Lemon Grass Update

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Lemongrass - I don't see any mosquitos, do you?

Back in July,  I shared a post on planting a natural mosquito repellant.  It has been over a month since planting these small little plants and I wanted to share an update.

Both of the planters have exploded in size since planting them at the end of July.  I was a little late in planting them but there's a move to a new state and big trip to Japan to blame.  I could only imagine what size they would be if they were planted in the spring.

My husband is a mosquito's dream and he has made the comment that is it much easier to sit outside now that they are there.  Now, I don't have any scientific data to support that there are less mosquitos, but if he actually will stay outside and not get bitten, I deem it a success.  However, it could very well be like Lisa Simpson's tiger rock:

Homer: Not a bear in sight.  The Bear Patrol must be working like a 
       charm.
 Lisa: That's spacious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: Thank you, dear.
 Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Oh, how does it work?
 Lisa: It doesn't work.
Homer: Uh-huh.
 Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
Homer: Uh-huh.
 Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.

July

Early September

So as the fall quickly approaches and the weather get cooler, I have a plan for these guys.  When I purchased the plants from the farmer's market, the grower told me that there was a way to keep them alive over the winter.  After much research, I found out that you can keep them indoors for the winter in a warmer environment. The steps are laid out here. 

I obviously am going to try this since I don't want to start all over again from scratch in the Spring.  I'll have to share that update when I start the inside steps.   It still is beautiful and warm here in southern NC.  I should be starting the process in October time.

<3 mk

Planting Mosquito Repellent Lemon Grass

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I recently did an outdoor planter facelift on two of my larger planters and my mother passed on some of her gardening knowledge to me during the process.  Instead of filling them with soil, use some filler... free filler, such as plastic soda bottles and/or water bottles.  I have always used rocks at the bottom and sometimes styrofoam, but I never thought to use the empty bottles.   My mother, she is such a smart one and frugal.   I wonder where I got that from?

Source

My main reason for this post was not to talk about filling planters, I have been really wanting to try out one of my pins that I posted about a year ago.  My husband is a mosquito's dream and he seems to be constantly eaten by them.  Now that we live right on the water, I knew that they would be more prevalent.  I pinned that lemon grass was a natural repellant and always wanted to get huge planters for it to grow.  In VA we didn't have the outdoor space, but in our new place we do.

With pots as large as the ones I currently own and my recently purchased Huson planters from IKEA, it would require loads of soil and that can be costly.  By filling the bottom with rocks and then empty plastic bottles, much of the planter is filled with the “filler” and less of the costly soil.  They also cut down on tons of weight so the planters/pots can be moved easier. 

See the dent in the bottom, that was my way of trying to make a hole.

My two new planters didn't have holes at the bottom for drainage, so I had Jeff drill some holes before I filled them up.  I actually tried to make the holes myself, but that was not happening.  See above.

This is the way to make real holes with an actual drill.

Jeff used a smaller drill bit first to start and then gradually worked up to a large drill bit. He discovered that the metal was thin enough to use the larger one without any pilot holes, but the whole process took a total of a few minutes anyway.

Next, I put some rocks that I picked up from my property.  If you don't have rocks lying around, you can also purchase them from your local home improvement store pretty inexpensively in bags.  Bricks are also another alternative.   Use these rocks for drainage, but also to put some weight on the bottom since my planters are pretty tall and could be easily toppled by wind. 

Then add in filler bottles.  I used a mix of smaller bottles with a few larger bottles, like the those from the post about using vinegar for weed killer.  Be sure to rinse them out first!  I didn't want to go too high up because I still needed enough room for the plant to have enough soil.

Next, I put in the potting soil, making sure that it filled in the gaps down to the bottom of the planter.   Finally, I planted the lemongrass and am currently waiting (patiently) for it to fill in.  I hope they will look like my inspiration (above) soon.  I bought the plants at the local farmers market for a few bucks. The vendor said that it would fill in a lot from the small plant that we purchased so we only bought two plants for each of my planters.  I haven't seen these plants on sale at any home improvement store, but I am sure if you go to a specialty garden store you can pick some up.

As mentioned earlier, my mother suggested using styrofoam peanuts as filler that you might get when ordering something online.  She suggested using them if you have them, but to put coffee filters on top of them and then layer your soil.  This way the styrofoam will stay in place and not mix with the dirt.  This was a great suggestion, but I didn't have any styrofoam laying around.  Make sure the peanuts are the non-biodegradable type as some will dissolve in water.  Test one by running it under a faucet first.

Time will tell if the plants fill in as predicted or if they will prevent mosquitos from biting my husband. I do know that the filler bottles used saved me money on soil for each of the planters and anytime I save money, I'm a happy girl. 

<3 mk

Deck Greenhouse Results

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Mint

Remember the deck greenhouse I put together back in November?  Are you curious to see if my plants are still alive?  Well, the verdict is in…

Success!!

