots of fresh herbs soon!

Aren't those stylish garden clothes she's wearing? They are from Duluth Trading Company.

Have you heard of them? They offer practical but stylish clothing for both men and women. I was impressed to learn their clothes are tough enough for gardening, yet allow you to look good enough to run errands like a trip to the smoothie shop for a cold drink or to the nursery for more plants.

The Action Long Sleeved Shirt is cool and comfortable to wear since it is made from CoolPlus fabric that wicks 6x faster than cotton. This shirt also has a UPF of 50+, which is great for Mom since she's very careful about protecting her skin from the sun.

This looks like a regular shirt that can be rolled to the elbow secured with a tab. Isn't this so much nicer than a grungy old t-shirt like many of us normally wear when we work outdoors?

The Heirloom Gardening Pants have the same UPF benefits. They are comfy with an elastic waistband and have 5 pockets to hold garden tools, a cell phone, keys, etc. My favorite features of these pants are that they have knee pouches for knee pads (sold separately) and are very easy to clean.

I also got this Oil Cloth Day Tote for myself. It is perfect for holding garden magazines, a water bottle, and your keys to keep your gear nearby when you are gardening. Thanks to the water repellent oil cloth, there is no need to worry about accidentally spraying the bag with the water hose. All I need to do is unzip the sides to make it bigger, then throw in my wallet. I'll be all ready to run a few errands myself.

 

Would you like something from the Duluth Trading Company?
I'm giving away a $50 gift card so one of you can do some serious shopping!   To Enter   1 comment = 1 Entry. For all entries to count, leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each entry.   If your e-mail address isn't on your blogger profile, please leave it in your comment. I will need to contact you privately if you win.
1. Take a look the Duluth Trading Company website and tell me what you would like if you win.

2. Like Duluth Trading Company on Facebook.

3. Leave a comment and give me a gardening tip.

4. Follow me on Google Friend Connect or Linky Followers.

 

Rules:

1. This giveaway is for US residents, 18 and over.
2. Please do not mention another giveaway or leave a URL for your blog. I hate deleting links to great giveaways.
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  Deadline is Saturday May 11th at 11:59pm EST.    A Great Discount For You!
Duluth Trading Company is offering free shipping now through June 30, 2013, for my readers. Just enter code “T13PRCG” (Note: $50 minimum order. Minimum order applies to total before tax, shipping or gift card purchases. Valid for US shipping only, on standard delivery.)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

You're A Grand Old Flag Patriotic Centerpiece

Memorial Day is always on the last Monday of May, and this year it falls on May 27th. It is a time to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for our country. Most Americans also consider it the beginning of summer and celebrate with picnics and barbecues. Here is a simple and easy centerpiece to make for any patriotic holiday.

Cinco de Mayo Recipe Round Up

Do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? I never knew anyone who did for a very long time. However, in the past few years a large number of Mexican immigrants have settled in our area, bringing their culture and food with them. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo is much more common, as many locals, including the natives,  head to their favorite Mexican restaurant for a tasty meal.

If you don't feel like going out or are just looking for healthier Mexican food options, here are a few of my quick and easy Mexican recipes that you can make this weekend for your own Cinco de Mayo fiesta at home. All the recipes are gluten free and almost all of them have been tweaked to be lower in fat or sodium than their traditional counterparts.

Faux Cherry Cake

 

Doesn't this cake look yummy? Don't let your eyes deceive you because as delicious as this cake looks, it's not real.

I made a faux cake for a visual display when I was in college years ago. Although I had plans to use it at home, my professor apparently had other ideas.  After I took the display down, she took it from my supplies, and I never was able to get it back.