All About Chrysanthemums

Mums are a lovely addition to any fall display

It's that time of year again, when every grocery store, garden center and hardware place has a display of Mums out front. They come in a lovely variety of Autumn colors - yellow, orange, burgundy and bronze. Perhaps you've purchased one (or more) before or had one gifted to you and you didn't really know what to do with it. Never fear! Here's what you need to know. 

First off, Chrysanthemums, or mums, come in two basic varieties: garden or hardy mums and florist mums. Florist mums are much more sensitive and unless you live way down south, they will die outside in the winter. Generally, if you get a  florist mum, keep it inside, in direct sunlight and don't let the soil dry out. People usually treat them like a temporary houseplant and then toss them when they are done blooming. 

Florist Mum, note the larger blooms. 

Garden, or hardy mums prefer the out of doors. They will do better kept cool. You can buy these plants in a decorative pot for a front porch display or you can buy smaller ones to refresh your annual beds for the fall. Keep in mind, though, that hardy mums are perennials. They will die down to the ground over winter and shoot up new sprouts in the Spring. You can plant your hardy mums into the ground any time during the fall. Mums do best in full sun but otherwise are not too particular. 

When I pick out a mum plant, I want one that is just budding
out like this and isn't in full bloom yet. Then I'll get to enjoy it's
flowers for longer. 

Like all plants, it's really important to keep in mind how big the plant will grow when it matures if you plant it in the ground for future display. The plants in the store are rather small but they can get much larger and year or two from now, so give them space. 

Well, that is it on mums. They are really easy to take care of and just lovely in the fall. Do you have any favorite varieties or growing tips to share? Feel free to comment below!

Fall Gardening Part 2 - Ornamentals

 

If HGTV has proven anything, it's that people like to live in beautiful places. Whether it's your front yard curb appeal or a backyard you like to hang out in, we all like to enjoy beauty. Gardening offers you the ability to spruce up your outdoor spaces, even after Labor Day. With some smart planning, you don't have to spend a fortune either. 

First, how you approach fall gardening has everything to do with where you live and when your frost date is. (For more info on that, click here.) Most of your plants are going to be toast when the weather hits 32 degrees for the first time. After that, your left with scare crows, straw bales, and pumpkins for decoration. Where I live, we get a frost sometime in mid-October so I plan on enjoying as much color as I can till that happens. 

Next, if you're looking for seasonal annuals to rejuvenate your flower beds, you're going to be in for as much disappointment as I experienced. After driving to four different garden centers, the selection of annual flowers was almost nil and what there was cost far more than I was willing to pay. Unfortunately, that means a lot of what I'm going to tell you will be for next years. 

Some great annuals to buy from seed, plant in the Spring and be patient with for fall color include (but are not limited to), late season sunflowers (some sunflowers are done already), China asters, celosia, marigolds and annual ornamental grasses. Some coleus comes in great fall colors too but be aware that the slightest nip of frost will destroy them forever. You can buy theses seeds for cheap and plant them in the spring. Then you'll have some great flowers in late Summer - mid Autumn. 

Sedum

Another great way to save money is to plan for the long run with perennials. Perennials are plants that will continue to come back year after year so you only have to buy them once. I like to sprinkle some fall blooming Perennials around so my borders have something blooming all the time. I'm not going to talk about Mums here because I'm giving them their own post later. Some of my favorite fall blooming flowers include sedum, trycirtus, and gaillardia. You can also have a beautiful wildflower meadow of goldenrod and asters. 

You can also think about the Autumn beauty of deciduous trees that turn color in fall or the appeal of ornamental bushes like beauty berry or burning bush. 

So, you can have a beautiful yard in fall, it just takes a bit of planning ahead instead of making impulse purchases in the store. What are your tricks to a great garden in fall? Please post below!

PA Garden Show of York 2019

In general, I'm a pretty positive person when it comes to anything about gardening. However, this was my third visit to the PA Garden Show of York and it might be my last. Nothing was terrible mind you, the people are nice and we didn't have any problems. It was just, well, the same thing every year.

While my husband perused the large assortment of wineries (a definite plus) I got to meander around with my four year old daughter and it just didn't take long at all to see all the displays. Honestly, if you've been to any of these indoor garden shows then you've seen everything that was there. The same old, same old varieties of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and hellebore. No one is really putting any thought into plant selection and the displays are showcasing the same outdoor sheds and fountains that I've seen so many times before.





On the other hand, one display was a fun, over the top tiki hut display and I also enjoyed the old country house display. There's also something to be said for any blooming plants in the first week of March. My daughter also had a great time and enjoyed the kids activity table put on by the Penn State Extension office. She was bummed that they didn't have the play set display that had been there in years past.