Oregano

Back in November, in an attempt to save my plants and herbs, I purchased an easy, build it yourself
4-tiered greenhouse.  I literally took my plastic deck planters and placed them directly into the greenhouse, then crossed my fingers.  I will admit that I forgot to water the herbs regularly, but it was so cold outside I didn't want to even step outside. My selfishness didn't blow up in my face because the herbs and plants lived to see the spring.

Disclaimer - not all herbs will last through a cold winter in the green house.  I had chives, parsley, rosemary, and creeping jenny in my planters. They didn't grow too much over the winter, but they were all still green and ready for the warmer weather when I took them out in April. I did try basil, but it was a total fail.  It isn't a hearty herb.

Parsley and Chives

The best part about this "experiment" was that I didn't have to start from scratch this Spring.  I literally took the planters out of the greenhouse, did some minor cleaning of the beds, then dropped them right back into the planter boxes that Jeff built.

<3 mk

Green Onion Rejuvenation

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Do your flowers smell like onions? Yup, that’s because they are onions.  I pinned this idea a few weeks back and didn’t think I would actually do it until I had a meal that required these.

I bought the green onions to use on a Mexican inspired dish.  The onions had an inch left of the root and the white part.  All I did was keep them connected with a rubber band and stuck them in a clear drinking glass with some water next to the window in the kitchen. 

A few days later I realized they actually had grown to the point that they were inching over the top of the glass.

My current window plants were past their expiration date so I decided to make a switch.  Originally the intention was to put in tulips for the spring, but there was no luck in Home Depot the day we went to get them. 

For now, I will keep these useful plants in the kitchen growing and for use. Cutting the top off for use leaves them not so pretty and probably diminishes the chance of a flower blooming, but it makes for a great perpetual green onion machine.

They grow really quickly and do well with sunlight.  There isn't much to do with them besides putting them in a drinking glass for the roots to grow a bit and transferring them to the decorative glass planter with actual river rocks.  Water and watch them grow.

During the cold winter months, there is nothing better than seeing new green plants growing.  Not only do I have my outdoor green house, but now I have edible green onions in the kitchen.  Spring can’t come soon enough, but I am somewhat content for now.

Follow me on Pinterest.

<3 mk

DIY Terrarium

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I bought this terrarium from Urban Outfitters online on a whim.  I was purchasing a mirrored initial letter for my entry way wall (post to come) and bacon floss for my husbands holiday stocking stuffer when I stumbled upon it.  I had some sort of percentage off the purchase and it was free shipping so I wanted to check it out.  If I didn't like it I would go to the local store and return it.  Well, I liked it and this is what I did with it.

I love the shape of this terrarium, but there were a few problems immediately.

One- The corners did not meet and that would not only be an issue with watering, but also with the soil.  So, my husband got out his clear caulking and took care of that.  I taped off the corners with blue painters tape and filled them in.

Two- The other problem was that the opening that you use is quite small.  My hands aren't the largest so I could get them in there and do what I needed, but I did poke myself with the cactus spines a few times.  You might need to use a spoon towards the end.

Once the caulking was dry, I was able to get going on this project.    I bought all my supplies from the local gardening store and from Home Depot.   The local gardening store had a whole section set up to make your own terrarium and it wasn’t overly expensive.  The charcoal went for $4 and the potting soil went for $5.  I also got some moss for $3.  I actually bought the plants from Home Depot for a total of 10 bucks.  I already had the river stone at home left over from my other indoor plants.  The plants were slightly more expensive at the garden store, but I am nervous that the ones I bought from HD might not last.  Time will tell.

First, I put in some of the river stones to cover the bottom.   Cover the stones with charcoal and then a layer of the potting soil.  Then put in the succulents, cactus and more soil.  Next, arrange the moss and more of the stones.

Making it Lovely explains it in a bit more detailed than I did.  I really like the way she used the tall terrarium and the billy buttons.  She didn't use succulents for this terrarium, but I still love the way it turned out.

Warning, make sure you do not put the plants too close to the sides or you might have a mold problem in a few weeks.

I watered the plants, but will not water them again until they get really dry again.

Set up by a window that gets a lot of sun.  Enjoy.

<3 mk

Paperwhite Update- Two

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Remember these or these. Well it has been over a month and they look like this.

These guys have done exactly what I wished they would do, make me happy! As the weather gets colder and I am spending little time outside, seeing these beautiful flowers each morning brings a smile to my face.

Progress.

Seeing the progress of growth over these last few weeks has been wonderful.

As the holidays are in full swing,  a perfect idea would be to make one of these for a last minute gift or as a gift for a host. It is cheaper than a good bottle of wine and so much more thoughtful.  All the you need is listed here.

Happy Holidays!

<3 mk

Deck Greenhouse

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As seasonal depression sets in, I realized that I needed to do a few things to savor the rest of my summer favorites.   So, before the first frost set in and all my herbs say bye-bye to warm weather, I made the decision to keep them alive.

