You've gone to all the trouble of cooking and crafting the perfect Valentine's meal for your sweetheart or family. Now serve it like you mean it -- presentation is everything! Here are 10 Romantic Valentine's Day Table Settings to kick your imagination into full gear. 1. Here's a sweet & charming setting by Between Naps on the Porch. Take a closer look at that Ice Cream Candy-Car Sundae centerpiece. This is one table setting that will shoot straight to your Valentine's heart via their sweet tooth! 2.Between Naps on the Porch is on a roll with this country-elegant setting complete with ruby ring napkin holders. My favorite thing about this design is that a whole host of otherwise unrelated plates were used to pull off the theme. The designer didn't worry one bit … [Read more...]
Grow a Salsa Garden in a Jar
Photo of salsa by Florian (Ed Note:The weather is warm and garden stores are showing off a wide variety of herbs and vegetables to plant in your garden (if you have a garden). Here's a great way to bring fresh flavors to your table with just a little outside space.) Strawberry jars are urn-shaped containers that have openings or "pockets" on the sides. Originally, they were made for growing strawberries as the jar structure allows the crown of the plant to stay above the soil line, which is important for the plant. The design also keeps the fruit off of the ground. It turns out, these handy jars are excellent for all kinds of planting themes such as growing a salsa garden on your patio or deck. What you'll need: 1 Strawberry jar (Terra Cotta or plastic) -- or a regular planting … [Read more...]
Top 5 Easiest Herbs to Grow
Herbs in general are some of the easiest plants to care for and the majority of them will thrive without any fussing from the gardener. I find that not only are rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, and mint easy keepers in the garden, but they're also extremely container-friendly. They're happy to grow in just about anything that they're tucked into including discarded colanders, hanging baskets, and even (literally) a kitchen sink. Just make sure they have plenty of soil, sun, and drainage (herbs don't enjoy wet feet) and they'll make themselves at home. 1. Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) Rosemary is a handsome, evergreen perennial herb with fragrant, needle-type leaves. You'll find rosemary comes in both trailing and upright varieties. Of course, the scents and flavors will … [Read more...]
Using Your Garden Journal to Plan a Better Garden
Every winter I end up suggesting somewhere or another that January is a great time to start a garden journal or notebook to record everything during the entire primary growing season. The new year is an obvious place to start one not only because it's the beginning of the calendar year, but because it also happens to be the pre-garden season. The records of what you were planning on growing in the garden, and where, and when you were going plant them is the beginning of a personalized custom book custom made for you. At first, garden journals may seem like extra nit-picky work at a time when your garden needs you most. But there are some excellent reasons for taking a little extra time to jot down some important notes. After a couple of years, your garden journal will become a valuable … [Read more...]