Speaking of the Penn State Extension Office, there booth was by far the most interesting to me and I really enjoyed talking with one of the volunteers about the Master Gardener Program. They had some great information on native plants, but I really could have skipped the grumpy old man at the "ask a gardener" table. (Apparently, you shouldn't ask THAT gardener anything).

Naturally, they had a large room full of garden themed vendors. I appreciated the plant selection there and made a few purchases. Honestly, I think the vendors are a bigger draw to me than the landscaping displays.

Will I go again? Maybe. Depends how desperate I feel next March for some Spring flowers. Should you go? If you feel desperate enough for flowers yourself. Or at least, you can get some great wine.

DIY A Basic Fresh Evergreen Centerpiece

Nothing says traditional Christmas centerpiece like fresh evergreens. The options for crafting a fresh evergreen centerpiece are limitless so this post will focus on the basics. Once you have that down, you can experiment with loads of colors and materials.

What you'll need:
1. Waterproof container
2. Wet floral foam (dry foam is just for silk flowers)
3.  Floral Tape, wire or glue to attach foam to container.
4. At least two types of evergreens, preferably 3. I prefer a short needle spruce or fir, a long needle pine and something fun like cyprus or holly.
5. Ribbon
6. Taper Candles if you want them.
7. Pine cones and real or fake berries
8. Sharp pruners
9. Leaf Shine (optional)


First, attach the foam to the container. It's ok to use a sharp knife to cut the foam down to the size you need. I fi
nd tape is the easiest method to use. Then thoroughly, and I mean thoroughly soak the foam.

Second, and this is important, if you want to use taper candles you must put them in now. Be careful because you really only get one chance to put the candles in strait and even. Large, multiple holes in the foam will cause it to fall apart.

Third, use greens around the bottom to outline the shape of centerpiece you want. Be sure to strip the needles off the stem where it will go into the foam. The needles can rip up the foam. Then fill in completely with evergreens. You should not be able to see any foam when you're done putting in greens.

If you're using leaf shine (available at craft stores) now is the time to use it. It improves the appearance of your greens and can lengthen their shelf life.

Fourth, add your decorations! I made two simple bows to put on each side. I also wired pine cones and artificial berries to add color and texture. You can also add fresh flowers of course but they won't last as long as the greens will.

This can be a hard skill to learn. I've literally created hundreds of them. Be patient, practice and don't demand perfection of yourself. It should be fun! Merry Christmas!

Toddler Proof Christmas Decorating Part 2

Last week I wrote about how to enjoy beautiful Christmas decorating even if you have young children in the house. This week, I want to focus in on the ultimate Christmas decoration - the tree. We've all heard of or experienced a pet or child related Christmas tree disaster. While I can't make any guarantees, I will share what's worked well for us.

First, a smaller tree might help if you have a younger toddler. In our old home, we had a really small living room so we would buy a fresh, four foot tree and tie it to the top of a side table. We then put a small skirt over the stand and the rope and it looked lovely and was, for the most part, out of our daughter's reach.

If you love a full size tree, as I do, then you can tie it to the wall in the back to help prevent the tree from being pulled over. While the tree is up, you can't see it at all. When the tree is done, there is just a very small nail that no one ever notices.

Second, many writers suggest that if you have pets or children, then you should buy a tree with soft needles (assuming you're buying fresh, if you like artificial trees then this won't apply). However, I see things differently. It's a pain to decorate but if you use a fresh tree with very prickly needles - like a spruce tree - will act as a deterrent to the smaller inhabitants of your home. 

Third, everyone knows to put the fragile ornaments at the top of your tree out of the kids reach. Be sure to affix them firmly so if the tree is shaken for any reason the ornaments stay put. Also, be sure to have plenty of unbreakable ornaments around the bottom of the tree to keep your kids distracted from the ones higher up.

Finally, keep a sense of humor and remember that this is your kids home too. Even as perfectionist as I can be, last year I was fine with my daughter pulling ornaments off and playing with them. As long as she left the lights alone, we were fine with her "messing it up".

I know some people put gates or fences around their tree to keep the kids away but I never liked that idea. It takes up too much space, it looks bad and it sends the message to the kids that Christmas is hands off. However, every home is different and you've gotta do what works for you.

Also, I should mention that safety is crucial. Be sure to use relatively new lights that have less or no heat and won't start a fire. Keep all open flames well away from your tree.

How do you keep your Christmas tree beautiful? Be sure to post your tips in the comments below.

Toddler Proof Christmas Decorating Part 1

I realize this post is a departure from my normal subject matter but my garden is all but done for the year and this topic is very pertinent right now. Before becoming a stay at home mom, I actually got paid to decorate private homes and businesses for Christmas and I miss it, but having a two year old has brought new challenges. If you too, would like a festive home but have little ones (or pets, come to think of it) then this post is for you!