I live in Northern Virginia and the weather is a bit better than where I grew up in New York.  This doesn’t mean the weather is nice enough for my herbs to stay alive through the winter.

What's great about having wonderful neighbors next door is that if one of us discovers or creates something beneficial to our house, we share the idea. With their success of a greenhouse last winter, I ordered this greenhouse from Amazon because it as always, is very convenient. I got it in two days with free shipping with Amazon Prime. Gotta love Prime. 

It took about 10 minutes to set this guy up.  I didn’t need any tools according to the instructions, but I made some mods to the original design.  No, there aren’t any pimped out rims, but I made it a bit brawnier.   The wire shelving that came with the kit was not exactly the sturdiest.  When placing it on the metal that goes the length of the green house for each shelf, I realized that it was not flush.  I used black zip ties that I already owned to keep them in place.  I used about seven on each shelf to keep them in place and there were a total of four shelves.

The green house was super easy to put together.  After assembly, I carried it outside to the deck and lifted the herb planters out of the deck boxes my husband built when he rebuilt the deck a few years back and placed them in the green house.   I also put some left over tile from our kitchen, living room and bathroom tiling projects on the bottom to make the greenhouse bottom heavy.  I don't want any crazy winds whipping around and this guy toppling over. 

I have rosemary, garlic chives, chives, mint, and parsley that were all still living from this summer.  I really wanted to salvage my basil, but it turned brown this past weekend.  I already bought a plant and  it is thriving in its outdoor sauna. The inside gets seriously hot from the sun during the day even when it's cold outside.

                                  

My biggest concern is that I forget to water the plants in the greenhouse.  I am really good about watering when the weather is warm, but usually completely ignore my deck as soon as the plants die and the furniture is put away under tarp for winter.  I might need to put an alert on my phone to remember to water.

On a side note, you need to purchase a hug pack of the black zip ties (again, from Amazon) because they are super useful to have around the house for projects.  I didn't realized how handy they were until this project.  You can also pick them up locally at Home Depot or Lowe's if you forget to order them with the green house.

Is it too late to save your outdoor herbs?  

<3 MK

Paperwhites (Indoor Planters)

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I don't see myself as a fancy person, but I have seen live flower arrangements that I am totally envious of. Anything that isn't a cut flower is considered extravagant to me.   About seven years ago I made a bad decision when I told my husband (then boyfriend) that I never wanted flowers.  What I really meant is that I wanted live flowers, not that ones you pay a load for and die a few days later. 

I am honestly not sure where I got this idea from, but I made a few of these guys for several of my friends for Christmas last year.  They were perfect in bringing some beauty into a cold winter day.  They are fast, easy, and beautiful.   In the beginning they grew and brought excitement to those dreary days of winter, but after a few weeks (4+) they ended up smelling a little funky. Be aware, but it's totally worth it.

Don’t get me wrong, theses guys are awesome and perfect for the bleak and depressing winter months.  I will make sure this year I pull these guys and start a round #2 once I feel like they are hitting their prime (aka, skank city).

Planting Instructions:
1.     Fill the glass container halfway with small stones
2.     Place the bulbs on the stones with the points up and the root plate down.
3.     Ensure that the root plates are even so that the water is able to reach each root bottom.  If the bulb sits in the water, then it will rot.
4.     Plant them close together for a more floriferous display.
5.     Cover the bulb with stones, all the tips to sit above the stone line.
6.     Water well after planting with lukewarm water; do not over water. Water within about ¾’ of the tip of the pebbles.  You want the base of the bult moist without the entire bult being soaked.  This will encourage root growth.
7.     To ensure growth, place in a very bright or sunny location.  The light makes sure they wont grow that tall.

These zinia get about 10-15 blooms per bulb.  You need to make sure you plant them near a window with lots of light. I don’t think there is enough light in my kitchen which is why they grew so tall last year.  I had to use wire to keep them from falling over.  I will be keeping my blinds up this year to ensure they stay shorter as well as using a technique known as "forcing alcohol".  No, it's not a sorority hazing ritual but a method to possibly stunt their growth.  Next time I water, I will make sure the mixture is 5% alcohol (A 5% mix is obtained with 40 proof liquor by using 7 parts water to 1 part liquor).  You can use rubbing alcohol to save money.

Once they are in their planters, they should root within a week or two.   I remember that they bloomed shortly after and was always amazed that they grew so quickly.   I swear they grew before my eyes.

Price breakdown:

Bulbs- $3.98 for three at homedepot

River Rocks- JoAnnes $3.99 for 2 Lbs.; I used a coupon when purchasing

Glass Planter- ~$6.99 from TJ Maxx (purchased last year)

Are you thinking…pretty frugal, eh?

If you are looking to give homemade and thoughtful presents to friends, this is the perfect gift for you.  There are tons of different colored river rocks and planter shapes that you can purchase that will allow you to personalize.   You can have beautiful flowers in any room in about 30 days.

Check back for a growth update in about 30.

<3 MK