First, and I hate to state the obvious, consider scaling back on decorations in general. I'm a flaming hypocrite for saying it but think of it this way: you may love that wooden nativity set (and yes, it's not fragile) but do you want to pick it up off the floor six times a day? Me neither.

Second, embrace soft textiles. The stores are full of festive throw blankets and decorative pillows. You kids can't break them and they'll also keep you warm and comfortable - win, win! Just keep the grape juice and sharpies out of the family room....

Third, floating shelves are your friends. If you do want to display figurines, candles and vases that are breakable, then clear off your floating shelves and re-decorate them for Christmas. You can get your regular stuff back out in January. Floating shelves can make your house look festive and beautiful without your heirlooms getting broken.

Fourth, have a designated mess zone. I've actually heard moms say they dread making cookies with their kids because of the mess. How sad, because crafts and baking projects are the stuff that priceless memories are made of! So, designate a place in your house, for me it's my dining area, where the kids are allowed to make a mess. Ideally, there won't be carpet or anything else you don't want getting dirty.

Finally, be careful with poinsettia's and decorative berries like Holly and pepper berry. None of them are good for your pets or kids. They're beautiful but I'm not having them in my home until my kids are old enough that I don't have to worry about them eating them.

So, those are my best tips. How do you decorate with kids in mind? Stay tuned for next week when I share my tips for your Christmas tree.

How to Create the Perfect Evergreen Decorations Part 2

The first Christmas in a new home means figuring out how to do decorations. It can be very easy to get into a decorating rut: the tree always goes in the same corner, the nativity is placed on the same table and so forth. So this year feels like a clean slate for me, which is fun. On the other hand, I didn't want to go crazy and set the bar too high for future years. Here is what I came up with:

The window boxes where a gift from my father in law who is great at building things from wood. They were installed last month so this is the first thing I've ever put in them. Seriously, if you're going to do window boxes, you've gotta put some evergreen in them. It's not just for Christmas either, you can keep greens and pine cones out all winter and it looks great.

First, fill in with evergreens, keeping in mind the height and width you want. I didn't want to block the view out the window so I kept it short. You'll definitely want to use at least two different kinds of evergreen - typically a short needled fir and a long needled pine. I also added holly. The greens should completely cover the dirt underneath.

Second, add any ribbon, berries, sticks or pine cones that you have on hand. I've been loving burlap which will look great all winter. Pretty, huh?









Making your own wreaths is a bit hard core. It really takes time to wire that all together. If you're a purist like me and are determined to make your own, then you really need to check out a few youtube videos on how to do it. It's not that complicated but you've gotta see video to really get it. Alternatively, you could always buy the $8 wreath at Walmart and then decorate it yourself. The one I did here is a mixture of douglas fir, white pine and holly. I then added burlap ribbon, pine cones and artificial berries. I love real berries but with a toddler, I don't feel it's safe.

Pinterest gave me an idea for a porch light swag which was a snap to make. If you've never worked with evergreen before, swags are the place to start. You can do it!

Finally, you got to have a real tree. We had a blast discovering a local tree farm (just 5 minutes away!) and cutting our own tree (ok, Brian did all of that). My daughter is almost two and loved putting ornaments on. I'd love to hear about your evergreen projects and family traditions in the comments below!

How To Create The Perfect Evergreen Decorations Part 1

 Even after years of retail work, and seeing all of the materialism and consumerism it can entail, I still love the holidays. Singing carols, giving gifts, baking and so much more make December just fabulous. Every year, I also just love decorating, especially with fresh evergreens. The pictures in this post are from our old home last year.

1. Pine Roping is a favorite for me. It's classic, beautiful and very affordable. If you're made of money, you can go with cedar roping but I think the pine looks great and costs much less.

2. Containers can be so beautiful filled with a mix of fresh evergreens, red berries, and pine cones. Most gardeners have containers lying around unused in the winter. Put them to good use!

3. Who can resist a beautiful wreath? It's not hard to make your own with a wire frame and a good mix of greens, pine cones and a pretty bow. Check out youtube for some great how to videos on making your own wreath.

4. Of course, you've gotta have  a great, fresh tree. Our old house was so small, we could only get a small tree. I think it was really cute with pretty ribbon, lights and a very eclectic mix of ornaments that really represent our family. I can't wait to get a large, full size tree for our new living room!

5. When you think about decorating with fresh evergreens, maybe the first thing you think of is a beautiful centerpiece. I'm not going to lie, these are difficult to make yourself. As someone who not only has made hundreds of them, but has tried to teach others how to make them, I know. However, you can find them at any local florist and some grocery stores.



That's a look back at last year. After I get the new place decorated, I'll be sure to post pictures of that as well. Hopefully, this post will get you excited and inspired to make your own home beautiful and festive this holiday season.